The strange blue creatures swarming West Coach beaches this summer simply go wherever the wind takes them. <\/p>\n
Droves of Velella velella -- also known as \"by-the-wind sailors\" -- have been washing ashore in droves this summer along the West Coast. <\/p>\n
Mystery of Death Valley's 'Sailing Stones' Solved <\/p>\n
Researchers Discover Fossils of Largest Dino Believed to Ever Walk the Earth <\/p>\n
Fish Mysteriously Show Up Dead, Causing a Stink <\/p>\n
Watch: Dinosaur Mummy Discovery <\/p>\n
The marine animals, which float on the surface of the Pacific Ocean, have a small sail and oval shaped bodies about the size of a palm of a hand -- leaving them at the mercy of the wind and ocean currents. <\/p>\n
Steve Lonhart\/NOAA MBNMS <\/p>\n
PHOTO: A few Velella velella, also known as by-the-wind-sailors, were seen on Pescadero State Beach, Calif. on May, 14 2003. <\/p>\n
Once they reach land, the blue, translucent velella die and decompose into cellophane-like corpses, according to National Geographic. <\/p>\n
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Weird Jellyfish-Like Creatures Invade West Coast Beaches<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The strange blue creatures swarming West Coach beaches this summer simply go wherever the wind takes them. Droves of Velella velella -- also known as \"by-the-wind sailors\" -- have been washing ashore in droves this summer along the West Coast. Mystery of Death Valley's 'Sailing Stones' Solved Researchers Discover Fossils of Largest Dino Believed to Ever Walk the Earth Fish Mysteriously Show Up Dead, Causing a Stink Watch: Dinosaur Mummy Discovery The marine animals, which float on the surface of the Pacific Ocean, have a small sail and oval shaped bodies about the size of a palm of a hand -- leaving them at the mercy of the wind and ocean currents Continue reading