Incredible natural phenomenon captured lighting up the sea

An impressive natural phenomenon has been caught on camera after it lit up the ocean in Southern California.

With its shipwrecks, bizarre sea creatures and ominous dark pits, the ocean can be an unnerving place.

It might be somewhere you'd want to avoid when it gets dark, but recently beaches along the southern coast have been offering up a magical sight when the sun sets.

Footage caught on Laguna, Newport, and Huntington Beaches show the waves and sand lighting up with a blue tinge, as if they've been put under a giant blacklight.

It's a phenomenon caused by bioluminescent microalgae, which glow when they're disturbed.

Videos and photos from Southern California show the sand lighting up as people walk across it and nudge the algae out of place, as well as glowing water as boats cut through it or waves crash on the surface.

Bioluminescent algae are found in oceans worldwide, and often collect in warm-water lagoons or bays with small openings.

YouTube/Mark Girardeau

While the algae is known to bloom during the summer months, the phenomenon can happen at any time of the year.

The appearance of the algae in Southern California prompted tour company Newport Coastal Adventures to launch cruises to allow people to see it firsthand.

It advertised: “Jump on board with us on the search for the Bioluminescence glow that illuminates the night sky as the waves crash around the shorelines, wake from our ships, possible dolphin swimming through, large fish schools, and anything else that triggers the blue natural phenomenon."

Nate Jaros, senior director of fish and invertebrates at the Aquarium of the Pacific, explained to KTLA how microalgae is associated with a red tide which is visible during the day.

Instagram/@orangecountyoutdoors

“It’s the same type of organism when you have a red tide, which gives the water kind of an orangish brown, red kind of tint when they are in high density during the day,” he said.

“But at night when disturbed, they produce bioluminescence. So, when there’s a lot of agitation in the surf, it can activate that bioluminescence which makes the waves appear to be glowing.”

One Instagram user who took part in one of the Newport Coastal Adventures tours shared their delight over how many people had taken part, writing: "It was so great to see how many people are so into the bioluminescence!"

"With nature, there’s rarely a way to accurately predict it and it and the bioluminescence definitely got much better as the night went on," user @orangecountyoutdoors continued.

"Both trip times got to see the glowing water and the 8:00 tour got to see quick glimpses of glowing dolphin!"

Another person who has witnessed the phenomenon likened it to being in 'Avatar'.

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