Portuguese galleys are back on France’s Atlantic coast. Beaches have already been closed – but even dead specimens remain dangerous.
July 30, 2026, 8:00 a.mJuly 30, 2026, 8:00 a.m
Anna-Lena Janzen / t-online
Portuguese galleys have washed up again on the French southwest coast. As French media report, the dangerous sea creatures are appearing again in large numbers on the Atlantic coast – both in Brittany and in the Basque Country. Mimizan Beach had to be completely closed on Wednesday. Physalia have also been spotted on the beach at Ilbarritz near Biarritz.
Contact with the Portuguese Galley can be very painful for people.Image: www.imago-images.de
The sea creatures visually resemble jellyfish and seem harmless at first glance: a shimmering purple, transparent bubble body that floats on the surface of the water. These are not real jellyfish, but polyp colonies in which each individual takes on a specific task.
When people come into contact with the tentacles, they experience severe pain and red welts on the skin. In rare cases, allergic shock can occur, but fatal outcomes are rare.
The tentacles are on average 10 to 15 meters long but can reach a length of up to 50 meters under water. Since the tentacles are extremely thin and barely visible, burns often occur, even though the animal appears to be swimming far away.
Authorities warn: Don’t touch it
The responsible health authority in the French region warned urgently against touching the animals – even if they are already lying on the beach. Stranded animals or torn tentacles on the beach also remain poisonous for days and continue to pose a risk.
Anyone who sees one of the animals should inform the lifeguards immediately. If contact does occur, you should leave the water immediately and rinse the affected area with sea water or warm water and vinegar.
Visible tentacles on the skin can therefore be removed with tweezers, a lined glove or a credit card. Dry sand can relieve the pain. If you have serious symptoms, you should call emergency services immediately. Healing is said to take between 15 days and three months.
Climate crisis is bringing tropical species to Europe’s coasts
The “Portuguese galley” is actually at home in warmer waters such as the Indian or Pacific Ocean. In Australia The animals appear in large numbers in certain regions in the summer – strong winds drive them to the coast. The animals cannot swim; their gas-filled bladder only acts as a sail.
In the north of the state of Queensland, many bathers protect themselves during jellyfish season with so-called stinger suits, full-body protection made of Lycra. Primarily, however, these are intended to protect against two even more dangerous species of jellyfish in the region: the box jellyfish, whose stinging cells can trigger cardiac arrest within a few minutes, and the tiny Irukandji jellyfish. Their poison causes the so-called Irukandji syndrome – with extreme muscle cramps, vomiting and life-threatening high blood pressure. These species cannot survive in the cooler waters of Europe.
The “Portuguese galley”, on the other hand, is increasingly proliferating in European waters. There are several reasons for this. Experts attribute this to rising water temperatures, among other things Climate change back, which promote the spread of the animals. Overfishing of the seas also plays a role, as their natural predators such as turtles and sunfish are being decimated by fishing.
Last year there were beach closures due to the increased appearance of physalia on the Basque coast.