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<\/p>\nHundreds of “incredible” blue sea creatures have washed up on beaches in Cumbria.<\/p>\n
Velella velella, commonly known as by-the-wind sailors and closely related to the Portuguese man o’ war, have been spotted on St Bees beach in recent weeks.<\/p>\n
Their nickname comes from the small stiff sail which they use to catch the wind and propel them along an ocean’s surface.<\/p>\n
Resident Louise Nicholson initially thought the creatures – which can sting – were seaweed and “almost picked one up” before she began to take pictures.<\/p>\n
She said: “There were hundreds of them and there were lots of visitors to the area taking photos.<\/p>\n
“They are absolutely beautiful, only about 2ins (5cm) in size. It was a great find on a beautiful day.”<\/p>\n
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Although they are not jellyfish the creatures can sting [Louise Nicholson]<\/p>\n
Head of Marine at the Cumbria Wildlife Trust, Georgia de Jong Cleyndert, said although the “incredible” blue creatures looked like jellyfish, they were actually colonial hydrozoans.<\/p>\n
She said: “Each by-the-wind sailor is made up of hundreds of tiny, specialised animals working together as a single floating colony.<\/p>\n
“Although they are not jellyfish, they do have a very mild sting, even after they have washed up so do not touch them.”<\/p>\n
The specialist said the species’ blue translucent sail allows them to drift huge distances across the surface of the sea.<\/p>\n
“When conditions are right, particularly after periods of persistent onshore winds, thousands can be washed up along our shores,” she said.<\/p>\n
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