Weird sea creature ‘balloons' are washing up on North Carolina beaches - here's what they are
Visitors are being cautioned to watch where they step because of the sting the creatures can emit. The sting is rarely deadly to humans but can be painful and cause welts on exposed skin.
'Just a friendly reminder to exercise caution,' the Cape Lookout National Seashore wrote in a May 17 Facebook post. 'Their tentacles can pose a risk to bare feet even after the organism has died. So, let's keep our beach fun and safe by avoiding attempts to pop the blue float. ... Portuguese Man-o-Wars are likely to remain on the beach for several days, so let's stay vigilant over the next week.'
While similar in appearance to jellyfish, the creatures are a species of siphonophore, a group of animals closely related to jellyfish, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
They are primarily found in tropical and subtropical areas. They wash up on beaches after being propelled by winds and ocean currents. The creatures are capable of floating in legions of 1,000 or more.
Portuguese man-of-war resembles an 18th-century Portuguese warship under full sail, but they are often recognized for their balloon-like shape, which can be blue, violet or pink. The creature can rise up to six inches out of the water.
They often lurk below the ocean's surface and grow to an average of 10 meters (about 30 feet) and may extend by as much as 30 meters or 100 feet.
The Sunset Beach Fire Department alerted visitors that the 'thread-like tentacles' can spread across the sand. Anyone who is stung should rinse the affected area with saltwater, not freshwater, and remove tentacles with gloves or a towel. People should seek medical attention if they experience severe pain, difficulty breathing or other serious symptoms.
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Buzz Feed
12 minutes ago
- Buzz Feed
Signs Someone Is American, According To Europeans
Want to know how to spot an American abroad? Ask a European. 'As someone who works closely with American clients through destination weddings and food tours, I've picked up on quite a few telltale signs,' Portuguese tour guide and food critic Carol Batista told HuffPost. From coffee orders to outfit choices to general vibes, many different kinds of signals can indicate someone is from the U.S. While some are endearing, others might raise more than a few eyebrows. 'I try to avoid generalizations ― a Brooklyn creative won't travel the same way as someone from Texas or the Midwest,' said Stéphanie Pons, the founder of Lisbon Insiders. 'But there is a shared sense of optimism, confidence, and curiosity.' Below, find 23 signs that someone is American, according to Batista, Pons, and other Europeans: Comfort-First Fashion 'You'll often see Americans in athleisure, sneakers, baseball caps, or hoodies, even when traveling, which is often a contrast to more polished local fashion in such European destinations like Italy, for example.' ― Jane Iskra, Iceland-based elopement photographer at ISKRA Photography 'That unwavering confidence of walking into a centuries-old basilica dressed like you just left a reformer Pilates class. Think: athletic leggings, oversized hoodie, and maybe ― just maybe ― sandals with socks. Practical? Extremely. Contextual? Not quite.' ― Luli Monteleone, Lisbon-based digital marketing specialist Big Spending Habits 'At supermarkets or stores abroad, Americans often buy in bulk or stock up more than locals, who tend to shop daily.' ― Iskra 'Americans love to spend ― and often do so more generously than other nationalities. But they also like to feel they're getting great value in return. I would say that the mix of enthusiasm and practicality is very American. Coming from a country with much higher wages, they sometimes don't realize how large the gap is. For example, in Portugal, the average monthly salary is about 1,100 € (~$1,250), so what feels affordable to them can seem extravagant to locals.' ― Batista On The Hunt For Iced Coffee 'The iced coffee hunt. Even in the middle of winter ― and ideally in a 500ml cup. There's a kind of dedication there that I honestly admire.' ― Monteleone 'I would say if they have a drink with lots of ice (either water or iced coffee).' ― Steffi Crivellaro, U.K.