Not a true jellyfish, Physalia physalis is a colony of polyps and considered a siphonophore. More commonly found after storms, Portuguese man-o-war wash up yearly and pose a serious threat to those who are unlucky enough to be stung. Their stinging tentacles can extend many feet beneath their tiny gas filled bladder. Typically, the ones that wash up on Kwaj have gas bladders less than an inch wide but in other areas they can reach a width of 12 inches.
6 October 2015