A beautiful purple creature called a Portuguese man-of-war, may wash ashore, but it’s important to avoid touching it—and don’t try licking it! An influencer once made the mistake of licking these venomous “cute” creatures, with serious consequences.

By   Diego Rego Monteiro  –   Own work ,   CC BY-SA 3.0,   Link

As striking as the purple and blue hues of the Portuguese man-of-war may be, these creatures pose a significant threat to human health. It looks like a floating bubble with blue or purple hues and long, dark purple tentacles trailing beneath it.

It’s these tentacles that carry the danger. They are filled with venom, capable of delivering a painful and potentially dangerous sting. Even if these creatures wash up on the shore and appear dead, avoid them, as their venomous sting remains active for days after.

A sting from this seemingly innocent creature can result in cardiac issues, fever, shock, painful red welts, difficulty breathing, paralysis, and in rare cases, death. If you’re stung by a Portuguese man-of-war, resist the urge to pee on it! Instead, seek professional medical treatment immediately.