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The ocean is home to about a million species that we know of, and not all of them are as friendly as a dolphin, which is why if you are unsure of what an animal is, your safest bet is to just leave it alone. That's a lesson one TikToker learned after he posted a video of himself holding and touching a mysterious blue creature he encountered in the waters of Australia.
The clip asks, "Anyone know what this is?" and shows @Julianobayd with the critter on his finger. He then lowers it into shallow water and as it floats, he touches it.
Well as many viewers of the video informed him, that creature is actually a glaucus atlanticus, known as a blue dragon sea slug, and while beautiful, it is also extremely dangerous. The blue dragon absorbs the venom from other sea life that it feeds on, like the deadly Portuguese Man o' War, then, if it feels threatened or even if it is just touched, the slug will release the venom as a defense mechanism.
Comments on the video included, "'It's a blue dragon and they incredibly poisonous," and, "That's a glaucus atlanticus it's a weird dragon thing that are commonly found on the beaches of Australia. It is a VERY poisonous animal," and, "In Australia we call it a blue dragon do not touch."
The creatures only grow to about an inch long and are often found in warm, tropical waters. Because they follow the current, they can easily get washed up on shore. If you see one, you can move it back to the ocean in a bucket of water, but never touch it. If the blue dragon stings you, it will be incredibly painful and is very dangerous.