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Bioluminescence on the LA coast

Occasionally we get bioluminescence, so we went exploring our local flare-up.

May 4, 2020

The phenomenon

The blue glow in the surf comes from a red-tide bloom of dinoflagellates — the same algae that turn the daytime water rusty brown. It’s completely unpredictable: a bloom can light up for a few nights and vanish, so you go on rumor and recent reports. You want a dark, late night and breaking waves, which is where the glow concentrates. For a photo, it’s long exposures, high ISO, and a lot of patience — your eyes see more than the first few frames will.

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