Portuguese man o’ war have been spotted on the beaches of Slapton Sands and Lannacombe – and coastguards are urging people, especially dog owners, to be careful.

Portuguese Man O’War on the beaches

A spokesperson for Dartmouth Coastguard Rescue Team said: “One of our team was out early and came across a Portuguese man o’ war “jellyfish” on Slapton Sands and others at Lannacombe Beach too. The one we took a photo of was about 7cm across the float.

“We normally see them in the summer but the wind direction has been from the west to south sector for a lot of the winter and they’ve been blown up the channel onto our beaches with the high winds.

“These give a very nasty sting that lingers, it can sting even when dead on the beach, and they are very toxic to dogs and in some cases fatal if ingested. It may be wise to keep you dog on a lead on the beach.”

NHS advice for jellyfish and Portuguese man o’ war stings is to seek a lifeguard or someone with first aid training. If no help is available then the advice is to

• rinse the affected area with seawater (not fresh water)

• remove any spines from the skin using tweezers or the edge of a bank card

• soak the area in very warm water (as hot as can be tolerated) for at least 30 minutes – use hot flannels or towels if you cannot soak it

• take painkillers like paracetamol or ibuprofen

Do not: use vinegar; pee on the sting; apply ice or a cold pack; touch any spines with your bare hands; cover or close the wound

Go to a minor injuries unit if you have: severe pain that is not going away; been stung on your face or genitals; or been stung by a stingray.