Jan 20, 2014: Bioluminescence captured on Maldives Islands beach

Undertoad · 01-20-2014, 04:33 PM

Quote:

While vacationing on the Maldives Islands, Taiwanese photographer Will Ho stumbled onto an incredible stretch of beach covered in millions of bioluminescent phytoplankton. These tiny organisms glow similarly to fireflies and tend to emit light when stressed, such as when waves crash or when they are otherwise agitated. While the phenomenon and its chemical mechanisms have been known for some time, biologists have only recently began to understand the reasons behind it. You can see a few more of Ho’s photographs over on Flickr.

glatt · 01-20-2014, 04:42 PM

This is like the tropical version of the northern lights.

I've never seen the glowing plankton in person, but I would absolutely love to. I should maybe research it. If there was a way to guarantee seeing it, it would be on my bucket list. And I don't even have a bucket list.

Molasar · 01-20-2014, 05:11 PM

best way to guarantee it is buy a bucketful then kick it about to stress them into lighting up
otherwise you could go poncing about the Maldives for weeks only to find that the critters have sodded off the Seychelles or something.

fargon · 01-20-2014, 05:14 PM

You see that all the time at sea, in the wake of the ship except it is light green, and very bright.

lumberjim · 01-20-2014, 05:18 PM

I wish we'd had taken the time to go see that stuff when we were in PR. They supposedly have 3 of the 5 places in the world where that crops up regularly.

xoxoxoBruce · 01-20-2014, 10:50 PM

I can't imagine what it cost the Maldives Tourist Bureau for all those LEDs. Maybe they're rented .

Bloke · 01-21-2014, 12:28 AM

I've been to the Maldives three times now and have seen this a few times. The most impressive sight is in the wash of a boat but you can also get a really nice effect by splashing through the waters edge on a night walk. There's next to no light whatsoever round much of the island so it's really bright.

SPUCK · 01-21-2014, 06:18 AM

I saw it at Sunset Beach by Santa Cruz once. We were playing on the beach and it started all at once. The waves were about 3 feet high and when they broke the lit up like neon light. Very bright bluish color. It was really spectacular. The waves would rise, start to break and a huge flash that ripped down the beach with the wave as it broke at an angle.

footfootfoot · 01-21-2014, 06:46 AM

When I was sailing to Alaska, dolphins (or possibly sharks) would race alongside our boat, cutting back and forth across our bow. At night you could see bright green "contrails" in their wake.

One of the coolest things evar.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

infinite monkey · 01-21-2014, 07:46 AM

When we did the night dive portion of advanced scuba training, we waved our hands around and made light shows with the biolum...biolumn...the lighty uppy sea stuff.

Gravdigr · 01-21-2014, 04:16 PM

The most interesting thing I've ever seen at the beach was a large floating, bobbing turd in Panama City, FL.

SPUCK · 01-22-2014, 06:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gravdigr

The most interesting thing I've ever seen at the beach was a large floating, bobbing turd in Panama City, FL.

Need to work on your interests a little more...

footfootfoot · 01-22-2014, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by infinite monkey

When we did the night dive portion of advanced scuba training, we waved our hands around and made light shows with the biolum...biolumn...the lighty uppy sea stuff.

Uppity Lighty!

"Once you start using slippery slope arguments, the next thing you know you're employing straw men and red herrings. It's a slippery slope." Jim Helm

01-20-2014, 05:11 PM	#3
Molasar Part-time superhero (off shift right now, leave a message) Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Her Majesty's United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Posts: 211	best way to guarantee it is buy a bucketful then kick it about to stress them into lighting up otherwise you could go poncing about the Maldives for weeks only to find that the critters have sodded off the Seychelles or something. __________________ The only dumb question is the one you didn't ask.

01-20-2014, 05:14 PM	#4
fargon Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: La Crosse, WI Posts: 8,924	You see that all the time at sea, in the wake of the ship except it is light green, and very bright. __________________ Annoy the ones that ignore you!!! I live a blessed life I Love my Country, I Fear the Government!!! Heavily medicated for the good of mankind.

01-20-2014, 05:18 PM	#5
lumberjim I can hear my ears Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 25,571	I wish we'd had taken the time to go see that stuff when we were in PR. They supposedly have 3 of the 5 places in the world where that crops up regularly. __________________ This body holding me reminds me of my own mortality Embrace this moment, remember We are eternal, all this pain is an illusion ~MJKeenan

01-20-2014, 10:50 PM	#6
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	I can't imagine what it cost the Maldives Tourist Bureau for all those LEDs. Maybe they're rented . __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

01-21-2014, 06:46 AM	#9
footfootfoot To shreds, you say? Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: in the house and on the street-how many, many feet we meet! Posts: 18,449	When I was sailing to Alaska, dolphins (or possibly sharks) would race alongside our boat, cutting back and forth across our bow. At night you could see bright green "contrails" in their wake. One of the coolest things evar. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk __________________ The internet is a hateful stew of vomit you can never take completely seriously. - Her Fobs

01-20-2014, 04:42 PM	#2
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	This is like the tropical version of the northern lights. I've never seen the glowing plankton in person, but I would absolutely love to. I should maybe research it. If there was a way to guarantee seeing it, it would be on my bucket list. And I don't even have a bucket list.

01-21-2014, 12:28 AM	#7
Bloke Almost normal... Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: High Wycombe. Posts: 109	I've been to the Maldives three times now and have seen this a few times. The most impressive sight is in the wash of a boat but you can also get a really nice effect by splashing through the waters edge on a night walk. There's next to no light whatsoever round much of the island so it's really bright.

01-21-2014, 06:18 AM	#8
SPUCK Professor Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 1,911	I saw it at Sunset Beach by Santa Cruz once. We were playing on the beach and it started all at once. The waves were about 3 feet high and when they broke the lit up like neon light. Very bright bluish color. It was really spectacular. The waves would rise, start to break and a huge flash that ripped down the beach with the wave as it broke at an angle.

01-21-2014, 07:46 AM	#10
infinite monkey Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 13,002	When we did the night dive portion of advanced scuba training, we waved our hands around and made light shows with the biolum...biolumn...the lighty uppy sea stuff.

01-21-2014, 04:16 PM	#11
Gravdigr The Un-Tuckian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: South Central...KY that is Posts: 39,517	The most interesting thing I've ever seen at the beach was a large floating, bobbing turd in Panama City, FL. __________________ These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA, EPA, FBI, DEA, CDC, or FDIC. These statements are not intended to diagnose, cause, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. If you feel you have been harmed/offended by, or, disagree with any of the above statements or images, please feel free to fuck right off.

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