For the uninitiated, bioluminescence is a beautiful phenomenon caused by phytoplankton – a tiny organism that is about 0.5 mm in size. This minuscule organism emits blue light making it glow in the dark. This emission is caused by a protein called luciferase that is activated when the phytoplankton are washed ashore.
Maldives has a spectacular bioluminescence beach that is a highly popular spot. When the phytoplankton are washed ashore, the beach looks something like this:
Magnificent, isn’t it? Don’t you wish it was closer home?
But wait. We bring good news. Look no further. There is indeed a place at home where you can witness this phenomenon. In Mumbai.
As Vagabomb reports, several people have witnessed this mesmerizing occurrence.
When Sayli Bhalekar told her friends and zoology students Abir Jain and Nilesh Mane about this, they thought she was playing a prank. But when they received a video from her, they decided to go to Juhu beach themselves.
“Wherever we placed our feet, the surrounding area started glowing. It was like watching an animation film,” Abir and Nilesh said. Local residents informed them that this has been happening since Thursday.
They further added “This was the most difficult thing as it was not possible to spot the glow from the road due to the lights. Hence, we had to move towards the Danda side, which was dark and we could see the bioluminescence clearly.”
Nilesh believes that the El Nino effect could be responsible for this sudden occurrence. Nilesh and Abir have taken samples of the water and plan to publish a paper on the subject.
If you are in Mumbai, then waste no more time. You know where to go!
You can read the entire story here.