No, we're not talking about sharks, but there's another sea creature that spring breakers might have to worry about.
Park rangers at Texas' Padre Island National Seashore this week posted a photo of some of the first Portuguese man o' war to hit the shore this season.
Similar sightings have been reported at Florida beaches in Palm Beach County and St. Augustine.
The Portuguese man o' war, also known as "the floating terror," looks pretty, but has enough venom in its tentacles to paralyze small fish and other prey. The venom is not deadly to humans (except in extremely, extremely rare cases), but it still hurts to get stung by a man o' war.
If you do get stung, symptoms include severe pain, rashes, red welts on the skin, fever and other reactions that mimic an allergic reaction. Sometimes the tentacles can sting you and they won't even be attached to the body of the man o' war; they're just out there, floating in the ocean.
To treat a sting, rinse the sting site with vinegar to remove any leftover stingers, and then immerse the wound in hot water or cover it with a hot pack.
But as long as you keep an eye out, you should be fine.
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