Velella. Photo source: ©© BackM
Excerpts;
The jellyfish-like invertebrate may be a common sighting for sailors in the Pacific Ocean, but the Velella velella rarely washes ashore before the end of its lifespan.
So when thousands of the tiny blue sea creatures recently turned up, en masse, on beaches in central California, many were surprised to see such a large amount of the beached marine life…
Read Full Article Article, The Huffington Green
Beachings Of Exotic Blue Velella Tied To Wind Patterns, SF Gate
Mass beachings of velella are difficult to predict, said Jim Watanabe, a lecturer at Stanford University’s Hopkins Marine Station. The creatures live offshore, on the surface of the water. Sometimes called by-the-wind sailors, they have a small ridge or crest running across them that acts like a sail. This year’s wind patterns, he said, are probably the reason for the creatures washing ashore…
