Warming waters bring scores of stinging sea slugs to Spain's coasts

Beaches across 4 regions closed due to the invasion, spoiling vacations in summer season

- Jonathan Wolfe

MADRID - When a pair of curious-looking sea slugs were found this month on the beach near Guardamar del Segura, few in the resort town in southern Spain noticed. But then, last week, the tiny blue creatures — capable of delivering one of the most ferocious stings in the animal world — began washing ashore in droves.

"They kept appearing, one after the other, after the other, and at times on a massive scale," said Mr Jose Luis Saez, the town's mayor.

The arrival of the tiny marine molluscs — known as Glaucus atlanticus, or blue dragons — is raising concern across Spain. The animals have so far shuttered a handful of beaches across four regions, angering locals and spoiling vacations at the height of the busy summer tourist season.

More than 1,500km from Guardamar del Segura, another mayor on the Canary Islands was also managing an invasion of the noxious slugs.

"We are all shocked," said Mr Alfredo Villalba Barreto, the mayor of Haria. He closed two beaches last week after a young child was sent to the hospital for a suspected blue dragon sting. "We've never had this little creature here before."