Mysterious blob-like sea creatures have appeared off the coast of Southern California.
Beachgoers were surprised to find sticky blue creatures in the sand on beaches between Ventura and San Diego on Monday.
Plenty of spots were seen in Newport Beach and Long Beach when scientists said strong ocean currents and winds carried them ashore.
Many users took to social media to share snapshots of the unique finds and were amazed at how the creatures got there.
‘They are amazing animals. “They’re like aliens or something that has invaded our beaches, but they won’t be here for long,” said Bruno Pernet, a professor of biological sciences at California State University, Long Beach. KTLA5.
Mysterious blob-like sea creatures appeared off the coast of Southern California
Many users took to social media to share snapshots of their unique finds and were amazed at how they got there.
The creatures, known as Velella velella, or ‘wind sailors,’ are known to arrive throughout Southern California in the spring due to powerful storms.
The creatures, known as Velella velella, or ‘Wind Sailors,’ are known to arrive throughout Southern California in the spring due to powerful storms.
They have a sail on top that allows them to fly across the ocean, leaving them at the mercy of currents and winds.
Scientists have advised beachgoers to stay away from these creatures as they are related to jellyfish and have tentacles that can cause a mild sting.
Although experts have been cautious, Velella velella is not considered dangerous to humans.
Wind sailors are also known as colonial hydroids, similar to the Portuguese man-of-war, and feed on algae and zooplankton.
Portuguese Man O’Wars are venomous sea creatures that typically cause problems for surfers in the Pacific Ocean.
Scientists have advised beachgoers to stay away from these creatures as they are related to jellyfish and have tentacles that can leave a mild sting.
By-the-wind sailors are also known as colonial hydroids and are similar to the Portuguese Man of War, feeding on algae and zooplankton.
Upon arrival in recent weeks, another creature was pleased to find an influx of Velella velella.
The sunfish, also known as Mola mola, is known to feast on small jellyfish-like creatures and was seen nibbling on them in recent days.
Other marine animals also enjoy wind sailors, including sea turtles and seabirds, but most predators tend to overlook them due to their size and venom, according to Pernet.
“Lovely little creatures,” said one person online.
“There’s nothing to worry about, just nature,” wrote another.
Last year, thousands of Velella velella were discovered on Southern California beaches.
At the time, Dana Wharf Whale Watching, which operates off the coast of Dana Point, California, said they had seen “hundreds” of sailors in the water.
“Keep an eye out for them on the beaches,” science teacher Nona Reimer said in an Instagram video as she picked one up with her fingers. Very soon they will reach the shore.
“You may come across recent remains of Velella, which dye the coastal strip blue, but if they have been there for a while, they will look like dried, crumpled cellophane ovals.” Point Reyes National Seashore published online.
In Huntington Beach, Marine Security Battalion Chief Doug Leach said hundreds had been seen along the coast.
The sunfish, also known as Mola mola, is known to feed on small jellyfish-like creatures and was seen nibbling on them in recent days.
Velella velella washes up on a beach in Ramatuelle, southeastern France, on April 12, 2024.
“We have a bunch of them, mostly north of the pier, all along the high tide line when the tide was going out this morning,” Leach told the CO Registration.
Windsurfing sailors are so named because of their semicircular fins that grow to the right or left.
The fins guide the animal through the water in any direction the wind blows, favoring the survival of the species.
‘Some part of the population will go to the left, another to the right. “If the winds blow to push everyone onto the beach, half will go out to sea and the other half will go on land,” said Toxicology Professor Jamie Seymour. Yahoo News.
‘Twenty or thirty years ago it probably would have been unusual to see them. Today, it certainly isn’t.’
Between 2014 and 2016, possibly millions washed ashore, covering beaches across the state.
It attracted curious beachgoers to the sand to see them up close, although they are known to live in warmer tropical waters off Baja California, Mexico.
The transparent creatures can be up to 10cm long, but are usually smaller. They are part of the Cnidaria group, which includes jellyfish and corals.
Once the creatures are stranded on the beach, they can disintegrate and die, becoming food for birds.
