DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The warmer weather has folks flocking to the beach but beach goers aren't the only ones enjoying the waves.
Dozens of Portuguese man o’ war and jellyfish are washing up on shore and it’s left some people like Wanda Rush surprised.
“Somebody told me I shouldn’t touch it even though it was dead. I didn’t know it could still sting when they’re dead. I won’t do that again,” Rush said.
Rush’s family is from Wisconsin and they stumbled upon several man o’ war and a jellyfish, which gave Teresa Couey second thoughts about going back into the water.
“I’ll look out for them. I don’t want to get stung,” Teresa Couey said.
For Grace Hahn, she didn’t realize the Portuguese man o’ war were lined up against the sea wall, including one that was just feet from her chair.
“It’s surprising that they look like plastic. Like, I wouldn’t think those would be jellyfish. I would just think they were like trash that people left on the beach, so I’m really surprised,” she said.
The red and purple flags were flying all day on Friday for the rough surf conditions and hazardous marine life, according to Volusia County Beach Safety Ocean Rescue.
“We get these events from time to time. The high winds will bring the jellyfish out of the Gulf stream and they impact the shore and that’s where we see them,” Deputy Chief Andrew Ethridge said.
Ethridge said each lifeguard is equipped with white vinegar should a swimmer get stung. He reminded beachgoers to swim in front of a lifeguard tower.