The Blue Bottles Are Coming, But What Exactly Are These Creatures?

Plants and Animals





Photo credit:

An Indo-Pacific Man-o-war, AKA bluebottle. Michael Fried/Wikimedia

Blue bottles have been washing up on Sydney beaches by the bucketload recently. With their annual arrival, many questions and myths about these creatures seem to be drifting around as well.

What exactly are blue bottles? Are you really supposed to pee on their stings? How do you keep a day at the beach from turning into a real pain?

Let’s take a closer look at these mysterious sea dwellers.

What Are Blue Bottles?