Maldives beach becomes sea of stars thanks to bioluminescent phytoplankton
Trick of nature creates spectacle
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.It turns out that putting a certain type of plankton under stress results in one of the most stress-relieving sights on the planet, their resultant blue glow creating astral patterns on sea shores.
*Scroll down for the gallery*
The natural phenomenon was captured by Taiwanese photographer Will Ho, who posted pictures of what he thought was 'blue sand' to Flickr.
The surreal appearance of the Maldives beach was actually down to a massive tide of bioluminescent phytoplankton called Lingulodinium polyedrum however.
The tiny organisms emit light when stressed, be it by the lapping of waves, the carving action of a surf board or other, creating what looks like a network of stars.
The spectacle was famously used by director Ang Lee in his film Life Of Pi, using the phytoplankton to illuminate his protagonist who was lost at sea. Unsurprisingly, it helped him on the way to an Oscar for the movie's visual effects.
Ho's complete set of photos can be viewed here.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments