A photographer has captured the rare phenomenon of bioluminescence at his local beach, which is when waves in the sea light up a bright blue color after sunset.
Orange County based photographer Patrick Coyne was on hand to video the sensation at Newport Beach, to which he is local. Keeping a safe distance from his friend, the pair ventured down after a tip-off from mutual friends, Mark Girardeau and Royce Hutain, that it may happen following that evening's red tide.
It doesn’t always happen but a red tide could indicate some bioluminescence, which is why we went.
So what exactly causes this to happen? The term bioluminescence describes a chemical reaction within a living organism that results in light being produced. Most bioluminescent organisms live in the sea, such as fish, jellies, and bacteria, although others like fireflies and fungi live on land.
Since then, traction has been building as local news outlets picked up the images, even latter attracting national attention. Viewing the footage, it’s unsurprising that the post has since amassed over 35,000 views.
He also posted a higher resolution video to his YouTube channel.
Coyne’s used a Sony a7 III with a Rokinon 35mm Cine DS T1.5 lens to capture the scene, set at 1/50th, T1.5 and ISO 80,000.
See more of Coyne’s work at his Instagram. You can read up on bioluminescence at National Geographic.
All footage courtesy Patrick Coyne, and used with permission.
