It's been about a year since California last saw Velella velella - or By-the-Wind-Sailors - wash ashore the coast.
If you've visited one of the beaches along California's coast recently, you may have noticed some strange little blue creatures washed ashore. Now while they may closely resemble the poisonous Portugese Man O'War, these little creatures are not poisonous and aren't even jellyfish. They're known as Velella velella - or By-the-Wind-Sailors. According to the Point Reyes National Seashore, these hydroid polyps - cousins of the jellyfish - are actually pretty common.
While these seafarers don’t have many known predators, they are eaten by nudibranchs and purple sea snails."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.
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