Thousands of jellyfish-like creatures washed up on a UK beach this week. Local beach caretakers at Portheras Cove in Cornwall were confronted with the "sad" sight on Thursday (May 23). The creatures, known as by-the-wind-sailors, are believed to have been carried ashore by strong winds.
The Friends of Portheras Cove, who maintain the picturesque North West Cornwall spot, reported the mass stranding, estimating that thousands of these colonial hydroids had been deposited onto the sands. Cornwall Wildlife Trust said that by-the-wind-sailors are not singular organisms but colonies of hydroids, akin to Portuguese Man O'Wars, which come together to form what appears to be one animal. These sea drifters are named for their distinctive 'sail', a feature that captures the wind and propels them across ocean currents.
READ MORE: More than 800 homes could be built in a Welsh town READ NEXT: The brilliant moment man tracks woman down in Welsh festival to tell her she's won £50,000 Recognisable by their blue-purple oval body and a translucent fin that cuts diagonally across, they also possess short tentacles used for stinging prey like small fish, though they pose no significant threat to humans. After stormy conditions, it's common to find these creatures beached in large numbers, as they are utterly dependent on the whims of the wind. The recent incident at Portheras Cove is attributed to strong northwesterly winds blowing directly onto the shore, reports Cornwall Live .
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