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Purple flag warning still in effect, venomous sea life poses threat to beachgoers

The blue creatures might be easy to spot on shore, but not so much in the water.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — There's many things to be cautious of when venturing to the beach, especially the venomous sea life that has been making it's presence known. 

"We do have a lot of venomous marine life out," said Jamie Odgen, lifeguard with the Corpus Christi Beach Rescue. "We've had the purple flag posted for about a week now." 

Odgen said the creatures they are seeing are the Portuguese man o' war, which can really pack a punch with their sting, but according to Ogden, this is normal this time of year. 

"We are just seeing an influx of them with the strong winds we are having right now," Odgen said. "If you do see the Portuguese man o' war out here don't touch them, they have a painful sting." 

The blue creatures might be easy to spot on shore, but not so much in the water. 

"I got stung by a couple of man o' war's, even a blue dragon," said area surfer Audrey Boyd. "The best thing you can do is get out of the water, pour some vinegar water on it and let it sting, because there is nothing you can do about it." 

Boyd said this past weekend in Port Aransas, she tried to avoid the stingers of the sea but wasn't so lucky. 

"Jellyfish and sea life in general are always a risk while surfing," Boyd said. "But I wouldn't really call it a risk because it is their home and we are in their home when we are out there." 

According to the Corpus Christi Beach Rescue, there are a lot more stings where that came from and they are getting calls for assistance. 

"We've had quite a few lately, especially on the weekends," Odgen said. "We have a lot of people coming from out of town. The more people in the water with the man o' wars out there, the more calls we are going to get." 

Ogden said they do keep vinegar water on them and are ready to respond when needed. Residents are encouraged to call beach rescue at 361-826-3469 if they have any questions. 

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