A bloom of bright blue bioluminescent algae has blistered beaches near the town of Penguin on Tasmania's north-west coast.

Bioluminescent phytoplankton or 'sea sparkle' thrives in calm and warm sea conditions, and a bright bloom of it was spotted at Preservation Bay on Saturday night.

Neon: North-West Coast photographer Brett Chatwin captured a bioluminescent bloom at Preservation Bay on Saturday. Credit:Brett Chatwin

@leannemarshall: To say I was excited to finally see some #bioluminescence was an understatement 😱💙 Credit:@leannemardhall

Photographer Brett Chatwin said he'd been taking nature photographs on the North-West Coast for 10 years and had never seen the phenomenon.