These are some of the weird and wonderful sea creatures spotted on Dorset's beaches in recent days.

There have been several reports of Portuguese Man of War in the area which are believed to have been blown to shore by Hurricane Ophelia.

Readers have spotted the potentially deadly creature on the sands of Bournemouth, Studland, Sandbanks, Mudeford and Milford on Sea.

Neil Rodda said he counted eight of them on the beach at Hengistbury Head on Monday morning.

Although their stings are rarely fatal to humans, they can be painful.

The Coastguard has advised beachgoers to stay away from them and report any sighting to their local council.

According to the National Geographic website, the Portuguese man-of-war is not actually a jellyfish but a siphonophore - an animal made up of a colony of organisms working together. 

It gets its name from the uppermost polyp, a gas-filled bladder, or pneumatophore, which sits above the water and resembles an old warship at full sail. 

It has tentacles that can reach up to 160ft in length although 30ft is the average. 

They are usually found in the Atlantic Ocean, as well as the Indian and Pacific Oceans.