Emerald Isle, North Carolina and the Portuguese Man of War
The Portuguese man of war is native to the Atlantic Ocean. They can occasionally be found in the waters off the southern coastline of the United States. The warm waters of summer, changing tides, and ocean winds bring the man-of-war closer to shore in summer. And the dangerous creatures do sometimes wash up on the beach. Emerald Isle, while being one of the southernmost North Carolina coastal communities, does not see very many man-of-wars each season. Man-of-wars are more common from South Carolina to Florida and a common nuisance in the Gulf of Mexico. Emerald Isle is just out of the normal range for man-of-wars to be a serious, ongoing concern.
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