On a recent walk along the strandline at Rhossili, my eye was drawn to something small and very bright blue amongst the seaweed and debris. I thought at first it was a bit of plastic flotsam – but I was really surprised to discover, when I stooped to pick it up, that it was organic and jelly-like . Although it was a bit worse for wear, I could see that it was the remains of a By-the-wind-sailor, Velella velella (Linnaeus). There were several of these bright blue blobs washed-up on the sand.
You can just about make out the damaged fringe of tentacles on the edge of the body in the photographs. Apparently, these small jellyfish-like Hydroids can be driven ashore in large numbers by southerly and southwesterly winds at any time of the year – even as far north as the Hebrides. In the past, I have only ever seen the internal chitinous floats, which look like tiny transparent boats with triangular sails.
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Jessica's Nature Blog 
I’ve aways loved finding these delicate jellies. Such an interesting looking creature to behold. Thank you for bringing back memories, as I stumbled across these images
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I’m glad my pictures brought back memories for you. I have seen these creatures alive in rock pools long ago but unfortunately did not have a camera with me at the time. It would be good to see the live creatures again some time.
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Thanks for identifying them for me. I found a bunch of them washed up on the beach at Ocean Shores, Washington, and at first I didn’t even know if they were animal or vegetable.
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I am pleased that my blog was useful to you. Thank you for letting me know.
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Hi Jessica,
I am in the Hebrides (Outer Hebrides) on the Isle of Lewis. I was walking a beach at the very north tip of Lewis this afternoon an it was awash with these creatures. I ‘d never seen them before and wondered what they were! There were hundreds of them, varying sizes, strewn along the tide mark. I Googled a description and came across your site.
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Hi, Mairianna. There seem to be huge numbers of these By-the wind-sailors washing up all over the place this year, not just in the British Isles. My site has had many visits from people all over the world who, like yourself, have suddenly come across hundreds of these bright blue creatures on the beach. They are strange animals, aren’t they? Also, jellyfish like the Barrel-mouth or Dustbin Lid Jellyfish (Rhizostoma octopus) have also been recorded in much higher numbers on British coasts this year. I am not certain exactly why there is this surge in numbers, and a wider distribution this year but I expect it is weather and climate related, as with many population explosions in the natural world.
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