The secret life of Velella: Adrift with the by-the-wind sailor
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 11 ต.ค. 2014
- In the spring, beaches can be covered by thousands or even millions of blue jellyfish relatives called Velella velella, the by-the-wind sailors. Velella typically live on the surface of the open ocean far from shore, propelled by winds pushing on their tiny sails.
Velella is best described as a hydroid colony which has flipped itself over. It is unlike a traditional jellyfish (medusa), but rather like the benthic stage of a hydroid. Instead of living attached to rocks on the bottom, its "substrate" is the ocean's surface. These hydroid colonies bud off tiny medusae, little "jellyfish", just like many benthic hydroids do.
A particularly striking feature of Velella is their blue pigmentation. In fact, most animals that live on the surface of the water (snails, jellies, fish) have blue pigmentation. It may serve different purposes for different organisms, but is likely a combination of camouflage and protection from the sun's rays.
For more information on Velella and to report your own sightings go to jellywatch.org.
Video producer: Susan von Thun
Music: Steve Haddock
Script and narration: Steve Haddock
Animation: Steve Haddock
Production support: Nancy Jacobsen Stout, Lonny Lundsten, Kyra Schlining, Linda Kuhnz
Special thanks for image contributions:
Casey Dunn - Portuguese man o' war
Rob Sherlock - Velella washed up on beach
Andrew McKee - Velella on sea surface
Julie Himes - Velella on sea surface
Elizabeth Eubanks - Velella washed up on beach
Stephanie Bush - hydroids on pteropod shell - วิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยี
This video lulls you along with nice music, letting you get focused on jellyfish, ensures that you're completely vulnerable, unsuspecting, and relaxed, and then hits you at the end with a nice existential crisis.
Seriously, this is sheer genius of video making. I love this so much. Major props.
peetey897- Yes! In total agreement with your "review"!
Yes. I think I was hypnotized with big words and strange concepts, then Bang what is the meaning of all this! Agree
@@Jazz5777 I watched the cc auto generated so am not sure it's what you refer to but is likely.
"Not to scale" at 3:50 cracked me up. Lovely video; thanks!
Hey there, Velella
What's it like in California?
I'm a twenty miles away
But, girl, tonight you look so pretty
Yes, you do
Pacific Ocean can't shine as bright as you
I swear, it's blue
Nice song
What beautiful little creatures.
thank you MBARI staff for making such genuinely heartwarming and informative content! Velella Velella forever!
I saw hundreds of these today along the Pembrokeshire coast line. Have never seen them before and was amazed by their beautiful blue colour and their little jelly like translucent 'sail'. Thank you for showing us this little film it is very interesting although a bit too quiet!
I'm really passionate about jellyfish (although I'm only 13!) and I loved this video!
When I was a child and a teen in Southern California we were out in the ocean and these were all around us. This happened once or twice. We called them Portuguese Man of War but I know now that they are called By the Wind Sailors. Man of War jellyfish are much more dangerous!
Like the Portuguese man-of-war, this animal is blown along by the wind. It has short tentacles, a flat, air-filled float and a single upright 'sail'. By-the-wind sailors feed on small sea animals and often drift in swarms that can be more than 100km wide. In the tropics, they are often blown ashore during storms, and millions can sometimes be seen on a single beach.
I saw hundreds last night in oceanside near SD and they were cool
I’m at Morro Strand State Beach right now and these velella are washed up everywhere. Came here to learn about them. What a great video. Made me smile.
Yep San Diego and thousands and thousands of them right now (spring 2024)
@@asvegas777 any particular beach? I’m in SD and will go see them again.
@@califwoods hey there I’m down south in San Diego so not sure if it helps - it varies a lot where they may be I’ve seen over different beaches over different years. Recently I found a photographer in my area who follows this stuff and post pics on social media so that has helped to figure out where to go (though usually I find out the next day and go the next night so not 100% but this may be your best bet
They're back. Went to the beach yesterday and there's millions. Every few years, as long as I can remember, it happens. Even when "they" thought we were going into an ice age.
Thanks for the video!
They look too much like Portuguese Man-o-war. I'd probably panic if I saw them.
This also got me confused and asking whether its another name of the man-o-war
You would probably just feel sick from the stench when they die on the beach. They're harmless.
They are pretty small-about 2 1/2 inches. The blue is a cobalt color, and just amazing. It’s a privilege to see a stranding like the one shown.
They were all at the beach yesterday in oside and i picked them up
@@scubaaho8071 i think ive heard of some of them being able to kill you right?
We saw a bazillion of these washed up in Cambria. I'd never seen them before. Thank you for your very informative video!❤
Just fantastic! More of this please!
Thank you, we've discovered these today in Ocean Shores, WA
Guys, please watch the sound level of your background music. In this video, it makes the narrative harder to understand.
Fantastic video! Thanks so much for making it.
Went to Swamis Beach in Encinitas CA and was so shocked to see hundreds of these things- I had to know what they were, thank you for this calm and informative video. At first I thought they were oysters from afar since they are common in some beaches but these are so wild and alien-like to see!
