West Cork boat tour guide shares footage of thousands of jellyfish

A unique sight was captured by Baltimore Sea Safari on a boat tour over the weekend.

The family-owned business which operates close-up coastal sightseeing boat trips around Carbery's Hundred Isles in West Cork, captured footage of thousands of By-the-wind sailor Jellyfish.

Baltimore Sea Safari runs whale, dolphin, porpoise, seal and basking shark with close-up coastal sightseeing boat tours from Baltimore in West Cork, Ireland.

By-the-Wind Sailor are similar to the Portuguese Man O'War as they are not true jellyfish and they are made up of a colony of tiny individual animals.

They are called 'by-the-wind-sailor' because of their long sail that is attached to the body of the organism.

According to The Wildlife Trusts these small organisms are made up of a deep bluey purple oval disc, known as a float with a thin, semi-circular fin (the sail) attached diagonally across the top of the float and tiny short tentacles hanging down from the float into the water below.

The sail is important as it allows the organism to catch the wind and travel on ocean currents. The 'jellyfish' then uses it's stinging tentacles to prey on young fish and other small animals while it travels. Their venom is considered harmless to human beings.

 These organisms are often washed up on beaches in their hundreds, or sometimes even thousands, after stormy winter weather.