Urgent warning to beachgoers as a deadly Portuguese Man O’War is spotted on Dorset shore – as experts warn people ‘look but do NOT touch’

They are usually found wandering the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.

But beachgoers in Dorset were in for a surprise this week after a Portuguese man called Man Ooar washed up on the beach.

Often confused with a jellyfish, the Portuguese Man O’War is actually a siphonophore – a colony of tiny zoophiles that all work together as if it were one animal.

While it’s undeniably stunning to look at, experts have urged beachgoers to stay away from it.

“They suffer a nasty and very painful bite, even after they die,” Dorset Wildlife Trust explained.

Often confused with a jellyfish, the Portuguese Man is actually a siphonophore – a colony of small zooids that all work together as if it were one animal

Dorset Wildlife Trust says it has received multiple reports of sightings this week.

Post pictures of her Facebook pageHe explained: “We have received multiple reports of a Portuguese man washing up on beaches along the Dorset coast, such as the one captured by Peter Minter at WikiRegis.”

The Portuguese Man usually lives in the open ocean and is rarely seen on UK beaches.

However, it can occasionally be blown by westerly winds into UK seas, and washed ashore on the west coast of the UK.

These are usually the Isles of Scilly and Cornwall, but they are increasingly being seen in west and north Wales, and even as far north as Cumbria.

While its main body is usually only 11 inches (30 cm) long, its tentacles can extend up to 65 feet (20 m).

And it’s these sensors that can get you into hot water.

“They are fearsome predators, hunting small fish and crustaceans with their long, stinging tentacles,” Dorset Wildlife Trust explained.

The strange creature has a large purple body, with a crest tipped with pink and long, purplish-blue tentacles.

The Portuguese Man usually lives in the open ocean and is rarely seen on UK beaches, but one has been spotted in Wyke Regis this week.

“It’s these tentacles that you need to be careful of too – they can sting long after the animal is dead.”

The strange creature has a large purple body, with a crest tipped with pink and long, purplish-blue tentacles.

They lose color quickly after curling, and can appear translucent with a purple tinge.

Several excited people responded to Dorset Wildlife Trust’s post about the sighting.

“Very interesting and beautiful creatures,” one user replied, while another compared them to an alien.

Meanwhile, someone joked it looked like a “Cornish pasty that went to a rave”.

If you spot a Portuguese Man O’War, be sure to report it to your local Wildlife Trust.

This sighting comes shortly after a report revealed the influx of jellyfish onto British beaches.

The report, released by the Marine Conservation Society, shows a whopping 32 percent increase in jellyfish sightings this year compared to last year.

Experts believe the increase in sightings could be linked to climate change, as jellyfish are attracted to warmer waters.

Dr Peter Richardson, Head of Ocean Restoration at the Marine Conservation Society, said: “Jellyfish numbers change dramatically year after year, and depend on many environmental factors that vary every year, such as sea temperatures and storms.