What is worse than.....

[Phil Pascoe]

I was snorkelling off north Cornwall in the red hot summer of '76. I stuck my head up to get my bearings - I was about 100yds off shore. I put my head in the water again, looked in front and there swaying towards me with the swell were about ten feet of Portuguese Man of War fronds. I had large scuba diving fins on, and as I hit the beach the cramps hit me and I rolled up in agony.

 

[Harbo]

My Granddaughter got stung by a dead one whilst playing in the sand at Scarborough. It had been washed up and was buried in the sand.
Took a while to realise what had injured her as the dead jelly fish was well hidden.

On another note, whist camping in the Cairngorms, miles from anywhere, we were collecting drinking water from a crystal clear mountain stream when we noticed further upstream a dead sheep lying in it - we went thirsty after that!

Rod

 

[woodfarmer]

I am very short sighted, so when swimming off a beach have to "navigate" using landmarks. One evening in a rocky cove I was swimming along and met a man with big whiskers.
"hello I said"
when I got to 2-3 feet of him I realised it was a seal
but it wasn't afraid and swam with me for some while.