From Oregon to California, a mysterious and breathtaking phenomenon has taken over the west coast’s beaches. Millions of alien-like blue creatures, known as Velella velella, have been spotted along the shores, captivating beachgoers and sparking widespread interest on social media platforms. Commonly referred to as “by-the-wind sailors,” these creatures are not individual organisms but colonies of hydrozoa that drift across the ocean’s surface, guided by the wind, a Guardian report said.
Velella velella, characterized by their sombrero-esque fin and trailing tentacles, are a common spring sight, though their abundance varies each year. Despite their seemingly single-entity appearance, these creatures are complex colonies responsible for various functions, from feeding to reproduction. Anya Stajner, a doctoral student at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, emphasizes the rarity of encountering such colonial organisms on land, drawing parallels to corals, another type of colonial organism.
The striking blue color of velella serves as both a camouflage against predators like the mola mola sunfish and a protective measure against harsh UV rays, acting as a natural sunscreen. Julia Parrish, a marine biologist at the University of Washington, explains that velella undergo boom-and-bust cycles, traveling vast distances across the Pacific gyre. Their populations tend to explode when food is plentiful, leading to mass strandings on beaches during spring and occasionally fall, the Guardian report said.
Despite their frequent appearances, velella remain relatively understudied due to the challenges of replicating their natural ocean surface habitat in captivity. Current research, however, is exploring the relationship between velella strandings and ocean temperatures, with findings suggesting a link to warmer winters leading to increased survival and growth of colonies.
As captivating as these blue sailors are to beachgoers, their presence in large numbers also indicates a struggle for survival. As the climate crisis continues to warm the world’s oceans, the impact of velella on marine ecosystems and fish populations, particularly those of forage fish like anchovies, is an area of growing concern among scientists.
What are Velella velella?
Velella velella, commonly known as “by-the-wind sailors,” are small, gelatinous sea creatures belonging to the group of hydrozoans. They are not single organisms but rather colonial creatures, consisting of a community of polyps that share a common structure. Each colony forms a small, blue, translucent float, which is topped with a rigid sail that catches the wind, allowing them to drift across the ocean’s surface. The sail is oriented at an angle to the body, enabling them to harness the wind’s power effectively.
These creatures are part of the plankton and are mostly found in open oceans. The blue color of Velella velella serves a dual purpose: it helps them blend in with the sea to avoid predators, and it may also offer protection against ultraviolet radiation. Below the float, they have tentacles that hang down into the water, which contain stinging cells used to capture their prey, mainly small fish larvae and planktonic organisms. Despite their stinging cells, Velella velella are harmless to humans.
Velella velella are subject to the whims of the wind and currents, and occasionally, large numbers of them wash ashore on beaches, creating what is sometimes referred to as a “blue tide.” These stranding events can happen when wind patterns and ocean currents drive them en masse towards the coast. While Velella velella are a common sight in many parts of the world’s oceans, their sudden appearance on beaches in large numbers can be both a fascinating and a somewhat eerie spectacle.
Velella velella, characterized by their sombrero-esque fin and trailing tentacles, are a common spring sight, though their abundance varies each year. Despite their seemingly single-entity appearance, these creatures are complex colonies responsible for various functions, from feeding to reproduction. Anya Stajner, a doctoral student at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, emphasizes the rarity of encountering such colonial organisms on land, drawing parallels to corals, another type of colonial organism.
The striking blue color of velella serves as both a camouflage against predators like the mola mola sunfish and a protective measure against harsh UV rays, acting as a natural sunscreen. Julia Parrish, a marine biologist at the University of Washington, explains that velella undergo boom-and-bust cycles, traveling vast distances across the Pacific gyre. Their populations tend to explode when food is plentiful, leading to mass strandings on beaches during spring and occasionally fall, the Guardian report said.
Despite their frequent appearances, velella remain relatively understudied due to the challenges of replicating their natural ocean surface habitat in captivity. Current research, however, is exploring the relationship between velella strandings and ocean temperatures, with findings suggesting a link to warmer winters leading to increased survival and growth of colonies.
As captivating as these blue sailors are to beachgoers, their presence in large numbers also indicates a struggle for survival. As the climate crisis continues to warm the world’s oceans, the impact of velella on marine ecosystems and fish populations, particularly those of forage fish like anchovies, is an area of growing concern among scientists.
What are Velella velella?
Velella velella, commonly known as “by-the-wind sailors,” are small, gelatinous sea creatures belonging to the group of hydrozoans. They are not single organisms but rather colonial creatures, consisting of a community of polyps that share a common structure. Each colony forms a small, blue, translucent float, which is topped with a rigid sail that catches the wind, allowing them to drift across the ocean’s surface. The sail is oriented at an angle to the body, enabling them to harness the wind’s power effectively.
These creatures are part of the plankton and are mostly found in open oceans. The blue color of Velella velella serves a dual purpose: it helps them blend in with the sea to avoid predators, and it may also offer protection against ultraviolet radiation. Below the float, they have tentacles that hang down into the water, which contain stinging cells used to capture their prey, mainly small fish larvae and planktonic organisms. Despite their stinging cells, Velella velella are harmless to humans.
Velella velella are subject to the whims of the wind and currents, and occasionally, large numbers of them wash ashore on beaches, creating what is sometimes referred to as a “blue tide.” These stranding events can happen when wind patterns and ocean currents drive them en masse towards the coast. While Velella velella are a common sight in many parts of the world’s oceans, their sudden appearance on beaches in large numbers can be both a fascinating and a somewhat eerie spectacle.