By-the-wind Sailor (Velella velella) カンムリ – size 10cm
A By-the-wind Sailor on the beach. They are a type of floating jellyfish. They do sting. They are pushed by the wind. If the wind is onshore, they will wash up on the beach if they are around in the water. I have seen them a few times in Japan. They are rare in Hawaii, but I have seen them on Hawaiian beaches. Amami 2025
Top view of a By-the-wind Sailor. The sail goes diagonally across the disc. The first time that I had even seen one of these I was sailing from Hanalei Bay to Victoria. At that time, they were everywhere. There would be several per M². We sailed through them for several days. That was hundreds of miles. When the wind was up, they would wash onto the boat. I would remove them by the sail. I never got stung but another crew member confirmed that they do sting. It took me a long time to find out what they were. The internet was not available in 1983. Amami 2025
Things to see on the beach. The Striated Cone Shell (Conus striatus) ニシキミナシ in the foreground is has a venomous harpoon that it uses to kill fish. Even on the beach the By-the-wind Sailor can sting. Amami 2025