People poking a venomous Portuguese man o’ war jellyfish after several of them washed up on a beach, prompting authorities to take action.
In the first video, the man can be seen tapping one of the Portuguese man o’ war jellyfish (Physalia physalis), with a long metal pair of tongs in the city of Wenchang, in China’s province of Hainan on 20th January.
The second clip, recorded just minutes later, showed another person poking the marine animal with a plastic straw after it came ashore at Sun Bay Beach.
The Portuguese man o’ war contains numerous venomous tentacles which deliver a painful sting powerful enough to kill fish, and has been known to kill humans occasionally.
Chinese media revealed that several beachgoers were strolling along the seashore when they suddenly came across the creature, which they first believed was a blue plastic bag.
After realising that it was,, in fact,, a Portuguese man of war jellyfish, whose sting packs a painful punch and causes welts on exposed skin, they immediately called authorities.
By the time the team of specialists arrived on-site. There were reportedly more than 20 jellyfish of the same variety present on the beach.
After getting rid of the jellyfish, the team launched a public warning to prevent tourists from visiting the beach and set up warning signs in the same area.
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The videos triggered a wave of comments on TikTok’s sister app for China, Douyin. As stunned social media users could not hold back from expressing their opinions.
Douyin user ‘What are you doing?’ said: “This kind of jellyfish is not very toxic. I catch it every year [only its air sac].”
User ‘Looking up at the starry sky’ commented: “Most people will definitely touch it, especially children.”
And ‘Powerful Paddle Board SUP’ added: “This is so awesome. I saw one two days and ran away quickly.”
The Portuguese man o’ war, also known as the man-of-war or bluebottle jellyfish. Is native to the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean.
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Story By: Georgina Jedikovska, Sub-Editor: Michael Leidig, Agency: Asia Wire Report
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