Swimmers are being urged to take precautions as they flock to a popular city beach to witness a spectacular natural phenomenon washing up on the shore.
Over the last few days, fluorescent algae have been delighting beachgoers at St Kilda Beach in Melbourne’s southeast, with sparkling blue bioluminescence seen dancing along the water.
Eric Sidey and his girlfriend drove 45 minutes from Croydon to experience the phenomenon firsthand, and said it didn’t disappoint.
“She was like, I’ll do it if you do it, so we jumped in the car and headed down, and we got there and it was probably better than we expected, [we] hadn’t seen anything like it,” Eric told 7News.
“[We were] sort of splashing around in the water, all videoing, seeing these luminescent, bright blue lights flickering through the water, which was pretty cool.”
Bioluminescence, also referred to as sea sparkle, is caused by a number of things, such as changes in the ocean’s temperature or an algae bloom of plankton, and the glowing can be extremely vivid in the right conditions.
It’s been witnessed at several Aussie locations in the past, including Sydney’s northern beaches, the NSW South Coast, and regularly in Tasmania.
Hundreds of people have reportedly flocked to the beach to see the sea sparkle firsthand. Source: 7News
Swimmers urged not to put glowing water on ‘sensitive areas’
Bioluminescence is generally harmless, but it can produce toxins harmful to humans and marine wildlife. It’s best to always confirm that it isn’t a harmful bloom before splashing in the water, and a general rule of thumb is to always keep the water away from “sensitive areas”, Ecologist Faith Coleman said.
“If it is a relatively harmless one, I’d say don’t get it in the eyes, in your mouth, and your sensitive areas,” she said. “It’s sort of sensible. People who put it on their face as face paint, [it’s] not a good idea.”
Every year, bioluminescence appears on the south and east coasts of Tasmania, and this year’s bloom was the largest scientists had seen in the area since 2015.
That bloom, likened to “fireworks in the sea” by biologist Dr Lisa-ann Gershwin, is known to be harmful, and locals are urged to stay away.
“As beautiful as it is, it’s kind of a beauty and a beast,” Dr Gershwin said, explaining that it acts like a bulldozer and strips away food sources and oxygen from the ocean, impacting marine life.
“It just strips the entire food chain right out,” she said, urging people to enjoy the “incredible spectacle” from a distance.
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