Watch: Chennai Beach Dazzles With Rare Bioluminescent Waves

Residents of the East Coast Road (ECR) in Chennai recently witnessed the extraordinary glow-in-the-dark sea waves, known as bioluminescence. On October 18, 2024, the waves striking the shore glowed with an electric blue colour. Anbumani Ramadoss, a Rajya Sabha MP and President of the Pattali Makkal Katchi party, shared the view, saying, “Just now enjoyed the mesmerising Fluorescent waves at ECR beach!!”

A user commented, “The beach is one of the most beautiful and magnificent sites in nature.”

Another X user posted images saying, “One of the most magical things that I have ever seen – bioluminescence on the coasts of Chennai last night”.

Another user stated, “From studying about bioluminescence in college to experiencing it in real.”

Yet another user shared, “Chennai’s coastline is putting on a magical show! Witness the stunning #Bioluminescence as tiny organisms light up the sea at night. This rare natural phenomenon is turning our beaches into a glowing wonderland. Have you seen it yet?”

A National Centre for Coastal Research study revealed that an intake of similar nutrients in 2019 led to a bloom of the bioluminescent entity known as the dinoflagellate. While dinoflagellates create a mesmerising blue light, they are capable of reducing the oxygen content of the water, causing hypoxia.

According to marine biologists, the phenomenon of bioluminescence plays various roles within an ecosystem, including an anti-predatory as well as a baiting one. S. Velvizhi from the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation told The Hindu that although these light-emitting occurrences are visually pleasant, they also suggest alterations in the oceanic system through fluctuations in the nutrient levels in water and temperature.

What is Bioluminescence?

Bioluminescence implies an intrinsic direct light emitted from certain organisms due to biochemical reactions in their body. In this case, the glowing waves were mainly contributed by dinoflagellates, which are plankton known to emit light when agitated. The occurrence of heavy rains in Chennai recently may have contributed to nutrient input to the coastal waters, thus creating this rare spectacle.

Squids, copepods, dinoflagellates, and jellyfish are examples of common bioluminescent organisms.