featured-image

'Thousands' of a jellyfish-like creature known as by-the-wind-sailors have been found washed up on a Cornish beach, much to the dismay of local beach caretakers. The Friends of Portheras Cove shared their thoughts after they were greeted with the "sad" sight on Thursday (May 23). They believe strong winds are to blame for the stranding.

Cornwall Wildlife Trust explains that by-the-wind-sailors are not single organisms but colonial hydroids, similar in nature to Portuguese Man O'Wars. These creatures are composed of a colony of different organisms working together, presenting the appearance of one animal. Read next: The name 'by-the-wind-sailor' comes from their unique 'sail' feature, which catches the wind and propels them along ocean currents.



Recognisable by their blue-purple oval disc and a distinctive semi-circular fin, these creatures use short tentacles to sting and capture prey like small fish, although they pose no real threat to humans. After stormy conditions, it's common to see hundreds or even thousands of these creatures beached, as they are entirely at the mercy of the wind. The recent incident at Portheras Cove is attributed to strong northwesterly winds pushing the creatures ashore.

In a Facebook post, the Friends of Portheras Cove wrote: "Mass stranding of 1000s of By-the-Wind-Sailors at the cove today due to the strong on-shore North Westerlies. So sad to see these amazing creatures like this. "They are tiny hydrozoans, each one a colony of different organis.

Back to Beauty Page