Velella Valhalla?

Unable to move on their own, by-the-wind sailors drift over the ocean. Over the years, some make landfall along the West Coast and meet their demise.

2024

A series of maps of the west coast shows where velella have been spotted since 2019. In 2024 and 2023, sightings increased in the San Francisco Bay Area and in Southern California.

San Francisco

Los Angeles

2023

2022

2021

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2020

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2019

Points represent verified observations made by users of the community science app iNaturalist.

Global Biodiversity Information Facility

Sean Greene LOS ANGELES TIMES