Newsletter Signup
Stay up to date on all the latest news from Boston.com
Who needs sharks? Mass. beach closes to swimmers after Portuguese man o’ war sighting.
Their stings are rarely deadly for humans but are excruciatingly painful.
State officials closed a South Coast beach to swimmers for the remainder of the day on Monday after a Portuguese man o’ war was sighted.
The highly venomous predator, as well as dangerous rip currents, forced the closure of the water at Horseneck Beach State Reservation in Westport by the state Department of Conservation and Recreation.
The Portuguese man o’ war is a marine hydrozoan found in the Atlantic and Indian oceans. Their stings are rarely deadly for humans but are excruciatingly painful, hence the closure of the ocean to swimming.
The water was expected to reopen this morning following an assessment of the area.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com