VIDEO: Karachi’s sea glows electric blue due to bioluminescence

KARACHI: A breathtaking spectacle of sparkling blue light in the sea was seen at one of the beaches in Karachi on Monday night.

A striking blue colour illuminating the breaking waves looked almost magical and out of this world in the dark of night. 

The spectacular phenomenon — bioluminescence — according to World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Pakistan Technical Adviser Moazzam Khan, is a chemical process in which organisms present in the seawater emit light.

“Noctiluca scintillans caused the blue sparkle in Karachi’s sea,” Khan told Geo News.

He said that this marine species is also called “sea fire” or “sea twinkle”, which is even smaller than mustard seeds in size. However, its presence in the sea is a sign of the richness of the sea.

The ethereal azure lighting up the waves in a dark sea looks mesmerising at night. However, the organism is of green colour when seen in the daytime.

These are marine species of phytoplankton that can be found in coastal environments across tropical, subtropical, and temperate regions.