If you are headed to the coast this weekend to celebrate the 4th one place you might want to steer clear of is the Horseneck Beach State Reservation area. State officials are warning beachgoers off Horseneck Beach in Westport.

The Department of Conservation and Recreation on Tuesday warned the public of the presence of the sea creature and said it has posted purple flags at the beach, which indicate the presence of dangerous marine animals.

The Portuguese man o’ war is recognized by its balloon-like float, which may be blue, violet, or pink, which rises up to six inches above the water line, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Resembling an 18th-century Portuguese warship under full sail, the man o’ war is recognized by its balloon-like float, which rises up to six inches above the waterline.

Youtube/BBC

Its tentacles below the water, which can grow as long as 100 feet, deliver venom capable of paralyzing and killing small fish. The tentacles contain stinging nematocysts, microscopic capsules loaded with coiled, barbed tubes that deliver venom capable of paralyzing and killing small fish and crustaceans. While the man o’ war’s sting is rarely deadly to people, it packs a painful punch and causes welts on exposed skin. While rarely deadly to humans, it can cause painful welts on exposed skin.

Often called a jellyfish, it is actually a species of siphonophore, which is closely related to jellyfish.

Get our free mobile app

WATCH OUT: These are the deadliest animals in the world

LOOK: Here Are 30 Foods That Are Poisonous to Dogs

To prepare yourself for a potential incident, always keep your vet's phone number handy, along with an after-hours clinic you can call in an emergency. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center also has a hotline you can call at (888) 426-4435 for advice.

Even with all of these resources, however, the best cure for food poisoning is preventing it in the first place. To give you an idea of what human foods can be dangerous, Stacker has put together a slideshow of 30 common foods to avoid. Take a look to see if there are any that surprise you.

KEEP READING: Here are 6 foods from your cookout that could harm your dog

LOOK: Stunning animal photos from around the world

From grazing Tibetan antelope to migrating monarch butterflies, these 50 photos of wildlife around the world capture the staggering grace of the animal kingdom. The forthcoming gallery runs sequentially from air to land to water, and focuses on birds, land mammals, aquatic life, and insects as they work in pairs or groups, or sometimes all on their own.

LOOK: Here are the 50 best beach towns in America

Every beach town has its share of pluses and minuses, which got us thinking about what makes a beach town the best one to live in. To find out, Stacker consulted data from WalletHub, released June 17, 2020, that compares U.S. beach towns. Ratings are based on six categories: affordability, weather, safety, economy, education and health, and quality of life. The cities ranged in population from 10,000 to 150,000, but they had to have at least one local beach listed on TripAdvisor. Read the full methodology here. From those rankings, we selected the top 50. Readers who live in California and Florida will be unsurprised to learn that many of towns featured here are in one of those two states.

Keep reading to see if your favorite beach town made the cut.

More From WUPE