-based blogger at Steffi Daydreamer Loud Confidence 'One of the biggest indications is usually that you can hear them before you see them. It's not necessarily that they're loud, but they command attention wherever they are, which also leans into how confidence is built in America. I have often found that Americans are very confident. Even if it does not come naturally to each individual, they seem to have been conditioned or taught to be confident, which means they tend to take up space wherever they are.' ― Ronke Lawal, PR and communications consultant in London 'Americans tend to find everything 'amazing,' and they're not shy about saying so ― out loud and often. They speak with a volume that's just slightly above local norms, even when whispering. And in a world where many cultures lean toward discretion, that kind of openness stands out.' ― Pons Stanley Cups 'Reusable Stanley-style coffee mugs are a giveaway ― they seem to go everywhere with them, even when traveling!' ― Iskra 'Carrying a Stanley or huge water bottle.' ― Crivellaro Large Engagement Rings 'The big, sparkly engagement ring tradition is very American. In some countries, engagement rings aren't as flashy or aren't even a thing sometimes.' ― Iskra Jumping Straight Into English 'It's not the accent ― it's the cheerful assumption that English will always do the job. Most locals do speak it, but trying a simple 'ciao' or 'bonjour' tends to unlock a different kind of experience. It's a small gesture, but it changes everything.' ― Monteleone Seeking Air Conditioning 'In the summer, Italians love to stay outdoors: The squares fill up, and the outdoor tables are always the most desired. Americans, on the other hand, almost always choose the indoor spaces with air conditioning. For them, climate comfort is an absolute priority.' ― Diana De Lorenzi, Rome-based lifestyle blogger 'Americans are notoriously hot all the time and expect lots of air conditioning and ice when they travel, two things that aren't so easy to come by in Italy!' ― Livia Hengel, founder of The Italy Edit Warmth and Friendliness 'I've traveled extensively in the US, and if there's one thing I've consistently noticed, it's their amazing ability to start a conversation: openly, spontaneously, as if they already knew the person in front of them. It can be quite disconcerting for us Europeans, but it's a deeply rooted part of their culture. In France in particular, this kind of attitude is sometimes seen as insincere or self-serving. But I've always defended it, I actually find it refreshing to have even a short exchange with someone who is smiling, warm, and quick to compliment your outfit or haircut. Personally, I love good energy, and I take the good where I find it.' ― Kenza Sadoun el Glaoui, Parisian digital creator 'In Ireland, people are known for their friendliness, but we don't have a patch of the Americans. They say hello to everyone, they chat to locals, they ask questions, and it's lovely to see. There's a sort of genuine, open curiosity about an American abroad that I, personally, find very endearing.' ― Tara Povey, blogger at Where Is Tara? Genuine Enthusiasm 'Americans are often very expressive ― big smiles, open curiosity, confident energy. And when they feel they've been well taken care of, they're incredibly grateful. I've had food tour guests react like it was Christmas morning just because of a market tasting or a pastry they'd never tried before, and a bride bringing me a full suitcase with gym clothes as a souvenir from LA — and it's truly heartwarming.' ― Batista 'My partner Luca Veralli is a master gelato maker, and his gelato has been awarded by Gambero Rosso. Every time an American tourist tastes it, they always ― without fail ― say the same phrase: 'Oh my God!' For us, it's a joy. They say it with genuine enthusiasm that truly makes us happy. But it's funny how this exclamation is almost always identical, as if it were a ritual.' ― De Lorenzi, Generous Tipping 'One immediate giveaway is that American travelers are generous tippers ― even though the U.S. is one of the only countries in the world where a 20%-plus tip is expected as the norm. On the other hand, with average salaries nearly double those in Italy, tipping makes sense and is a great way to show appreciation for good service, especially in places where it's not expected.' ― Hengel 'America has a very generous tipping culture, unlike any other country I've ever visited. When Americans travel outside the U.S., leaving large tips is a sure sign of where they are from. In Ireland and most of Europe, we only leave tips if the service or the food has been particularly good, and servers definitely do not expect or rely upon tips.' ― Povey Paying By Credit Card 'Americans always pay by card, even for very small amounts like a 1 euro espresso. This is another cultural difference we see every day.' ― De Lorenzi Wide Smiles and Perfect Teeth 'Americans are known for having great dental care and wide, confident smiles. Smiles and perfect teeth are often one of the first giveaways.' ― Iskra Full Of Compliments 'I've always found Americans to be sweet and genuine! I can especially tell when a woman is American because she'll go out of her way to give me a compliment, and it's usually thoughtful and specific. It happens multiple times a day whenever I'm traveling in the States, and I've never experienced that kind of spontaneous kindness anywhere else in the world.' ― Kelsey Heinrichs, blogger at Kelsey in London Wanting To Customize Everything 'There's a kind