First Spot

Like hearing the first tunes of Jingle Bells in October as a mark of a Christmas celebration, still months away and far beyond the realms of normal conscious thought, so was the slow creep towards Summer marked today by a first sighting of the dreaded blue bottle.

For those not familiar, these are otherwise known as Physalia utriculus or, more commonly, the Portuguese Man of War. Generally small but the sting is uncomfortably painful and lingers for a few hours, persisting as a heavy tingle and irritation for a few days beyond that. The bane of the Summer season as they usually appear in flocks of hundreds rather than ones and twos and turn the line up into a minefield, negotiated only by careful paddling and a sharp eye. Being tagged by one at some point is inevitable though.

And so Summer is about to join us. More light, hot days and warm nights. But also a dearth of surf, full carparks, more floaters and, of course, Physalia utriculus.