Jellyfish-Lookalikes Flood California Beaches, Know What They Actually Are

Recent discoveries of strange, blue creatures washing ashore on Californian beaches have caught the attention of beachgoers. Here's what it is and what we know about it.

California beaches get jellyfish-like creatures gathering ashore

The jellyfish-like creature is identified as the Velella velella, also known as By-the-Wind-Sailors, and closely resembles the extremely poisonous Portuguese Man O'War, but is not a jellyfish or poisonous.

The Portuguese Man O'War has a distinct appearance with its long, translucent, blueish-purple gas-filled bladder that floats on the surface of the ocean and its long, trailing tentacles that can stretch up to 30 feet in length.

These tentacles contain venomous cells, called nematocysts, that can cause a painful sting to humans and other animals. The Portuguese Man O'War is found in warm waters throughout the world's oceans, and it is typically seen floating on the ocean's surface or washed up on beaches after storms.

It should be avoided by humans, as its sting can be very painful and even life-threatening in some cases.

The jellyfish-like creatures are not harmful to humans

Fox Weather

According to a Facebook post, the cousins of jellyfish, Velella velella, are flat, oval-shaped hydroid polyps from the Point Reyes National Seashore.

They typically wash up on beaches, including the Point Reyes National Seashore, in the spring and early summer when strong winds push them ashore from where they live in the open ocean.

They are found in all the world's oceans, from the Arctic to the tropics, and typically drift with the wind and ocean currents. During certain times of the year, large numbers of velella velella may wash up on beaches, particularly on the west coast of North America.

By-the-Wind-Sailors are able to catch the wind and move across the water's surface because of the firm, upright triangular sails attached to their bodies. The Point Reyes National Seashore claims that's how they got their moniker.

The Facebook post advised people not to be concerned about the tiny blue tentacles that hung from their bodies. Although they won't sting people, these tentacles will collect a lot of zooplankton or fish eggs for them to eat.

Despite posing little danger to people, according to FOX 11, if you pick one up, you should proceed with caution when touching your face or rubbing your eyes because they may irritate your skin a little bit.

The By-the-Wind Sailor travels, hunting for young fish and other small creatures with its stinging tentacles. The animals frequently wash up on shore in large numbers, sometimes reaching hundreds or even thousands after stormy winter weather because they are subject to the whims of the winds.

What do you think about this? Tell us in the comments.

For more trending stories, follow us on Telegram.