Millions of Blue Creatures Come Ashore America’s Western Beaches

Since March, million of little bright blue creatures have come ashore on the coasts of California, Oregon, and Washington. They look like tiny jellyfish with sails, but they are actually a species of zooplankton called Velella velella. They were nicknamed, “by the wind sailors” because they drift along the wind. The real name comes from the Latin word velum, which means sail.

For some reason, about half of these animals have sails that grow to the left, and half that grow to the right. This way, the wind can carry them at different speeds. However, in the spring, the winds blow from the west to the east. This way, if the winds blows last long enough, these creatures can be blown ashore.

Even though it looks like a single animal, the Velella velella is actually a colony of even tinier creatures called zooids. Each zooid has a specific task they need to do to help the colony, like feeding or protecting it. Some zooids have tentacles that help them catch other microorganisms for feeding.

These creatures wash ashore off the west coast in spring every year. However, this year the number was much larger. Many scientists think that because this year had a milder winter and the ocean waters were warmer, the ideal environment was set for these organisms to grow and prosper. Also, when the spring wind patterns changed, these organisms were pushed to the shore in massive groups. Once they are on the land, they either just get dissolved in the sand, or they become food for other organisms near the beach, like seagulls and lobsters.

Generally, these creatures are harmless to people. However, pets could be tempted to eat them, and that would cause them an upset stomach. One of the most important impacts is the smell. The jellyfish, when piling up and decaying on the shore piling up and decaying, release a very strong fishy odor that can linger around the shore until the Velella velella fully dries out. Fortunately for the Americans wanting to go to the west coast beaches, the landings are said to decrease in number in June as the spring wind patterns changed again.