By-the-wind Sailors (Velella velella Linnaeus) have been washing ashore at Rhossili Beach over the past week. The sandy strandline has been dotted with dozens of the dark blue jellyfish-like creatures with their characteristic translucent sails. They are not actually jellyfish but pelagic (free-floating) colonial hydroids. [See also the earlier posts about this marine invertebrate in Sailing by Rhossili Bay and Bright Blue Blobs on the Beach.]
Jessica's Nature Blog 
Neat design! I’ve seen these flotilla out at sea all perfectly aligned to the direction of the wind for efficient sailing.
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I had never heard of these – they are absolutely incredible. Wow!!
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Amazing creatures, you showed them really well in your photos.
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What a beauty! Thanks for sharing! Ludo
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What a very beautiful object. Thanks
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Found these in West Cork last week too Jessica. Brilliantly detailed photos.
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They are exquisitely made – especially when you realise that each creature is a joint venture made up from a large number of individual organisms with different shapes and functions that are working together as a coordinated whole.
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They are small and easily overlooked. Most on Rhossil beach were just a couple of inches long. Once stranded, they quickly seem to dissolve away into the sand while being devoured by sandhoppers. Eventually, only the transparent sail is left to blow around the beach.
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They are indeed. Thank you, Beautywhizz.
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Thank you, Ludo.
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Thank you, Angela. They must look really splendid when they float en masse.
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Thank you, Adrian. I think they are turning up in greater numbers over the last couple of years; probably to do with the warmer water.
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I shall keep my eyes peeled next time I’m there 😄
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Strange and wonderful creatures!
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We had lots of these last week on the beach at Annestown in Co.Waterford.
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They were so beautiful that I wanted to look at and photograph every one.
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There seem to have been a lot washing ashore last week. Adrian McGlynn saw them in West Cork too.
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Lovely photographs of these amazing beings.
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Thank you, Fragglerocking.
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Beautiful pictures! They are very hard to photograph. Nice!
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They are one of my favorites, and you captured them beautifully!
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Thank you, Pam. You are right about taking the pictures, even with a rotational viewfinder, it is difficult to get the camera low enough because of the wet sand, and to get the light right. When I picked up a freshly stranded by-the-wind-sailor and placed it on my hand to take a shot, I got stung on the palm by the outer ring of defensive tentacles that shoot out nematocysts with poison – fortunately only a mild sensation like stinging nettle.
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Thank you, Julie. These were very recently stranded specimens in fresh condition so they were perfect for photographs. It would have been even nicer to have seen them floating in flotilla formation on the waves. Maybe another time.
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Well the pictures came out great! I remember once in California the wind blew hundreds of them onshore. I also enjoy your rock pictures. I have always liked geology.
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Thank you, Pam.
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Wow, what amazing creatures! Never seen these in real life, and I would have assumed that they were jellyfish. Fantastic photos, Jessica!
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Thank you, Jo.
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Wonderful blob photos, Jessica. Harmless, I assume, though I reckon on the beach would be a bit suspicious of swimming with those around…
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Thank you, Rolling Harbour. Relatively harmless but still capable of stinging, like mild stinging nettle sensation,as I found out when I put one on the palm of my hand to photograph it.
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A lesson learned! [Just off to the Chesil for mackerel. Fly fishing, so a rather modest supper likely…]
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Have a great time at Chesil and good luck with the fishing – otherwise you could always stop off at the Crab House Cafe on the way back: they are serving whole mackerel roasted with chilli, garlic, soy served on a
bed of Chinese vegetables today!
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