of customization instinct ― asking for dressing on the side, almond milk in the cappuccino, or a dinner reservation at 6 p.m. (which still feels like mid-afternoon in Portugal). I see it as a reflection of their strong sense of personal agency, the belief that services can and should adapt to you, not the other way around.' ― Pons, Saying "Like" All The Time Paramount / Via 'The overuse of the word 'like' — especially with people from LA. Sometimes you'll hear 'like' eight times in a single sentence! It's a casual, filler-filled way of speaking, and of course, there's the unmistakable clarity of American English.' ― Batista 'Saying things like 'awesome,' 'you guys,' or the ever-present filler word 'like' always catches my ear with a 99% probability I hear it from an American.' ― Iskra Limited Geographic Knowledge 'A general lack of geographical knowledge is a sure sign. Americans tend to refer to any country in Europe as 'Europe,' as if we are all the same. There is a huge difference between Norway and France; they're completely incomparable. Referring to us all under one sweeping term of 'Europe' or 'Europeans' is sort of ridiculous. I once met an American man who asked me where I was from. When I told him I was from Ireland, he said that he had just been visiting my neighbors. I assumed that he must mean the United Kingdom (which I could understand). However, he then declared that he had visited Italy. Needless to say, neither Italy nor Ireland would ever refer to the other as a neighbor. It would take 27 hours to drive from Dublin to Rome. That's the equivalent of Miami to Minneapolis. Florida and Minnesota are not neighbors.' ― Povey Cappuccino With Dinner Peeradon Warithkorasuth / Getty Images 'If someone asks for a cappuccino with pasta or pizza and also at dinner, you can be sure: They are an American tourist. It's a cultural habit that always makes us smile because for us Italians, cappuccino is a morning ritual, part of breakfast, but it's nice to see how every culture experiences food in its own way.' ― De Lorenzi, Different Portion Size Expectations 'I notice this a lot during food tours ― Americans are frequently surprised by how small European portions can be (while we are shocked when we see their portions). I've heard more than once 'Wait, this is for one person?' and it's always funny.' ― Batista Fast-Moving Itineraries ''I've been to Europe' often means a whirlwind through Paris, London, and Rome in under two weeks. Honestly, impressive cardio — but also, you just missed the good bakery next door. And truthfully? Europe's charm often lives in the quieter, slower corners.' ― Monteleone 'Rushing to include their ancestry in an opening conversation. Don't get me wrong, I love that Americans are so enthusiastic about their heritage, and it certainly does wonders for Ireland's tourism industry. However, they are the only country that does it. Never have I met anyone from outside the US who has launched into their grandparents' origin story when we have just been introduced. While charming, it's definitely a telltale sign that someone is from the US.' ― Povey Steves' Love Of Rick Steves Guidebooks 'In Reykjavík, I immediately pick out Americans out of the bunch because they explore the country using Rick Steves Iceland as their compass. Not Lonely Planet. Or ,odors. Or even a local source. Good 'ol American Rick Steves ― who I met in person when I was his local guide in Reykjavík and is as 'Merican as they come. I'm sure other nations use guidebooks too, but Americans carry Rick with pride. Not tucked away in their backpack, ashamed of getting caught with something as gauche as a guidebook, but loud and proud. Out in the open.' ― Auður Ösp Ólafsdóttir, Iceland-based marketing professional walked That Intangible American Vibe 'As someone who works across lifestyle and hospitality in Europe, I often find myself noticing subtle (and not-so-subtle) clues that someone is American. The most obvious is the accent, but beyond that, there's a specific energy that's easy to spot.' ― Pons 'I somehow pick Americans out of a crowd, but I can't put my finger on how. It's something about how they're built and how they're dressed ― I really can't articulate it. They're just so essentially American that their Americanness shines, even in a culture where you'd think it would be harder to pick them out. Once upon a time, I think Americans just walked around with a certain air of confidence about them. They were proudly American, and you could tell in the way they walked. Nowadays, many conversations with Americans start with apologies. Their once-proud stance has been replaced with slightly hunched shoulders. Like they're aware that tolerance for American politics is wavering around the world and they don't want to take up too much space. But it's still something about how Americans walk in the world that makes them recognizable.' ― HuffPost.


