For the abstract-17 challenge. This uncommonly seen animal was created by God just for the pleasure of photographers, but not many photographers get the chance of getting one in hand. This is called a "velella" or also a "by-the-wind sailor". The actual size is 2 to 3 cm, and it is just beautiful by transparence in the sun. Hundreds of them were washed away on Inchydoney Beach by the spring tide two days ago, and taken back by the following tide, I was lucky to be there. They float at the surface of the sea, and feed with plancton that they capture through their small blue tentacles. A strange characteristics is the transparent stiff sail that projects into the air and catches the wind. The sail makes a 45 degree angle with the animal body, as can be seen on my photograph made from above. From Wikipedia : "Therefore, the animal tends to sail downwind at a small angle to the wind. Having no means of locomotion other than its sail, it is at the mercy of prevailing winds for moving around the seas, and is thereby also subject to mass-strandings on some beaches." This shot is more focused on the abstract side of the subject for the challenge, but I have also made more descriptive pictures that I will post on another day.
