Bioluminescence is always awe-inspiring, but in the context of the coronavirus pandemic lockdown, for many surfers in California its recent appearance was an ethereal call to ride the waves once more after weeks stuck inside.
Beaches in San Diego, as well as Huntington, Sunset, and South Bay in California, all reopened recently to allow residents to engage in limited surfing, swimming, and walking to gain some much needed fresh air and respite from the coronavirus lockdown.
Incredible footage has been shared online purporting to show surfers lighting up the waves by sloshing through the bioluminescent algae in the dark of night.
Historic rains in recent weeks have helped the algal bloom of Lingulodinium polyedra, a type of single-cell organism that causes the so-called ‘red tide’ during the day before lighting up the night with brilliant ethereal blue flickers of light.
The algae started showing up along the California coast around April 15 while many areas were still on lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, tempting surfers back into the water.
Meanwhile, tens of thousands of people thronged Newport Beach in Orange County over the weekend, where many locals compared the crowds to those seen at the height of the 4th of July weekend. Many are making most of the time outdoors while they still can, it seems.
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