Blue, jellyfish-like blobs keep washing up on California shores
Blue, jellyfish-like blobs have been washing up on California coastlines.
Beached by-the-wind-sailor Velella velella, on a much warmer day several weeks back pic.twitter.com/WAc5Mu3F25
Beached by-the-wind-sailor Velella velella, on a much warmer day several weeks back Prof. Peter Doherty on Twitter: "Beached by-the-wind-sailor Velella velella, on a much warmer day several weeks back pic.twitter.com/WAc5Mu3F25 / Twitter"
— Prof. Peter Doherty (@ProfPCDoherty) Prof. Peter Doherty on Twitter: "Beached by-the-wind-sailor Velella velella, on a much warmer day several weeks back pic.twitter.com/WAc5Mu3F25 / Twitter"
They're called velella velella, or "by-the-wind" sailors. And while it may look like a single organism, one of these sailors is a collection of polyps that float using a translucent "sail," and are part of the same family as coral and jellyfish.
Cymbulia peronii et Velella velella Sabot de Vénus Cannes la bocca 09/04/2023 Canon G5X pic.twitter.com/UfFITrov0K
Cymbulia peronii et Velella velella Sabot de Vénus Cannes la bocca 09/04/2023 Canon G5X John Paul Connor on Twitter: "Cymbulia peronii et Velella velella Sabot de Vénus Cannes la bocca 09/04/2023 Canon G5X pic.twitter.com/UfFITrov0K / Twitter"
— John Paul Connor (@JPconnor44) John Paul Connor on Twitter: "Cymbulia peronii et Velella velella Sabot de Vénus Cannes la bocca 09/04/2023 Canon G5X pic.twitter.com/UfFITrov0K / Twitter"
Velella velella commonly washes ashore in spring and summer, and some blooms are bigger than others. In 2014-2015, billions turned up in California and Washington. Only a few hundred have been spotted this year, but the season is still early.
Once they hit the beach, they'll take on the appearance of dry cellophane. Over time they will disintegrate and die. They pose little threat to humans but can cause skin irritation. If you see one on the beach, your best bet is to leave it be - but if you do pick it up, definitely avoid touching your eyes and face afterward.
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Thumbnail image: Wikipedia/Public Domain
