Durdle Door in Dorset, a favourite location among readers of Amateur Photographer (AP), is one of several coastal beauty spots to be invaded by a poisonous jellyfish-like creature.
A Portuguese Man O? War ? the stings of which can be fatal ? was spotted in a cave near Durdle Door last week.
Durdle Door is the subject of photographs regularly submitted by readers for publication in AP.
There have also been sightings at Burton Bradstock, where landscape ace Joe Cornish is known to have captured many of his best pictures.
Dorset?s Kimmeridge Bay and Chesil Cove have also been on the creature?s hitlist.
Peter Richardson, biodiversity programme manager at the Marine Conservation Society (MCS), told AP: ‘The key message is look, don’t touch.’
He urged the public to report any sightings to MCS, adding: ‘Send us pictures too – we can always use pics of jellyfish and jellyfish sightings.’
Richardson warned: ‘There have been several reports of Portuguese Man O? War washing up in Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and the Isle of Wight and I expect more.’
The Portuguese Man O? War is thought to have been swept into the UK from the Caribbean by strong winds in recent weeks.
Experts advise people to stay well clear.
Scientists predict that climate change will bring more jellyfish into UK waters, though most species do not deliver a dangerous sting.
The Marine Conservation Society can be contacted on 01989 566017.
Here’s how Sky News reported the ‘deadly danger’ earlier today.
Picture credit: Peter Soper
