They began arriving on the west coast in March 2016, like the year before and the year before that. There was no stopping them. Wave after wave they stormed the shoreline and we could only watch. There numbers were countless. Some of us had seen them before, and some were deeply concerned. Where did they come from? Why are they here?
After several days we witnessed the front line dying helplessly along the shore as other sailors were still arriving to face the same demise. Meanwhile, there was word on Facebook that these sailors were also storming the beaches in Florida.
The smell of their decomposing flesh was too much for some, as they could only turn away and retreat from the beach in disgust. Others began walking and driving vehicles over their beautiful translucent blue innocent bodies. We had no choice, if we were to navigate the coast line at all in search of a treasure that often accompanies these sailors. Japanese glass floats! Found two small ones that week.
Velella velella, also known as” by-the-wind sailors,” are a beautiful bluish purple relative of jelly fish about 3 inches long when mature with a translucent sail angled strategically to keep them at sea. When winds are not favorable, they wash ashore in the spring sometimes lasting all summer long probably in the trillions!
Velella have stinging cells called “nematocysts” that are equipped for seizing plankton and little else as they sail the high seas. They’re believed to possess independent living components responsible for reproduction, digestion, locomotion and other duties like the Portuguese man-o-war. Velella inhabit all oceans including drifting into Puget Sound. Some notable predators of Velella are sea turtles, ocean sun fish, and sea slugs among others.
Velella die when exposed to the shore, and if turned upside down at sea. On the shore, birds eat Velella. My dog Damon has eaten them like I eat potato chips for his second year now, and he can still fetch a stick. So I see little problem with Velella, although if one fails to remove their shoes when getting home from treading through Velella, you might experience some discomfort at home!
Photo Credit: Tiffany Boothe, Seaside Aquarium
© Steve Green, April 2016