Central Coast beaches are dotted with blue, jelly-like creatures called Velella velella.
Kyle Emery, a research biologist at UC Santa Barbara, said it’s a natural occurrence that can happen in gusty wind conditions.
“It’s not something that occurs predictably or reliably. When it does happen, it’s likely to happen in late fall and early spring,” he said.
Often called by-the-wind sailors, Velella velella measure a couple of inches in size with a clear triangular sail extending from a rounded body. And that sail, Emery said, catches the wind and off they go.
“Velella velella are at the whim of ocean currents and wind. They have no ability to control which way they move or how they travel,” he said.
The creatures are a distant relative of jellyfish. Each one is made up of a colony of organisms and they live on the surface of the ocean.
“They usually live far out to sea in relatively warm waters,” Emery said.
He said it’s likely that recent storms and windy conditions pushed them toward shore. It's not an ideal situation for them.
If they get stranded on the sand, they quickly dry out and die off. Emery said the bright blue color turns to a clear plastic appearance that you’ll also see on the beach.
As for their role in the food web, he said Velella velella feed on plankton, and then sea slugs, sunfish and sea turtles feed on them.
Emery said you might get a minor sting if you touch one, so it’s best to leave them be.
And when the winds change, Velella velella will sail off in a different direction.