USA Today
5 hours ago
- USA Today
Iowa football shares unique behind-the-scenes look at Big Ten media days
This must be why they call it the entertainment capital of the the scenes from Vegas 🎬#Hawkeyes x #B1GMediaDays As Iowa football experienced its first conference visit to Las Vegas on Thursday for the 2025 Big Ten media days at the Mandalay Bay Resort, the Hawkeyes released a unique behind-the-scenes look at the annual preseason event. While Iowa's group of representatives, which included head coach Kirk Ferentz, defensive back Koen Entringer, defensive lineman Ethan Hurkett, and offensive lineman Logan Jones, had to wait until the last day of the three-day event to make their appearance, the Hawkeyes were still able to enjoy the spotlight in Sin City. In a behind-the-scenes video posted on their social media platforms, the program provided a very personable view of the proceedings through the lens of the three current athletes accompanying Ferentz. The video captured every aspect of Thursday's 2025 Big Ten media days appearance, spanning from the flight to Las Vegas to the humorous questions asked by the players to their soon-to-be 70-year-old head coach. As the Hawkeyes enter the 2025-26 campaign with an improving offense to pair with their top-tier defense, Iowa could be primed for a magical season fans have been dreaming of. Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions. Follow Scout on X: @SpringgateNews


Boston Globe
11 hours ago
- Boston Globe
Dance poles and leopard-print walls: Love motels ready rooms for climate summit
'We're taking out anything too erotic from the rooms,' said Yorann Costa, 30, the owner of Motel Secreto, Portuguese for 'Secret Motel.' 'And the location is perfect.' The 12-day summit, the first global climate gathering to be held in the Amazon region, has set off a rush to prepare Belém, a port city of 1.3 million, for tens of thousands of visitors. To meet the demand for hotel rooms, officials vowed to nearly triple the city's stock, from 18,000 beds in 2023 to 50,000 for the event. Advertisement As the summit nears though, uncertainty over whether there will be enough lodging has pushed hotel rates above $1,000 a night and threatened to cause a diplomatic crisis, with some delegations complaining that eye-watering prices may bar poorer nations -- often grappling with the worst impacts of climate change -- from attending. Advertisement Seeking to calm jitters, Brazil said this month it had struck a deal with two cruise ships to provide some 6,000 additional beds, which will first be offered to developing and island nations at discounted rates of up to $220 per night. New hotels are also being built and old ones refurbished. Schools are being fitted with beds. Sporting clubs are being transformed into dormitories and residents are rushing to revamp homes into rentals. Still, with less than four months to go, much of the new lodging is still not complete and the city is thousands of beds short of its target. Against this backdrop, Belém's numerous love motels -- short-term accommodations that charge by the hour and often lack a reception area or amenities like gyms and pools -- are preparing to fill the gap, already tweaking and outfitting many of their 2,500 rooms for visitors attending the climate summit. 'It's the time to join forces,' said André Godinho, who represents Belém in the planning of COP30. 'The possibility of a love motel as accommodation -- it's not ugly, it's not wrong. It's part of the solution.' Love motels surged during Brazil's repressive dictatorship in the 1960s, when homes were often being surveilled. They have since become ubiquitous across the country, Latin America's largest nation, where young people often live at home well into adulthood. Inspired by American roadside lodging that charges by the hour, the Brazilian love motel quickly gained popularity by offering short-term stays for a bargain and adopting a romantic aesthetic similar to Japan's love hotels. (BEGIN OPTIONAL TRIM.) This is not the first time an emergency has forced Brazil's love motels to adapt to a different clientele. Facing hotel shortages ahead of the World Cup in 2014 and the 2016 Rio Olympics, thousands of motels were similarly revamped to welcome visitors. Advertisement This time around though, the country's love motels are preparing to welcome a different kind of guest, arriving for