Strong winds push billions of velella velella ashore in U.S.
File photo of velella velella courtesy: Flickr Creative Commons/Flickr
Digital Reporter
Thursday, April 16, 2015, 5:02 PM - Billions of velella velella, a jellyfish-like creature, have washed up on beaches along the U.S. west coast over the past month due to strong winds.
Witnesses say that some beaches are covered with the creatures, which give off an unpleasant odour at times.
While not poisonous the jellies possess a venom that can irritate the eyes and the mouth, prompting ocean experts to advise the public to avoid coming into contact with the creatues.
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It's not uncommon for velella velella clusters to wash up on coastlines, typically during the spring.
When spring arrives they move closer to shore, making them susceptible to being pushed ashore due to strong winds and storms.
Though often mistaken for jellyfish, each velella velella is actually made up of a colony of smaller creatures called hydrozoans that bond together resembling a single organism.
Source: Weather.com
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