Video: Millions of blue jellyfish like creatures on Wellington beaches

October 15, 2017

The creature, called Velella, float where the wind takes them and have washed up in massive numbers on Makara Beach, Wellington.

Millions of vibrant blue jellyfish like creatures have washed up on Wellington beaches over the weekend. 

The creature, called Velella, float where the wind takes them and have particularly inundated Makara Beach west of Wellington city. 

Haydon Miller was walking along Makara Beach when he discovered the massive heaps of Velella.

He told the NZ Herald, Velella have been washing up for several days. 

"There were huge numbers of these creatures washed up and washing up continually," Mr Miller said. 

"It's like this incredible array of Pacific blue. Number of jellyfish that just coat the surface of the sea and eventually wash up in big heaps on the rocks."

He said Velella are also commonly known as the-wind-sailor due to their "little fin that sits up like a sail".

"The jellyfish floats at a 45 degree angle of the wind, which drives these things along the surface of the water," Mr Miller said.

Mass standings of Velella are common at spring time along New Zealand's coastline. 

They are not dangerous but touching them may cause itching. 

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