Waves off the California coast are glowing neon blue, video shows. What’s happening?
Waves off the California coast are glowing a bright neon blue thanks to science.
The water is glowing in the dark because of bioluminescent organisms along the California coast, experts said.
Bioluminescence is the ability of organisms to create and emit light when chemical reactions happen, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Marine animals can use it to communicate, lure their next meal or ward off predators, according to the Smithsonian Institute.
It’s fairly common in creatures that live in the open ocean, according to NOAA. About 90% of species living in waters below 1,640 feet can use bioluminescence.
“Humans primarily see bioluminescence triggered by a physical disturbance, such as waves or a moving boat hull, that gets the animal to show their light off, but often animals light up in response to an attack or in order to attract a mate,” the Smithsonian Institute reported.
Videos and photos shared on social media show the ocean lighting up with every wave or splash near Orange County. Some people said the bioluminescence was even making the sand light up.
“I went back to San Clemente last night and found more bioluminescence! In the waves and in the sand,” photographer Patrick Coyne said on Instagram. “It’s seriously the coolest thing walking around and seeing each footstep glow.”
Experts at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography said they don’t know how long the waves will be glowing.
“If you’re hoping to catch a glimpse of the bioluminescent display, head to a dark beach at least two hours after sunset—although visibility is not guaranteed,” experts said on Twitter.
The same thing happened last year and in 2020 off California’s coast. In 2020, glowing dinoflagellate plankton made it look like dolphins could glow in the dark or like a glow stick had broken into the ocean.
This story was originally published September 28, 2022 at 9:34 AM with the headline "Waves off the California coast are glowing neon blue, video shows. What’s happening?."