Stinging Jellyfish-Like Creatures Wash Ashore In Redondo Beach Mystery

REDONDO BEACH, CA — The shores of Redondo Beach are overrun with hundreds of squishy jellyfish-like organisms known as Velella velella, or By-the-Wind Sailors, and marine biologists cautioned beachgoers against touching them.

What looks like one of these little creatures is actually a colony of hundreds of polyps that come together to form the By-the-Wind Sailors, according to Nona Reimer of Dana Wharf Sportfishing and Whale Watching. The organisms feed on algae and zooplankton in the water and are commonly eaten by ocean sunfish.

Manhattan Beach Roundhouse Aquarium Programs and Operations Director Melissa Wu said the onslaught of the creatures is normal around this time of year as they come to warmer waters. Wu said these incoming sailors are likely coming up north, and they have been reported in both Los Angeles and Orange County waters.

“They don’t come into shore a lot, so it’s cool when we see them,” Wu said.

Related to jellyfish and Portuguese Man O’War, By-the-Wind Sailors also have stinging cells, though the ones washing ashore aren’t as potent to humans as they could be, according to Wu.

Though marine biologists don’t recommend touching or picking up the pinky-sized organisms, Wu said their stinging cells won’t be as strong if they’re seen on the beach. Wu said as they wash ashore, the organisms fire their stinging cells until they eventually run out.

“Once they beach themselves they start to die,” Wu said. “As they’re dying they’re not regenerating those stinging cells.”

The little creatures are classified as hydrozoans, a subgroup of cnidarians, and are most often pelagic, meaning they tend to reside in the open sea. More commonly, the wind-riders are found in the more tropical waters of Baja California.

Because of their size, the By-the-Wind Sailors are at the mercy of the winds and tides as they move around in the water, Reimer said.

If you happen across one of the By-the-Wind Sailors, Wu said it’s best to report them to lifeguards and leave them be. Reimer said it’s okay to hold them by the sails on top of the creature but to avoid touching the stinging tentacles at the bottom of the organism.