Posted on 07/21/2023 4:23:48 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Photographer Johnny Chien captured the glorious blue glow in the water caused by bioluminescent plankton at a Santa Cruz County beach in mid-July.
"The bioluminescent plankton is back at Seacliff. I took this picture this morning at 2:54 a.m.. I don't think this shot of the ship from this angle would be possible if the pier was still there, as it would probably be in the way," wrote Chien on Instagram.
Advertisement The blue glow is caused by a common species of plankton called Lingulodinium polyhedra. Members of Lingulodinium polyhedra, a species of single-celled dinoflagellates, appear to be reddish-brown during the day and then emit light by way of bioluminescence at night.
Video: Bioluminescent plankton light up the ocean in Aptos (2020)
Ping
One of my childhood favorite movies was saved by something similar.
In the James Mason and Arlene Dahl version of Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959) the manual wind up lamps went dead because of corrosion from the salt in the air but the professor pointed out the areas were lighted by natural luminescence. Otherwise the movie setting would be in total darkness after that. Bad for box office.
Santa Cruz was so awesome before UCSC was opened.
We used to see this in Pensacola. It’s beautiful.
I’ve seen that on the coast in that same area. Waves crash and light up. Kick a spray of wet sand and the ground sparkles.
Yes, I saw this one time at Asilomar during a math teacher’s conference. the wet sand also glowed after you walked over it so the your prints were glowing in the sand. The waves would flash like the picture when the wave broke.
These photo cretters let their light out when they are disturbed.
Cool and ethereal
blatant photoshop... was ILM involved?
The glowing Pacific plankton made magic of an otherwise harrowing night. On Thanksgiving Day ‘77 I was in a Tornado catamaran that capsized due to Santa Ana winds, just off Anacapa. There was too much weight lashed to the tarpaulin to right it as typically accomplished; a passing sailboat miraculously in the area (canvas down) threw us a line to get us back vertical. Actually, two outstanding memories from that day. 1) The glowing wake on the pitch-black sail back to Oxnard through the tanker lanes and 2) The sight of 30’ of bluish-green billowing sails straight underneath while capsized. Get shivers just remembering it.
What a story.
Most of us live sitting at the FR keyboards and getting up for beverages or bathroom breaks.
You seem to have lived life.
Experienced similar bioluminescence this past spring in Grand Cayman. Extraordinary experience to swim in it.
So have I. The water seems alive, and is. Beautiful.
Always wanted to build a Tornado. First sail boat I know of to haul a water skier.
Thanks, Nick. I’ve always wanted to see this, but can’t make it this time, though. We are on an Alaskan cruise — just left Seattle a couple hours ago. No bioluminescence here (yet).
I was out that same weekend! It was glorious! I remember sailing back home to the Ventura Keys, having been out early that night on a little excursion “out and back”. The night was dark, no moon, and the wake as we sailed the “Irish Mist”, a lovely little Coronado 35, was absolutely beautiful. It a memory I hope I never lose.
I remember hearing about a Military jet pilot who was over the Ocean at night and lost his avionics, left him in total darkness. He found his Carrier by following the glow of the Planton that it kicked up.
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Hey, Frank.
Don’t be lumpin’ us folks together with
the assumption we’re nothing but a bunch
of potatoes who can type.
I witnessed this phenomenon as a 19 year
old, fishing off the Ft. Meyers coast. No
laptops back then. I’ve also done lots
of living in my 68 years of drawing a
breath, and my social life certainly
does not center around posting my
comments on FR.
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