Distinctive Jellyfish

April 20, 2023

Question: I read about Velella velella washing up on beaches along the California coastline. Are they dangerous?

Answer: No, they are not dangerous. Velella velella, commonly known as By-the-wind sailors, are a distinctive jellyfish. Their bodies have a clear, chitinous semicircular to triangular sail which sticks up above the water with a blue float beneath made of concentric circles of gas-filled chambers, per Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

Velella velella cannot actively control their direction – they “sail” on the winds and, in the correct conditions, will wash ashore if blown too close. This happens occasionally in California and along the west coast. The species is relatively common, but they are typically only seen onshore during events like this.

For California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) marine news and information visit the department’s Marine Region web page ( https://wildlife.ca.gov/Regions/Marine ).