Out of this world: Natural phenomenon turns sea water electric blue

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Out of this world: Natural phenomenon turns sea water electric blue
Out of this world: Natural phenomenon turns sea water electric blue

Barcroft


Everybody knows that the sea in the Maldives is a stunning turquoise colour, but it's not very often that you see an electric-blue ocean.

Thanks to a natural phenomenon called bio-luminescence, photographer Doug Perrine took this amazing picture while visiting Vaadhoo Island on the Raa Atoll in the Indian Ocean.

According to Michael Carroll at Barcroft Media, bio-luminescence happens when microscopic organisms react with oxygen in the water to produce light.

Michael explains: "This natural wonder is hardly ever seen on the shoreline. Although this phenomenon is rare, it is more commonly seen in the open sea by the wake of ships stirring up the oxygen in the sea, which causes the special bio-luminescent bacteria to glow."

Doug said: "This picture was taken on a starry, but moonless night.

"Each small wave lapping onto the shoreline was lit up like sheets of lightning.

"The plankton creating the light show was concentrated along the edge of the beach. The organisms creating it were large enough to be seen with the naked eye."

We think it's pretty magical...

See more wonders of the sea here

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