Origin of the bright blue light on Australian beach

Mysterious blue lights along the coast of an Australian island are believed to be caused by algae.

Bioluminescence occurs near Rocky Cape National Park, Tasmania. Photo: Leanne Marshall.

A beach in northwest Tasmania, Australia, suddenly emitted a magical blue light on the night of March 13, according to the Telegraph. This light was especially bright when the waves crashed onto the sand, creating a beautiful scene.

According to scientists, this is a bioluminescent phenomenon caused by single-celled algae or phytoplankton called Noctiluca scintillans that emit light when disturbed. This phenomenon occurs similarly to "red tides" during the day when the sea water turns deep red, brown or orange. When disturbed by waves or currents, the algae will glow at night.

Tasmanian beach glows blue in March 2016

Leanne Marshall, a photographer based in Tasmania, captured some images of the phenomenon that took place near Rocky Cape National Park on the night of March 13. Another beachgoer also captured the phenomenon at Preservation Bay, about 50 km east of the national park.

The algae's flashing mechanism is activated to scare off predators, according to Gustaaf Hallegraeff, professor of aquatic botany at the University of Tasmania. "Imagine there's a tiny animal that wants to eat this plankton and suddenly it starts flashing," he said.

This glowing algae is not toxic, but the high ammonia content in the algae cells can irritate fish, causing them to stay away from areas with algal blooms.

According to VNE