It might’ve been a little too chilly the past couple of days to enjoy a trip to the beach, which means you should consider yourself lucky that you didn’t have an encounter with this mysterious creature washing up on Texas shores.
Per WFAA, these blue dragons, otherwise known scientifically as Glaucus atlanticus, are small sea slugs that float in the open ocean, and while they may be beautiful to look at, officials from the Harte Institute warn for beachgoers to keep their distance.
These blue dragons feed on Portuguese man-o-war, storing the jellyfish’s stinging cells inside their own bodies. The sting of a blue dragon can often be more painful than that of a Portuguese man-o-war.
If encountered, researchers advise to keep a distance, snap a picture, and then leave it be.
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