Tofino beachgoers got a big surprise Monday morning when they discovered thousands of tiny jelly fish, known as Vellela, vellela. washed up on city beaches.
George Timmins was getting ready for a morning surf when he noticed the creatures and shot some home video.
Last month, thousands of Vellela, vellela also washed ashore in Oregon.
They are small carnivorous animals related to jellyfish and do sting, but not enough to harm people.
Tofino mayor Josie Osborne is a marine biologist.
"There is no way they could survive," she said. "They are ocean creatures that are normally found hundreds of miles off-shore in the Pacific. It is a rare event, but a natural event for them to watch on shore."
Now the District of Tofino will also let nature conduct the cleanup. The creatures will start rotting, likely causing a bit of a stink, but not causing any other harm. Osborne says it should only last a few days.
At this point no one knows if more will come. The Vellela vellela can't swim, so their movements are dictated by the wind and the current — far from the coast.