Ocean waves are glowing neon blue at this California coastline. Here’s why
Southern California ocean waves are glowing bright blue now.
The phenomenon is called bioluminescence.
The dazzling bright color can be spotted at night when waves or swimming dolphins agitate clusters of dinoflagellate — a form of algae blooms, according to the University of California, San Diego.
Many people and photographers took to social media to capture the seemingly magical display at San Diego beaches, which started to glimmer at the beginning of March.
Scientists from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography don’t know how long the “red tide” will appear but said it could last from a week to a month or more.
During the day, the red tide is a reddish-brown color as the algal bloom concentrates near the surface of the water, the university says.
The best time to catch a glimpse of the bright neon waves is two hours after sunset at a dark beach, scientists say.
The bioluminescent organisms made an appearance last year, too.
One photographer caught Balto the dog on camera swimming through the colored water.
This story was originally published March 4, 2022 at 6:59 PM with the headline "Ocean waves are glowing neon blue at this California coastline. Here’s why."
