Bioluminescent creatures light up Manly’s waves and attract photographers

MANLY’S waves glowed an eerie electric blue last night thanks to bioluminescence in a curious creature called a dinoflagellate. What’s it all mean?

ONE-TIME USE ONLY: Bio luminescence in Manly on Sunday. Picture: Joel Coleman of Saltmotion Gallery

There were glow-in-the-dark waves in Manly and Newport last night thanks to tiny bioluminescent marine animals.

Photographers and amateurs alike captured images of the eerie blue waves with Newport resident Tiffany Harper describing the scene as “unbelievable”.

Reader Tiffany Harper said the glowing waves at Newport were “unbelievable”. Picture: Ged Poirrier

“It was actually really beautiful,” Ms Harper said. “At one point, the entire wave was glowing a neon blue green colour.”

Dr Luke Hedge from Sydney Institute of Marine Sciences said the source of the light was a sea of small animals.

“Without direct sampling it’s hard to tell what species is causing the glow, but generally bioluminescence is quite common in marine animals. It can even be found in fish,” Dr Hedge said.

“In this case, it looks like the bioluminescence is probably caused by an animal called a dinoflagellate, which are generally around 0.5mm in size and eat tiny bits of phytoplankton.

“The particular species common in south east Australia is called noctiluca. They also cause the red tide phenomena which is common off the Sydney beaches.”

In terms of why the dinoflagellates were glowing en masse on the northern beaches, Dr Hedge said it may suggest they were currently well fed.

“Bioluminescence has been correlated with nutrition in noctiluca, so it’s possible that this ‘glow’ around Manly is the result of ocean currents or upwelling that are favourable for noctiluca growth and transport onto Sydney’s beaches.”

University of NSW School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences Professor Iain Suthers said the event was a sign spring was on its way.

“You usually get these kind of events in spring and autumn, so it’s a bit early but maybe it’s a sign spring is coming,” he said.

“Often after one event, there’s a good chance there’ll be more because it means the temperature is right and the food they like to eat is abundant. Even though they’re a single cell animal, they have no photosynthesis, they eat other organisms like diatoms.”

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Originally published as Bioluminescent creatures light up Manly’s waves and attract photographers