ROCKAWAY BEACH, Ore. (AP) - Thousands of jellyfish-like creatures have been piling up on Rockaway Beach in what appears to be a massive die-off.
KGW-TV reports (https://is.gd/1GCquo ) Velella velella (vuh-lel-uh vuh-lel-uh) typically live in the open ocean. When warm water and storms draw them near shore, the wind blows them onto beaches, where they die in piles.
The animals are like a cousin to the jellyfish.
They are commonly called “purple sailors,” ’’little sail,” and “by the wind sailors.”
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife says die-offs occur each spring along beaches from Oregon to California.
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Information from: KGW-TV, https://www.kgw.com/
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