A surreal scene has unfolded at a beach in Australia. As night falls, the waves light with an blue glow: tiny neon dots that make it look as though fireflies are riding waves.

This bizarre natural phenomenon is caused by plankton – the algae of the sea.

Photographer Andy Hutchinson captured the stunning images in Jervis Bay, a popular beach in the south coast of New South Wales.



Andy Hutchinson



Andy Hutchinson

He described the sight as a ‘beautiful supernatural scene’ caused by millions of plankton emitting light.



Andy Hutchinson

The tiny organisms are thought to emit light when they are stressed, such as when the water crashes onto the shore, someone steps on the wet sand or a paddle hits the waves.



Andy Hutchinson

They glow like stars washing up on the beach, creating dazzling patterns in the shallow water.



Andy Hutchinson

The plankton blooms in the spring and the autumn.



Andy Hutchinson

If you are lucky, you may get to witness this magic for yourself at beaches in the Maldives and Puerto Rico.