SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- Thousands of tiny, oval-shaped blue animals known as Velella velella, or "By-the-Wind Sailors," have recently washed ashore on Baker Beach in San Francisco. These creatures, which resemble jellyfish but are not, are typically carried to Northern California beaches by strong w inds during the spring and summer, leading to their stranding and demise. Another tech-backed utopian community planned for Northern California Velella velella are pelagic organisms that utilize small, rigid sails on their backs to navigate ocean currents. This unique method of movement, however, also makes them susceptible to being pushed onto shore by strong winds. Experts with the Golden Gate National Park District note that these wash-ups are a common occurrence on Northern California beaches in the spring and summer. Velella velella captured off the coast near Newport Beach on April 26, 2024. (Jenna Mckune /Davey’s Locker) Beachgoers and their pets have shown curiosity toward the Velella velella at Baker Beach. Many visitors expressed being unfamiliar with the identity of the translucent, bluish animals. While Velella velella possess tentacles with stinging cells, they are rarely harmful to humans. Despite this, some individuals at the beach described sensations of the animals sticking to their feet and one person mentioned an acquaintance had ingested one. Ingesting Velella velella can cause gastrointestinal issues in dogs. A dog walker at Baker Beach mentioned that she uses a protective net on one of her dogs, which tends to eat the animals, to prevent such problems. Despite their stranding, some visitors to Baker Beach found the Velella velella visually appealing, observing the swirly patterns they formed along the shoreline. All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KRON4. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat information into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KRON4 staff before being published. ...read more read less