What if you are walking on a beach and see thousands of blue-colored creatures washed up on the shore? It would look like a scene out of a sci-fi film, right? Well, believe it or not, a sea of little blue creatures have actually washed up along Southern California beaches. These creatures, known as velella velella or By-the-Wind Sailors, are 'cousins of jellyfish' that live in the ocean.
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Officials at the Point Reyes National Seashores informed in a Facebook post, "Velella velella are flat, oval-shaped hydroid polyps (cousins of the jellyfish) that live in the open ocean but are often seen washed up on beaches in Point Reyes National Seashore, in the spring and early summer months when strong winds push them ashore." They further wrote, "They have a firm and upright triangular sail attached to their body which causes them to be caught up by the wind and blown across the surface of the water, giving them their name 'By-the-Wind Sailors.' Don't worry about those little blue tentacles that hang from their body! These tentacles don't sting humans but will gather up plenty of zooplankton or fish eggs for them to eat."
Take a look at their post below:
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{{/usCountry}}This post was shared just a few days ago. Since being posted, it has been liked over 900 times and has several comments.
Check out a few reactions below:
{{/usCountry}}An individual posted, "They are so pretty. I love finding them on the beach." A second added, "By-the-wind, sailors are so stunning." A third wrote, "I've never seen such a collection in one place." "The beach I was at yesterday had these all over, but dry. I was wondering what they were. Thanks for informing me!" expressed a fourth.