JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. — It’s not every day you see a purple flag waving at Jacksonville Beach.
“With the increase of man o wars and with it being summertime we wanted to advise all of our bathers and beachgoers that we are seeing an uptick in Portuguese man o' war," said Lieutenant Max Ervanian, with the Jacksonville Beach ocean rescue.
Kevin Brown, a marine biology expert, says Portuguese Man o' War aren’t jellyfish, but they are distinctive looking.
“If you see that purple bubble, I know it's pretty, stay away from it and let it take its course," said Brown.
Brown says the animals can be very dangerous to people who have bad reactions to stings from ants or bees.
“The common person if you get wrapped up in colony of tentacles you need to go to a doctor because it can lead to anaphylactic shock," said Brown.
Brown says the creatures are common in the Atlantic Ocean, but wave action brings them to shore, and they can pop up anywhere, especially during low tide.
“The waters are perfect, it's warm, the conditions are right and it’s a perfect storm for those Portuguese man o' war," said Brown.
If you would like to check out the daily ocean conditions, Ervanian with the Jacksonville Beach ocean rescue says to go to their website.