Velella velella

From the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA):

Check out these beautiful Velella velella

washed up on our coastal shorelines near Mosquito Creek this last weekend. Commonly known as sea rafts or by the wind sailors, this free floating colonial hydrozoan lives on the surface of the open ocean and is related to jellyfish and corals. 

Photos credit to Mike Tetreau, one of our COASST and NOAA marine debris citizen scientists! Thanks Mike!