One of the many amazing creatures that can be found in the oceans are dinoflagellates, microscopic organisms that have the ability to make themselves glow (a process called bioluminescence) to scare predators away. While this phenomenon might be a common sight to see, documenting them could prove to be difficult.
Though they sometimes appear in the wake of red tide—massive blooms of dinoflagellates that stain the sea crimson—bouts of bioluminescence are often unpredictable, reports Laylan Connelly for the Southern California News Group.
This year, a group of local photographers decided to take the gamble after noting a spate of red tide off Newport Beach, which, as of April 28, is still open to the public. “We went back that night hoping to see something, and sure enough we did,” local Royce Hutain told Lauren M. Johnson and Amanda Jackson at CNN. Videos and images from the outing are now on Instagram.
More details about bioluminescence over at Smithsonian Magazine.
(Image Credit: skyrar/ Instagram)