This isn’t the first time bioluminescent algae has lit up the oceans recently.Įarlier this week, a photographer and videographer captured boogie boarders surfing some bioluminescent waves in Huntington Beach, California. “If you can get here while it’s still happening, do it!” Fryer added. Humans, on the other hand, can witness the natural phenomenon when there is lots of bioluminescence in the water, usually from an algae bloom of plankton. Some fish, squid, tiny crustaceans, and algae produce bioluminescence to confuse predators, attract prey, or lure potential mates.
What’s causing California’s ocean waves to glow?įryer caught herself in the midst of a bioluminescent algae bloom.Īccording to the Department for Environment and Water, a natural chemical process known as bioluminescence allows living things to produce light inside their bodies. “I’ve seen some spectacular things here, but this is definitely in the top five,” Fryer wrote on Facebook, accompanied by a series of mystifying photos.