Glowing Sea -It may look like an alien life-

Glowing Sea

It may look like an alien life-form has washed up on a beach, but this striking neon blue effect is a completely natural phenomenon.

The incredible image was taken by photographer Doug Perrine during a visit to Vaadhoo, one of the Raa Atoll islands in the Maldives.

It captures a natural chemical reaction called bioluminescence, which occurs when a micro-organism in the water is disturbed by oxygen.

Although a rare sight on a shoreline, the phenomenon is more commonly seen at sea in the wake of ships that stir up the oxygen in the sea, which causes the bioluminescent bacteria to glow.

By night, there is an increase in microscopic plankton called dynoflagellates, which glow in the dark when disturbed by currents or waves.