Feels much longer than it is, even though it’s fascinating, bc of the amount of information given! Thx!
very concise and interesting. gunnar take me a life time to unravel that. thanks . great vid
Thank you very much from Bali. Brilliant easy explained 🙏
This was excellent!
Love the reference with the ship
SO BEAUTIFUL!
I love this 😊
That was fascinating!
In the spring, beaches can be covered by thousands or even millions of blue jellyfish relatives called Velella velella, the by-the-wind sailors. Velella typically live on the surface of the open ocean far from shore, propelled by winds pushing on their tiny sails. Watch this video to learn all about these little blue jellies that you might have already seen littering California beaches:
+MBARI Because of our pollution. They do their job for the environment and then they die
organism made of organisms ?? :D
Yeas, and Basically a human cell is the same thing.
This is as educational as is it unsettling & almost sinister in the closing. Velella velella are cute but now I’ll proceed to have a breakdown as I cling to the surface of the earth.
Just letting you know, the music is too loud. It makes it hard to hear what's being said.
At least it's not that annoing dramatizing music usually used in nature documentaries.
Agreed: who put it all together didn't listen to it.
AMAZING!!!
great video!
I love those critters!
volume is too low
These are all over the shores of Coronado beach in San Diego right now. I’ve never seen them before even though I’ve lived in San Diego all my life.
thank u steve
pretty cool!
very well made!
This was a great video. That music, tho ...
2 things.
1. The MIDI MUSICK IS BOMB!
2. I often wondered when i closed my eyes at night as a kid, : what if everything was upside down and if i opened the door to my house and i fell out?
I am in love with that background music. Where can I find it?
This video is genius.
I have found my spirit animal AT LAST!
About a month ago I found 8 of these on a California Beach.
just saw hundreds and hundreds dried up on the southern California beaches over the weekend
THANK YOU ! This is a GREAT video, BUT could you either speak up or turn the music down.
THE MUSIC IS LOUDER THAN YOUR VOICE !!!!
For how long do they live
wow!
Umm you learn something new everytime. I didn't know that about the bluebottles. (that what we call them in Oz)
We get these in Australia (No surprise there), although their more common name is Blue Bottles. Their stings are nasty and they often close beaches due to their staggering numbers. Never knew a thing more about them until now though, very interesting little creatures..
Actually, blue-bottles are another name for the Portuguese man-of-war, Physalia physalis. Despite its outward appearance, it is not a jellyfish but a siphonophore. They have tentacles which can deliver a painful sting. We mention the Portuguese man-of-war in the video at 1:06. There is another blue jelly sometimes found on beaches known as the blue button (Porpita). Learn about the differences among them all here: jellywatch.org/velella
MBARI Oh wow, very interesting. Thank you for your response!
Bro when I was young I was convinced these were box jellyfish and I was terrified of them lmao
they’re washing up in the thousands on the beach in LA right now
Central Coast too
Am I the only one noticing that the background music is a soft muzak cover of "Fascination Street" by the Cure? It think it's rad, definitely not complaining. It could be a coincidence...
JELLYFISH ARE PLANTS WHEN THEYRE BABIES?
WOT
Are they poisionous like other Jelly Fish? I saw that they are related to the Man Of War, which is poisionous
Very interesting video! Only complaint is that I have to agree with other comments that the music is a little too loud compared to the narration.
Instead of music it would have been nice to just hear wave sounds.
01:16: The muzak of hydrozoans.
I want to live life as a by the wind sailor, always at the mercy of forces beyond their control, a true drifter, always alone, yet never lonely.
Sounds wonderful!
I wonder if it's poisonous?
So? they just washed up on beaches of Florida , and its past due spring. probably normal but anyone else got interested in what they are after recent event on the beach?
Our family lived in Hawaii when those blue purple jellies hit ground. They are cute until they sting the hell out you!😰😰😰😰😨😨😨 Then you rushed to hospital.
Turn on the closed captions. They're a hoot!
How?
👏🏻
The music is a bit distracting from the information.
Was thinking the same. It’s not just the volume either the music is irritating & doesn’t mesh w the visuals at all. Ambient, piano or other ethereal/tranquil pieces are always best.
It's like a Portuguese Man-o-War
best'
Interesting video! Constructive critic: music is nice but too loud in relation with voice
Fans that give honest yet kind feedback are the unsung heroes of youtube
What are it's natural predators? Sea turtles?
(not to scale)
the muzak is horrible and unnecessary. If you need a background sound, just use water lapping on shore or massive thunderstorm--at least it's natural.
My daughter wants to be a marine biologist......but we couldn't hear the narration or stomach the music.
Portuguese man o' war????
I cannot hear this guy. Turn the music off or speak up please.
Effing elevator muzak 👎🏻
what exactly do you expect?
@@BluJean6692 I don’t »expect«, I hope and ask for no extra sound effects.