Thousands of blue jellyfish-like creatures are spoiling the dream of a seaside long weekend for holidaymakers on the West Coast of the lower North Island.
Swarms of the creatures known as by-the-wind-sailors, or velella, have been spotted on the sands of Paraparaumu Beach this morning following reports of the sea life appearing at beaches across the country's West Coast for the past few weeks.
A Paraparaumu resident contacted the Herald with photos of the "colourful visitors" and said there would be no swimming for them over the public holiday.
The sighting is one of many that have been reported around New Zealand since the start of October, when the creatures first started appearing at beaches in the Nelson, Kapiti Coast, Taranaki and Greymouth regions.
