Have you ever seen this curious creature washed up on the beach?
This fascinatingly intricate organism, related to the jellyfish, is known as a “By-The-Wind Sailor” (Velella velella).
It is a hydrozoan that lives on the surface of the open ocean and feeds on plankton using underwater hanging tentacles containing toxins.
By-The-Wind Sailors depend on their “sail” for propulsion—and as a result of this lack of control, they are often stranded on seashores by the thousands.
Although the timing is generally unpredictable, these organisms are typically spotted during the springtime along the California and Oregon coastline, when winds begin to shift and the hydrozoans are uncontrollably blown toward the shoreline.
This phenomenon can be seen depicted in the video, below, shot near Laguna Point Beach at MacKerricher State Park in April 2024. You can even make out the little "sailors" in the waves washing ashore:
While they look similar to the deadly “Portuguese Man Of War”, they are not dangerous to humans. They live in warm, temperate waters worldwide.
"By-the-Wind Salor"
(Velella velella)
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