Sitting by the seaside, listening to the sound of waves is so relaxing. What makes the seas more beautiful in the nights is the sea sparkle. Currently, the coastline of Wales is seeing blue lights sparkling over, mesmerising those who have witnessed this unusual phenomenon. This occurrence is called sea sparkle or bioluminescence. If you are wondering what this is about, then let us break it down for you. The term may be, but it is, in fact, the smallest creatures that create this lovely spectacle.
What is Bioluminescence and What Causes it?
The term typically means production and emission of light by a living organism. It widely occurs in the marine creatures, making a lot of seas change their colour to a sparkling shade in the night time. A bioluminescent plankton called Noctiluca scintillans make the sea turn sparkling blue. These planktons float under the surface of the ocean water but flash once they are disturbed. The change in colour or the sparkle is said to scare away the nearby predators.
These planktons are so tiny that a single drop can contain more than hundreds or thousands of them. They are single-celled microorganisms which you cannot see with the naked eye. They usually reside in the warm water, and the illuminating sea is observed during the months of summer. But off late, they have been spotted on the coastline of Wales. Photographer Kris Williams has had quite a bit of luck with capturing the sea sparkles at the Isle of Anglesey. She has made a video of it including dipping among the sea sparkles.
Take a look at the video of sparkling blue seas in Wales:
Isn't the video just spectacular? It looks magical the way the waves light up in blue sparkle. With the pictures from the place also being shared widely on social media, more and more people are heading with their cameras to capture the same. But there is no better way to capture the spectacle than to witness it live in front of your eyes. The bioluminescence phenomenon is one of the many nature's breathtaking delights.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 06, 2018 04:44 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).