“The Most Beautiful Killer”: Cape Town Woman Finds SA’s Most Dangerous Sea Slugs on Fish Hoek Beach

• A Cape Town surfer shared a video showing SA's most dangerous sea slugs on the beach
• The clip showed the Blue Dragon sea slugs, which are about the size of a thumb, in shades of blue, white and grey
• South Africans were shocked to learn these venomous creatures are found on local beaches

A Cape Town surfer just showed people exactly why they need to be careful on the beach. She shared a video of tiny sea creatures known as Blue Dragons on 6 November 2025, and they're as venomous as they are beautiful.

The woman started by saying she was going to show viewers this dangerous slug. At first, she looked around the beach and couldn't find any. Then she said that if you don't see them, you're probably not looking in the right place. She moved to a different area where lots of birds were flying around, and that's where she found one.

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The Blue Dragon is tiny, about the size of a thumb, and it's a stunning mix of blue, white, and grey colours. The video showed that when it's dying, it flips onto its back so its belly faces upward. She also showed how to catch it safely. Since it's a dangerous sea slug, she demonstrated how to handle it safely using seashells to avoid direct contact. Instead, she used seashells to scoop it up from the sand and placed it somewhere she could take close-up photos and videos.

She joked that it looks like a Kraken because it has lots of finger-like extensions on its limbs. It could easily be mistaken for a pretty flower, which is exactly why people could get into serious trouble if they think it's just an adorable little sea creature and try to pick it up.

According to The Good Things Guy, the Blue Dragon's scientific name is Glaucus Atlanticus. It's a species of small, blue sea slug that has been branded as "the most beautiful killer in the ocean." As many as 20 of them were once spotted on Fish Hoek Beach in Cape Town.

These creatures float upside down using the surface tension of the water. They feed on other venomous sea creatures, including the Portuguese man o' war. The Blue Dragon stores the venom from its prey in its own tissues as a defence. If a human handles one, they may receive a very painful and potentially dangerous sting. Symptoms can include nausea, pain, vomiting, and allergic reactions.

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TikTok user @clairehagin, a surfer who shares everyday travel adventures in Cape Town, posted this important warning for beachgoers.

Mzansi reacts to the clip

The video went viral with over 42,000 reactions as South Africans learned about this hidden danger:

@that.ho.over.there was surprised:

"😮 Glaucus Atlanticus are in South Africa?! I'm South African and I never knew. I've always thought they were the prettiest sea creature in the world."

@chloediab8 asked:

"Wait. Hold up. We get these here? I thought they were Australia exclusive."

@mcflyjozi warned:

"People don't understand how venomous these creatures are. Please don't make light of it!"

@missssss_daisy joked:

"So now I need to worry about blue dragons also. Blue bottles already hate me 😩😩😩"

@user5602637519812 said:

"One more reason not to go to the beach😁"

@leigh shared:

"Your previous video helped me save my husband from being stung 😂 He saw it and was like 'so cool, so pretty' and I yelled STOP, it's venomous. Thanks for sharing 😅"

@biomom wrote:

"I'm a Capetonian, born and raised, and I'm shocked 😂 I have never seen that ever."

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Watch the TikTok clip below:

Other encounters with wildlife

• Briefly News recently reported on a group of Zulu men who got robbed by baboons.
• An Australian man got harassed by a mob of meerkats at a wildlife park, and his reaction whenever they moved had people laughing.
• A Zimbabwean woman living among monkeys and hippos shared a video of herself feeding wild animals at her door, and the clip sparked heated debates about wildlife care.

Source: Briefly News