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 KLJKWLGH²DÀXUU\RIVWURQJ westerly winds pushed thou- VDQGV RI FRORUIXO FDVWDZD\V RQWR WKH VDQGV RI &DQQRQ %HDFK These blueish-purple “sail jellies” — more popularly FDOOHG ³E\WKHZLQG VDLORUV´ DQG VFLHQWL¿FDOO\ Velel- la velella) — have sparked PXFKLQWHUHVWDPRQJEHDFK JRHUV(YHUVLQFHWKHVDLORUV¶ sudden and voluminous ar- ULYDOWKHVWDIIDQGYROXQWHHUV RIWKH+D\VWDFN5RFN$ZDUH ness Program have been hit ZLWKTXHVWLRQV ³/LNHHYHU\¿YHPLQXWHV µ:KDW DUH WKHVH"¶ µ:KDW DUH WKHVH"¶ µ:KDW DUH WKHVH"¶´ 1DGLQH1RUGTXLVWDQ+5$3 VWDIILQWHUSUHWHUVDLG Nordquist and other mem- EHUVRIWKH+5$3WHDPKDYH KDGWRTXLFNO\HGXFDWHWKHP VHOYHVRQZKDWWKHVHFUHDWXUHV DUHDOODERXWVRWKDWWKH\FDQ share that knowledge with res- LGHQWVDQGYLVLWRUVVKHVDLG (DFK LQGLYLGXDO YHOHOOD LV DFWXDOO\DFRORQ\RIK\GURLG SRO\SVFORVHO\UHODWHGWRMHOO\ ¿VKDQGDQHPRQHV*URXSHG together as a velella, they KDYHDWUDQVOXFHQWWULDQJXODU ³VDLO´RQWKHLUEDFNVWKDWLQ WKH QRUWKHDVW 3DFL¿F 2FHDQ SRLQWVQRUWKZHVWVRXWKHDVW When winds are mild, the VDLOV KHOS WKHP ÀRDW SDUDOOHO to the shoreline though well DZD\IURPLW%XWZKHQZLQGV DUH¿HUFHWKHYHOHOODVRIWHQUXQ DJURXQG EHFDXVH WKHLU VDLOV ZKLFKQRUPDOO\WDFNDWGH JUHHVFDQ¶WNHHSWKHFRORQLHV DKHDGRIWKHJXVWVDFFRUGLQJ WR %LOO +DQVKXPDNHU 2FHDQ 6HD *UDQW &KLHI 6FLHQWLVW DW WKH +DW¿HOG 0DULQH 6FLHQFH &HQWHULQ1HZSRUW “They are totally at the PHUF\RIWKHZLQG´VDLG/LVD +DEHFNHU D OHDG VWDII LQWHU SUHWHUZLWK+5$3 The onshore results are WKLFN ZUDFNV RI YHOHOODV ZKLFK FXUUHQWO\ FRYHU SDUWV RI WKH &DQQRQ %HDFK FRDVW OLQH DQG IXUQLVK WKH GLHWV RI VHDJXOOVDQGFUXVWDFHDQVDF FRUGLQJ WR 7LP 0LOOHU0RU JDQ DTXDWLF YHWHULQDULDQ DW WKHVFLHQFHFHQWHU Velella invasion /DUJHVFDOHVelella strand- LQJVGRQ¶WQHFHVVDULO\KDSSHQ annually, but they are not DW\SLFDO HLWKHU 0LOOHU0RU JDQ VDLG 6SULQJ LQ IDFW LV WKH PRVW FRPPRQ WLPH IRU velellas to wash ashore, he DGGHG 0DULQH VFLHQWLVWV ³GRQ¶W UHDOO\FRQVLGHULWDQXQXVXDO event,” he said, but the sight RI Velella ZUDFNV FDQ EH ³NLQG RI VKRFNLQJ´ WR WKRVH ZKRGRQ¶WH[SHFWWRVHHWKHP +DEHFNHU VDLG VKH KDV VHHQYHOHOODVWXUQXSDW&DQ QRQ %HDFK LQ UHFHQW \HDUV %XWHYHQZKHQORQJVWUHWFK HVRIWKH:HVW&RDVWJHWLQXQ GDWHG&DQQRQ%HDFKLVXVX DOO\VSDUHGWKHZRUVWRILWLQ KHUH[SHULHQFHVKHVDLG Though visually arresting, WKH YHOHOODV¶ QRYHOW\ ZHDUV RIIIDVWDVWKHRUJDQLVPVWXUQ SDOHDQGEHJLQWRGHFRPSRVH HQ PDVVH 7KH URW FDQ GULYH SHRSOHLIQRWIURPWKHVKRUH WKHQWRWKHQHDUHVWUHGMDFNHW HG+5$3PHPEHU ³,W VPHOOV EDG ´ +5$3 &RRUGLQDWRU 6DPDQWKD )HU ber said, “so people want to NQRZZKDW¶VJRLQJRQ´ 7KH SURFHVV WKDW EURXJKW the velellas to the North &RDVW LV ³VRPHWKLQJ WKDW¶V 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. FRPSOHWHO\ QRUPDO´ )HUEHU VDLG ³,W¶V MXVW WKH \HDU IRU WKHP´ She added that she plans WR UHVHDUFK ZKHWKHU WKH ODW est Velella EHDFKLQJ VLJQDOV DFKDQJHLQRFHDQFXUUHQWVD FKDQJHLQWKHVSHFLHV¶OLIHF\ FOHRUERWK)RUQRZVKHHQ MR\VXVLQJWKH&DQQRQ%HDFK HYHQWDVDWHDFKLQJRSSRUWX QLW\VKHVDLG Are there more velellas to FRPH" ³,W¶VKDUGWRVD\´+DEHFN HUUHSOLHG³,IZHJHWDQRWKHU ELJZHVWHUO\,¶PVXUHWKH\¶UH JRLQJWRJHWEORZQRQVKRUH´