You want an amazing natural phenomenon?
Look at these incredible pictures of bioluminescent phytoplankton! And suddenly the water turned fluorescent blue!
It looks like something from the movie “Avatar”: ocean waters that light up like neon glow sticks when they splash. What could be causing such an otherworldly phenomenon?
While vacationing on the Maldives Islands, Taiwanese photographer Will Ho stumbled onto an incredible stretch of beach covered in millions of bioluminescent phytoplankton.
The beach has literaly been alight with eerie, glowing waves. And how do you like these fireflies?
How is this phenomenon working?
The glowing is caused by a massive red tide, or algae bloom, of bioluminescent phytoplankton called Lingulodinium polyedrum. The microorganisms emit light in response to stress, such as when a wave crashes into the shore, a surfboard slashes through the surf, or a kayaker’s paddle splashes the water. The result is a wickedly cool glowing ocean.
[…] Marine organisms may exhibit bioluminescence (cold light) to either attract prey or to discourage predators. This nature phenomenon occurs occasionally along the Uruguayan coast, but without the brilliance captured in this photograph. […]