Blue Buttons
The remnants of Hurricane Delta blew across us and out to the Atlantic Ocean Sunday/Sunday night, with rain and 20-25 mph winds.
Walking the beach the next day, I saw something unusual wash up on the beach in front of me.
Blue Button
(white center is approx. one inch across)
And then another one washed up, even prettier……
Blue Button
(white center is approx. one inch across)
A few more waves and they were gone, washed back out to sea. Aren’t they gorgeous?
I had never these before and researched to ID them and learn some info.
The Blue Button is not a jellyfish but actually a species of siphonophore, a group of animals that are closely related to jellyfish. (A Portuguese Man O’ War is another siphonophore.)
A Blue Button is also known as a Blue Button Jelly, Disc Hydroid, Stinger, or Stinging Bluebottle.
Blue Buttons are found near the surface drifting in tropical and subtropical waters far out in the oceans, propelled by winds and ocean currents. During bad weather, they can be blown ashore. (That be Delta’s fault!)
A Blue Button is almost flat, with stinging strands of hydroid surrounding it’s white disc. Each strand has little branchlets off it that fatally stings its prey. To humans, they do not give a powerful sting, but more of an irritation.
I love your gorgeous photographs, Donna!!
Thank you, Isabel!
What a beautiful surprise! I love the shades of blue and green…
The colors were so pretty! I loved finding them.
Beautiful Caribbean colors on your shore!
Thank you, Hien! Now just need palm trees. 😉
Very interesting and beautiful. I’ve never seen nor heard of them before. 😊
I first thought it was some type of gel fish lure, lol. They were stunning in person, just laying on the sand so pretty.
I’m so glad I got to see one, they are beautiful.
They looked like a piece of glass artwork laying there. 🙂
Wow…great find! Excellent info shared!!
Thanks, Indira! I was glad the waves took them back out to sea, I was thinking, how am I going to help these without touching them? I wasn’t sure if they would sting.
Very niceDonna! Never saw these before. Great images!😊
Thanks Reed! They were pretty cool to find, I wish I could have found more!
What a rare and beautiful thing to see and photograph. Amazing! 😁
Thank you Irene! They really looked like art glass laying on the sand, I loved finding them. 🙂
So beautiful! I’ve never heard of them.
Thanks, I hadn’t either, I felt lucky to find them!
What a beautiful little “jewel, and that blue color is amazing. 🙂
They do look like a jewel! 🙂
A gorgeous range of blues and greens, beautiful treasure blown around by the wind.
Wonderfully said, Ellen!
Wow!
I think so too. 🙂
Yes … they are gorgeous … like flowers. Good that you were there to capture this rare appearance!
Thanks Denise! I thought they looked like flowers too. I wondered how many more were up and down the beach, but I was social distancing. 🙂
This is my first time to see the Blue Button. Most of attractive creatures with vivid colors usually have some kind of toxic stingers. Great shots! Thank you for the warning. 🙂
Thank you, HJ! I almost scooped up one to get it back into the water, but quickly thought it might sting. I was glad the waves took them back out, they were too pretty to leave there to die.
Pretty find, Donna.
Thanks Belinda!
What an interesting find Donna, and so beautifully captured in your images.Our Divine Artist is certainly the best. 🙂
Thanks Ashley! HE truly has gifted us with amazing creatures, both big and small. 🙂
They may be small but I wouldn’t want to meet them when swimming.
Me neither…..
What a lovely creature! I’ve never seen such a thing, love the deep colors.
They are pretty, looks almost like a flower. 🙂
I had no idea they existed. How pretty!
I didn’t know either! Gems of the ocean.
I showed Ken those pix. He’d never seen them, either and he spent many years at the coast and, had a boat & a place at the beach…Atlantic Beach. He was always around the Morehead City/Beaufort area…Pine Knoll Shores… What we call the Crystal Coast.
When I researched them, I found an article back in 2015 that many had washed ashore along the OBX, saying it was unusual for them to do that. We’ve camped along those islands at the south end at Emerald Coast, but explored the whole upper coast, including Morehead City. We liked that whole area, and almost went to Emerald Coast instead of OBX for these couple weeks. It was a toss up, both places are pretty cool.
Yes, ma’am.
I’ve been to Currituck, Knotts Island, Fort Macon, Atlantic Beach, Morehead, Beaufort, Pine Knoll Shores, Indian Beach, Emerald Isle, Camp LeJeune, Topsail, Surf City, Wilmington, Carolina Beach, Kure Beach, Fort Fisher & Southport. I’ve totally missed all the lighthouses, the Outer Banks from Corolla down to Portsmouth and I’ve never been past Southport here in NC. Then, I skip down to SC with Cherry Grove, N. Myrtle Beach, Myrtle Beach, Murrells Inlet and Charleston.
I’ve also never been to Biltmore. There is quite a lot of my own state that I have never seen. *sigh*
They are so pretty. What a lovely find!
Thank you!
Glad you’re doing well Donna. I always look forward to your beautiful pictures. These Blue Buttons are amazing!
Thank you, Sandra, I loved this find! Truly beautiful!
Amazing enounter with an alien, Donna 😀❗️
Pretty cool, huh?! Thanks, Al!
Never can tell what you might find on the beach after a storm! Nice find!
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I have never seen such a resplendent jellyfish in my life! (Though it’s not technically a jellyfish it’s close enough.) How fortuitous that they washed up in front of you, gave you a chance to admire and photograph them, and then just as quickly washed away. Thanks for sharing this special sea adventure, Donna.
You’re welcome Jet, I felt they were pretty special to see and then disappear. There are so many marvels that we have not seen in the oceans. I am very fascinated with the sea life they discover at unimaginable depths. Cool stuff!