Pictures: Stunning Sea of Stars lights up Maldives beach

With January being possibly one of the most uninspiring months on the English calendar, it's quite nice to cheer yourself up with stunning pictures of incredible natural phenomena in exotic far-off lands.

So, we thought we'd share these amazing photos of bioluminescence (the production and emission of light by a living organism), in this case also prettily known as the Sea of Stars, occurring at night on the island of Vaadhoo in the Maldives.

The breathtaking phenomenon is caused when dinoflagellates, a species of plankton, emit a bright blue light as their cell membranes respond to electrical signals and glow.

It is a common occurrence on the Vaadhoo island, which is an inhabited island in the Raa Atoll.

More awe-inspiring natural wonders below:

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