Fascinating and Dangerous Blue Bottles off the Picturesque Coast of Gansbaai (00016721)
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Description: The Blue Bottle, also known as Physalia utriculus, is a highly venomous species of Portuguese man-of-war found in the waters off Gansbaai on the coast of the Western Cape in South Africa. Each Blue Bottle is a colony of various animals working together for survival. The distinctive, bluish shimmering gas bladder serves for buoyancy control, while the tentacles, which can reach up to 10 meters in length, are equipped with thousands of nematocysts posing an extreme danger to humans. Contact with the tentacles can lead to severe poisoning, causing respiratory failure and cardiac arrest. Prompt medical treatment is vital when encountering a Blue Bottle.
Location: Western Cape, Küste Gansbaai, South Africa
Date of Capture: 14.08.2005