Species profile
By-the-wind Sailor
Velella velella
At a glance
By-the-wind Sailor (Velella velella) is a cnidarian present across the CatchRules coverage area but without species-specific bag, size, or season rules tracked in our regulatory dataset.
Confirmed by 13,868 research-grade iNaturalist observations, with California, Oregon, and British Columbia the top jurisdictions by observation count.
Notable details
- Not a true jellyfish — it is a colonial hydrozoan, a floating colony of specialized polyps.
- A rigid diagonal sail catches wind and drives it across the ocean surface.
- Its electric-blue oval float is filled with gas, keeping the colony buoyant.
- Millions wash ashore on Pacific beaches each spring, sometimes blanketing miles of coastline.
- Left-handed and right-handed sail orientations cause different populations to drift toward opposite shores.
Where By-the-wind Sailor are seen
Background
Velella is a monospecific genus of hydrozoa in the Porpitidae family. Its only known species is Velella velella, a cosmopolitan free-floating hydrozoa that lives on the surface of the open ocean. It is commonly known by the names sea raft, by-the-wind sailor, purple sail, little sail, or simply Velella.
Background excerpt adapted from Wikipedia's By-the-wind Sailor article (CC BY-SA). Visit Wikipedia for the full entry.
Other jellyfish/anemones/corals on CatchRules
Photo credit: iNaturalist / Wikipedia. Identification reference only — verify regulations with the issuing wildlife agency before retaining a catch.