Millions of mysterious blue sea creatures have washed up on the beaches of Orange County in Southern California. The animals are sailing jellyfish, also called “sailors downwind”.
Cnidarians got their name from their appearance – their shape is reminiscent of small rafts with a sail. The animals feed on algae and plankton in warm water and are passively carried by the wind over the surface of the water.
Only a few centimeters in size and poisonous
The sea creatures, which are only a few centimeters in size, are poisonous but not dangerous to humans. Sailing jellyfish travel in huge colonies. Giant swarms have already formed in the Atlantic Ocean, reaching a length of about 260 kilometers.
Experts say there’s nothing to worry about: When high winds are accompanied by increased reproduction rates, the sailor jellyfish can wash up en masse, as was the case in Southern California, researcher Rita FT Pires of Portugal’s Institute of Sea and Atmosphere tells Newsweek.
“Consequence of increased reproductive activity”
Sailing jellyfish washed up en masse on Californian beaches in the past. “The species’ mass strandings on beaches in spring follow periods of increased reproductive activity and represent regular and natural events (blooming) consistent with the life cycle of the species,” Pires explains.
Source: Krone
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