Thousands of strange little blue creatures have washed up along the beaches of Southern California. These are not the Smurfs or the poisonous Portuguese Man O'War, and not even jellyfish. They are known as Velella velella, or By-the-Wind Sailors, according to a report in Fox News. Marine biologists are advising beachgoers to not touch these creatures as they have tentacles, which can leave small stings. However, Velella velella are not considered dangerous to humans. Fox News said strong winds triggered by recent storms have pushed them ashore.
"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'," officials of the Point Reyes National Seashores national park said in a Facebook post.
"You may come across a fresh wash-up of Velella, tinging the stretch of shoreline blue, but if they've been there a while, they will look like crinkly and dry ovals of cellophane. So, if you happen to be out for a stroll and encounter these brilliant blue creatures, promise that you'll jump up and down repeatedly shouting "Velella velella"," the post further read.
On Friday, Dana Wharf Whale Watching, which operates off the coast of Dana Point, California, said that they had seen "millions" of these sailors in the water.
Nona the Naturalist, a science teacher, appeared in a video on Dana Wharf Whale Watching's Instagram page and explained what the creatures look like.
According to Wildlife Trusts, it's a colonial hydroid and are made up of a colony of tiny individual animals. Its characteristic sail allows the organism to catch the wind and travel on ocean currents, using its stinging tentacles to prey on young fish and other small animals while it travels.
They are at the mercy of the winds and so are usually found washed up in their hundreds, or sometimes even thousands, after stormy winter weather, the wildlife body said.
