Stunning Footage Shows Dolphins Glowing at Night as They Swim Near Southern California Coast

On some nights, the calm, gentle waters of Newport Beach become illuminated with an unmistakable glow. Conditions have to be perfect. And when they are, the rolling tides suddenly become psychedelic, and anything that provokes a disturbance in the algal blooms concentrated in the waters, prompts this bluish glow. Most beaches of Southern California experience these glowing waves during the warmer months, and to be able to witness this sight is a stroke of luck. Patrick Coyne (@patrickc_la) became lucky in April 2020 when, just after sunset, his Sony a7Sii captured two dolphins glowing as they glided in the ocean.

This episode with Newport’s dramatic dolphins and South’s glowing waters remains lodged in Coyne’s memories as “one of the most magical nights” of his life, as he wrote on Instagram. At this time, he was on a trip with Newport Coastal Adventure, a local tour agency founded in 2014 by Newport Beach native Ryan Lawler. Bioluminescence, NOAA explains, is a phenomenon characterized by a chemical reaction that causes certain living organisms to emit light from their body. The intelligent chemistry causes anything that dips into the waters to appear as if it is the one that is glowing.

In these southern waters, the reaction is triggered when something pokes, touches, or disturbs the algal blooms concentrated all over the place. The moment a boat comes in contact with these blooms, or a person’s hands, it triggers a tailspin of chemical reactions within the body of the algae. A light-emitting molecule called “luciferin” reacts with “luciferase,” which acts as a catalyst that converts chemical energy into light energy, spawning the bioluminescence of these waters. In this case, the agitator was these two dolphins. As they came closer to the blooms, the blooms lit up with electric blue light. As the dolphins swam and jumped into the water, they appeared glowing to the onlookers.

Coyne’s footage shows two playful dolphins gliding and zipping through the waters. And as they do, they unknowingly trigger the concentrated algae blooms of motion-sensitive dinoflagellates, a type of plankton that releases a burst of light when activated, even by the slightest touch. As they swam, they resembled two electric trails of light rushing through the stream, casting a trail of luminous radiance. Coyne said witnessing these dolphins “honestly changed my life.”

"We were out for a few hours, and on our final stretch back, we finally had two dolphins pop up to start the incredible glowing show. A few minutes later, we were greeted by a few more, which was insane. I’m honestly still processing this all!" Coyne shared with Newsflare. The spectacle took the viewers’ breath away, many of whom swore to visit this beach at this time of the year and behold the glowing waves on the spot. “This is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen,” commented @dianapervathi. @coreo_21 said, “Still one of my favorite clips in existence!” @saving.life.555 tweaked the video’s description by saying, “Dolphinately the best video on here.”

For Coyne, it was one of the most beautiful experiences of his life, but as he told Newsflare, it was also one of the most challenging. Since bioluminescence has sweet spots where it shows up and then fades away, it’s impossible to find it. “Conditions have to be absolutely perfect for the bioluminescence to show up and to have an animal swim through it, so we can film it. On top of all that, just trying to nail the focus at such a wide aperture with something moving in the water was a nightmare," he described. 

You can follow Patrick Coyne (@patrickc_la) on Instagram to watch glimpses of his ocean adventures.

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