Bioluminescent algae lighting up the Southern California coast

For the past month, Southern California’s coastal tour operators have been busy tracking a rare pod of killer whales. Now, they’re offering an entirely different experience once the sun goes down.

Bioluminescent microalgae is creating a natural blue glow when the ocean water is stirred up by waves, wind or watercraft.

Finding high concentrations of the algae can be hit or miss, but the sightings have been common enough lately that Newport Coastal Adventures is offering nightly 90-minute cruises to see it.

“Jump on board with us on the search for the Bioluminescence glow that illuminates the night sky as the waves crash around the shorelines, wake from our ships, possible dolphin swimming through, large fish schools, and anything else that triggers the blue natural phenomenon,” the whale watching company advertises.

The company also released video and photos of the glowing water, including several stunning views of a circling boat from above.

The bioluminescence put on a spectacular show for SoCal beachgoers in September of last year when boogie boarders were videotaped ripping through glowing waves at Huntington Beach.

Nate Jaros, senior director of fish and invertebrates at the Aquarium of the Pacific told KTLA that the microalgae, called a dinoflagellate, is associated with a red tide which is visible during the day and creates a glow when churned up at night. 

“It’s the same type of organism when you have a red tide, which gives the water kind of an orangish brown, red kind of tint when they are in high density during the day,” he said. “But at night when disturbed, they produce bioluminescence. So, when there’s a lot of agitation in the surf, it can activate that bioluminescence which makes the waves appear to be glowing.”