In the Australian summer of 2008/2009, a hauntingly beautiful phenomenon
illuminated the Gippsland Lakes and created scenes that those present
will never forget. An unusually high concentration of Noctiluca
scintillans, a bioluminescent microorganism, turned the water a bright,
glowing, ethereal blue. Photographer Phil Hart was there to document the amazing display.
Noctiluca scintillans – also known as “sea sparkle,” “sea fire,” “sea
ghost” and any number of other delightfully romantic-sounding names –
are a species of dinoflagellate that feed on algae, plankton and
bacteria. In December 2008, a high concentration of blue-green algae
called Synechococcus prompted a higher-than-usual population of N.
scintillans in the Gippsland Lakes.
When Phil Hart embarked on his annual trek to the lakes, he and his
companions discovered a blue luminescence in the water unlike anything
any of them had ever seen before. N. scintillans uses its
bioluminescence as a defense mechanism, lighting up when it senses a
predator coming near. The ghostly glow attracts even larger predators to
eat the first predator, keeping the N. scintillans safe to glow another
day.
Hart and his friends used this defense mechanism to create some truly
incredible photographs. Using a long exposure on his camera, Hart had
his friends splash in the water to light up and spread the
bioluminescent organisms around. In other photos, Hart used a fast lens
and threw sand and pebbles into the water to activate the glow.
The Melbourne-based photographer marvels at how fortunate he was to
see this phenomenon. Not only is it a rare sight at this particular
location; it is highly unusual to see this concentration of
bioluminescent organisms anywhere in the world. The magical event was
truly a breathtaking displays of nature’s unexpected beauty.
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