Urgent warning to beachgoers as sea creature with excruciating sting spotted on UK coast

AN urgent warning has been issued to beachgoers as a sea creature with an excruciating sting has been spotted along a UK coast. Several seaside visitors have fallen victim to the invertebrate and reported being left in “severe pain”. One man said his wife was left in “severe pain” after swimming at Porth Dafarch beach Credit: Getty A lion’s mane was spotted washed up on beach at Moelfre Credit: Facebook/Mandi Jane Lion’s mane jellyfish, whose tentacles span a whopping 120ft, have been sighted off the coast of Anglesey, Wales. Their extremely painful sting is known to cause nausea, sweating and cramping, and they are most commonly seen in UK and Northern European waters from May to October. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! They are one of the world’s biggest jellyfish boasting thousands of long tentacles beneath the bell, and they’re mostly recognisable from their deep red or brown colour. Multiple beachgoers have fallen victim to a marine animal the size of a paddling pool as a woman suffered a sting to her eye, while a dog was also ailed. An urgent warning has been issued to beachgoers in Anglesey, Wales Credit: Facebook/Mark Richard Evans Lots of beachgoers have shared their spottings on social media Credit: Facebook/Joanne Shepherd One man said his wife was left in “severe pain” while swimming at Porth Dafarch after being stung by something that looked like “red seaweed” with “long clear strands”, reports North Wales Live. He added: “It took several hours for the pain to subside.” A woman from Cheshire said her son fell victim to a “large lion’s mane” on Holy Island and was left “really uncomfortable for 24 hours”. She said: “It stung both his feet badly and we had to remove lots of tentacles as well. We gave him Piriton, paracetamol and put his feet on hot water when we were able to. Most read in The Sun “But the pain was awful for him for a while.” A local of Traeth Porth Eilian said her pooch was stung earlier this week during a walk along the seaside. She recalled: “The tide went out and left them everywhere. One of my dog’s nose touched one, so its toxins went into him. He had a huge reaction. He had to have lots of medication, scans etc. “A walk to my local traeth nearly turned into a death penalty for my dogs. It was extremely frightening to say the least.” In Moelfre bay, RNLI crew rushed to help a yachtswoman who was stung in one eye after recovering a line covered in jellyfish tentacles from the water. A spokesperson for RNLI Moelfre said: “At 2:58pm on 11/08/2026, our station volunteers launched the Inshore Lifeboat (ILB) to assist someone who had suffered a jellyfish sting to the eye while on a yacht anchored in the bay. “Within 30 seconds, the ILB was alongside, evacuated the woman, and returned to the station. “After a quick medical check, it was decided that she would book a taxi and make her own way to A&E at Ysbyty Gwynedd for further treatment.” On the same day, a swimmer was reportedly stung on both legs off Benllech beach by a creature with “very long stringy tentacles”. NHS guidance states that if you’ve been stung by a sea creature such as a jellyfish, get local medical advice as soon as possible. If help is not available, rinse the affected area with seawater – not fresh water – and remove any remaining tentacles with tweezers or the edge of a bank card. It is recommended to soak the area in very warm water for at least 30 minutes, take painkillers and do not touch any tentacles or spines with your bare hands. Comment now