business rather than pleasure. (END OPTIONAL TRIM.) On a recent afternoon in Belém, efforts to refresh the city's motels and make them a touch less sexy were on full display. At Fit Motel, circular beds, a classic feature of many rooms, leaned on walls, cast aside to make space for more conventional rectangular mattresses. A few miles down the road, at Love Lomas motel, fresh coats of paint were drying and new sheets lined the beds. In the premium suite, the flashing red, green and blue lighting would remain, but guests could ask for the erotic chair -- a metal-and-leather contraption resembling a dentist's chair that was bolted to the floor for safety -- to be removed. 'People think it's like a brothel,' said Ricardo Teixeira, 49, who manages both motels and is trying to buff up their reputation. 'But it's just a space like any other.' He is not sure yet if he will swap the menus in the rooms, which offer beers and burgers, as well as sex toy rentals. (BEGIN OPTIONAL TRIM.) At the Pousada Acrópole (Portuguese for 'Acropolis'), the word 'motel' was swapped out for 'inn' and the red facade was painted a muted gray, though the plaster bas-relief of a mythological romance -- a chiseled Greek hero and a nude Aphrodite holding a red apple -- still flanks the entrance. 'This is a big opportunity for us,' said Alberto Antonio Braga da Silva, 55, the owner. Motel guests normally pick up room keys from a parking lot attendant, but he plans to add a makeshift reception for the summit. 'And in there,' Silva said, pointing to the second story, 'I'm going to have one of those -- what are they called? Coworking.' Advertisement (END OPTIONAL TRIM.) Back at Motel Secreto, Costa prepared one suite by adding bunk beds and taking down an oversized framed picture of a person's rear end that hung on the wall. But he stopped short at getting rid of the dance pole, the leopard-print wallpaper and the red, heart-shaped hot tub. 'I have to think about what comes after COP30,' Costa said. 'I can't just spend a ton of money and tear everything out.' As we stepped out of a suite into the dark hallway connecting the rooms, Costa whispered apologetically over the sound of loud moans. 'This might be a bit awkward,' he said, waving to the red lights flashing above a handful of rooms, signaling that they were occupied. 'There's lovemaking going on.' Those lights, he says, will also stay in place. So far, most motels have struggled to convince summit attendees to give them a chance. Delegations from at least half a dozen countries have inquired about booking motels during the summit, according to owners and real estate brokers, but few have reserved rooms yet. Even with few options, many visitors heading to Belém for the summit remain hesitant about the racy decorations, said Giselle Robledo, a property broker working with delegations seeking accommodations. 'The embassies are really conservative,' she said. 'They don't want to go to a love motel.' Advertisement And then there is the cost issue. Even as Brazilian officials have warned property owners to rein in prices, many motels are still asking guests to pay hundreds of dollars per night to stay in these redecorated rooms. 'The prices have been absurd, they need to come back to reality,' Robledo said. Lovers who frequent Belém's motels typically pay from $10 to $35 for the first hour, while an overnight stay in a premium suite costs more than $150. But, during the summit, some motel owners hope to charge from $300 to $650 per night. 'The market is setting these prices,' said Teixeira, who is also the regional director of the Brazilian association of love motels. 'And it's still a better deal than a hotel.' (STORY CAN END HERE. OPTIONAL MATERIAL FOLLOWS.) At a less romantic three-star hotel across the road from the conference center where the talks will be held, rooms are going for $1,250 per night, according to booking sites. 'The demand is wild,' said Jeimison Louseiro, the hotel manager, whose landlord recently asked him to vacate his nearby apartment, so that it could be rented out to summit attendees. Costa, for one, has no doubt that visitors will change their minds and pack his motel by the time the climate summit starts. In the end, he said, lodging is going to be very tight. 'Unfortunately, there won't be a room for everyone,' he said. 'And what we're offering is an option.' This article originally appeared in