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If these glowing dolphins hadn’t been caught on camera you would never believe it!

Source: Facebook/NewportCoastalAdventure

Recent bioluminescence off California’s Newport Beach has been out of this world, and this surreal footage of glowing dolphins streaking through the dark depths will blow your mind.

Dolphins glow as they glide through bioluminescent waves in California

Though it looks like a CGI scene from a James Cameron fantasy, what you’re about to see in this video is 100% genuine, with no camera trickery or post production tampering. In surreal footage shot this week off the coast of Newport Beach, dolphins glow bright blue as they streak through the dark waters of the Pacific—a natural bioluminescence phenomenon that always startles all who witness it. The dolphins themselves aren’t glowing. It’s actually tiny bioluminescent phytoplankton that light up the water around them when they are disturbed—hence the blue water in the boat’s wake as well. But the effect is utterly entrancing. Bioluminescence is caused by an algae bloom, commonly referred to as red tide. 

Glowing Dolphins After Sunset! The bioluminescence off Newport Beach has been out of this world! Last night Capt. Ryan took the Zodiac out to look for dolphins, and together with friend Patrick Coyne filmed this amazing interaction with a pod of dolphins as they lit up the night. Source: Facebook/NewportCoastalAdventure

So beautiful you couldn’t make it up

The glowing waters are a fairly rare phenomenon in Southern California, and Newport Coastal Adventures says the bioluminescence they’re seeing right now is the highest its been in years. What a dazzling display of just how unbelievably awesome our world truly is. Thanks to Upworthy for sharing this story, and to Facebook user Abbie McKoy for the stunning images (below) of the same bioluminescence phenomenon in the surf at San Diego, California.

“‘I lived in California for 10 years and never managed to see this beautiful natural phenomena for myself. It is one of those rare things that comes and goes without timing. This was spotted yesterday by my friend Chris Parks in San Diego, California. How breath taking is it?”
Abbie McKoy posted to Facebook: “‘I lived in California for 10 years and never managed to see this beautiful natural phenomena for myself. It is one of those rare things that comes and goes without timing. This was spotted yesterday by my friend Chris Parks in San Diego, California. How breath taking is it?” Source: Facebook/ChrisParks/NatureRevives2020
— Abbie McKoy
“ Imagine how entertaining it would be for fish enjoying a swim and glowing through the bioluminesense ?” — Abbie McKoy Source: Facebook/ChrisParks/NatureRevives2020
— Abbie McKoy
“ It makes me wonder was all this beauty here all the time and we missed it because we were so busy or is the environment showing off to show us why we need to protect it so much ?” — Abbie McKoy Source: Facebook/ChrisParks/NatureRevives2020
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