Spot the species!

[A&K]

Does anyone know what these are please?
There were hundreds of them floating on the sea in Villefranche at the weekend. From a distance they looked like bubbles - not the best photo in the world, but hope someone can identify them!

 

[EME]

Cant see the photos but possibly "bluebottle sacs' ...."" jellyfish"" swarms. aka portuguese men of war?

 

[taz]

Like this?

Baby jellyfish?

 

[aslabend]

sail jellyfish (Velella)

 

[DAKA]

Another vote for Bluebottle jelly fish (not really a jelly fish).
Turn purple / red if you poke them but be careful, seriously nasty sting , can be fatal.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPbQs4Zc85k&feature=related

We saw them drifting about 2 miles off Teneriffe, at the time i didnt know what they were.

 

[A&K]

sail jellyfish (Velella)

Thank you - that's the one!

I had never seen them before and they really were amazing. I wonder why so many all of a sudden. At least I can now google them by name - my google by description wasn't working so well

 

[jfm]

Thank you - that's the one!

I had never seen them before and they really were amazing. I wonder why so many all of a sudden. At least I can now google them by name - my google by description wasn't working so well

Do they sting? Were people swimming?

 

[guernseyman]

I had never seen them before and they really were amazing. I wonder why so many all of a sudden. At least I can now google them by name - my google by description wasn't working so well

I would guess that it's primarily due to the absence of the usual predators, for whatever reason, after a good breeding season.

Going down the Normandy coast many years ago there were miles of pink football-sized jelly fish. Never seen them before or since.

 

[Nick_H]

Yuk. SoF seems to have been almost jellyfish free last couple of years, at least during the times we've been there. Hope this doesn't mean we're in for a bad year.