THE chief of the National Marine Park overseeing Phi Phi Islands in Krabi launched a survey following the reported sightings of the dangerous Portuguese man of war.
News of the highly venomous hydrozoan being found at some neighboring beaches in Phuket raised alarm about the potential dangers it could bring to tourists.
Also known as bluebottles, the marine species is not a jellyfish, as many people thought.
The dangerous creature is recognizable for its venomous tentacles and blue body is a colony of polyps working together as one animal.
Each of its tentacles typically measures around 30 feet but can sometimes extend more than 100 feet to grab its prey.
Its tentacles contain stinging nematocysts, or microscopic capsules loaded with coiled, barbed tubes that deliver venom capable of paralyzing and killing small fish and crustaceans, and has been known to occasionally kill humans.
The species are mainly found in the Pacific Ocean but can sometimes stray in Thailand during the southern monsoon.
Although the staff of the National Marine Park failed to find traces of the venomous creature, they assured to stay on alert due to the potential danger it poses to tourists.
