IN PHOTOS: Blue Button marine colonies spotted on Mumbai’s Chowpatty shore

Blue Buttons, jellyfish-like marine colonies, washed ashore at Mumbai's Chowpatty as shifting sea currents and winds signal the approaching monsoon. (Pics/ Special Arrangement)

Updated On: 2026-04-30 09:52 PM IST

Compiled by : Anushree Gaikwad

Often mistaken for jellyfish, Blue Buttons are small, floating marine colonies commonly seen on Mumbai’s beaches during this time of the year due to changing sea currents and winds. PICS/ SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

The Blue Button is a small, jellyfish-like organism that lives a free-floating life on the sea surface

This is not a single animal; it is a colony of several ‘zooids’

According to experts, Blue Buttons drift wherever winds and surface currents take them

When sea temperatures rise or cyclonic winds intensify, these floating organisms are pushed closer to the shore, which can be seen as a small but visible sign of changing ocean conditions

Despite their jellyfish-like appearance, Blue Buttons are colonies of hydroid polyps, not a single organism. They drift on the ocean’s surface, carried by winds and currents, and use stinging cells to catch plankton for food.

Next Gallery

IN PHOTOS: First look of Mumbai-Pune Expressway `Missing Link` ahead of its inauguration

Related Photos