12A • May 8, 2015 | Cannon Beach Gazette | cannonbeachgazette.com
VELELLAS
inundate Cannon Beach
Velella velella wash ashore during a bout of strong westerly winds. Each velella is actu-
ally a colony of hydroid polyps.
PHOTO COURTESY OF REX AND DIANE AMOS
Westerlies blow hydroid polyp colonies ashore
By Erick Bengel
Cannon Beach Gazette
About two weeks ago —
most likely April 23 during
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westerly winds pushed thou-
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These blueish-purple “sail
jellies” — more popularly
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la velella) — have sparked
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sudden and voluminous ar-
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ness Program have been hit
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Nordquist and other mem-
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share that knowledge with res-
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together as a velella, they
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When winds are mild, the
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to the shoreline though well
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“They are totally at the
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The onshore results are
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Velella invasion
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annually, but they are not
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velellas to wash ashore, he
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event,” he said, but the sight
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Though visually arresting,
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ber said, “so people want to
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the velellas to the North
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PHOTO COURTESY OF JENEE PEARCE-MUSHEN
Th e blueish-purple velellas washed ashore two weeks ago.
Th e smell of their decomposition became pungent very
quickly.
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She added that she plans
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Are there more velellas to
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