Hundreds of velelles have descended on the beaches of Marseille (Bouches-du-Rhône), Perpignan (Pyrénées-Orientales) and the Var. The velella is a Hydrozoan, of the Cnidaria family, a phylum which includes anemones, corals and jellyfish.
It is not stinging and does not present any danger, in principle, to humans. As they decompose, the corpses give off a pestilential odor, similar to “rotten fish”, according to testimonies.