Orange Beach and Gulf Shores officials kept the purple flags flying today as more dangerous Portuguese Man o’ Wars were seen floating off coastal Alabama.

Purple flags at the beach mean dangerous marine life.

Purple flags are flying due to the presence of Portuguese man o’ war. pic.twitter.com/yceM2nxZyp

— City of Orange Beach (@cityorangebeach) February 27, 2018

Facts about the Portuguese Man o’ War, from Oceana:

— “The Portuguese man o’ war is a highly venomous open ocean predator that superficially resembles a jellyfish but is actually a siphonophore.”

— “Each man o’ war is actually a colony of several small individual organisms that each have a specialized job and are so closely intertwined that they cannot survive alone. “

— “This species is predatory.  It uses its feeding tentacles to sting and paralyze small fishes, pelagic crustaceans, and other invertebrates.”

— “The feeding tentacles may be up to 160 feet long.”

— “These tentacles deliver a powerful sting and are also used for defense against predation.”

— “This species’ sting can be very painful if encountered by people.  When there are large numbers of individuals in an area, it is best to avoid swimming.”