The strange reason this Aussie beach turned neon blue
A bloom of bright blue bioluminescent algae has blistered beaches 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.
Photographer Brett Chatwin said he'd been taking nature photographs on the coast for 10 years and had never seen the phenomenon.
"It was very interesting watching this iridescent aquamarine colour light up the waves as they crashed," Chatwin said.
Image credit: Instagram / rosieshousewynyard
"It was as good as shooting the Aurora Australis, but a bit easier."
Chatwin said he used a digital SLR camera to capture the glowing waves at Preservation Bay.
He said it was difficult, but possible, to snap a shot using smartphone technology.
Bioluminescent phytoplankton turns bright blue when threatened.
It's difficult to determine how long it will remain in a single area.
Have you ever witnessed this pheonomenon?
Written by Imogen Elliot. Frist appeared on Stuff.co.nz. Hero image credit: Instagram / discerning_gent