If you’ve walked along a Northern California beach lately and noticed the sand looks like it’s been sprinkled with rubbery blue blobs, don’t worry—you’re not hallucinating. You’ve just met the by-the-wind sailor.
Since late March, these translucent, alien-like creatures have been washing up by the thousands across beaches in the San Francisco Bay Area. Known scientifically as Velella velella, they’re turning heads for their sheer numbers and slightly unsettling, blobby aesthetic.
Though they resemble jellyfish, by-the-wind sailors are actually more closely related to the Portuguese man o’ war—yes, that infamous floating horror show that ruins vacations. Luckily, Velella stings are relatively mild in comparison, but experts still advise people not to handle them…