Pine Knoll Shores Fire & EMS are offering a common warning this time of year in eastern North Carolina – although it comes a little earlier than usual -- Portuguese man o' war have been spotted along the beach.
They look like clear, bluish balloons, but Cape Lookout National Seashore officials say the creatures, with tentacles 30 feet or longer, can deliver a painful sting to anyone who touches them.
Officials are telling people be cautious when walking the beach, fishing, or swimming and steer far clear of any Portuguese man o' war they encounter.
They can sting days after they die.