Stunning Footage Shows Droplets of Rain Falling Over Bioluminescent Ocean Water
Believe it or not, there are organisms on Earth that create light each time someone agitates or disturbs them. Comb the internet and you’ll discover millions of videos showing what they look like. One of these videos posted in May, 2023 by Ciencia Infusa (@ciencia__infusa) and reshared later by Science Girl (@gunsnrosesgirl3) went viral. This is what “bioluminescence looks like in rain,” Science Girl wrote. Bioluminescence, as the word suggests, is a “luminescence” with a “biological” cause. As the Smithsonian Ocean also describes, bioluminescence is a natural phenomenon triggered by a chemical reaction erupting within the body of organisms called “dinoflagellates,” also called “swirling fire.”
The reaction triggers when a chemical called luciferin in their body comes in contact with oxygen. Catalyzed by luciferase, the mingling of luciferin and oxygen molecules, the organisms become excited with lots of photon particles. As a result, their bodies start emitting glowing, bright lights that appear to illuminate the ocean with a breathtaking, otherworldly glow. In the abovementioned video, the surreal footage displayed an ocean coming alive during the night with rain pouring from the skies. "Rain in a bay with bioluminescent organisms looks like something out of Avatar," Ciencia Infusa captioned the video.
You can watch the video here.
The 6-second clip unleashes a dramatic episode with zillions of these tiny little organisms acting as the main cast, on the backdrop of a rain-drenched bay. The sky is dark, cloudless, and ash-colored. Somewhere at a distance from the camera, the silhouette of a boat seems to be painting the scene with a subtle, eerie vibe. Every few moments, a trail of orange-red lights is blinking behind the boat. These lights, tucked on towering poles, are likely the marker or signal lights attached for the convenience and security of tourists.
Up close to the camera, the waters appear to have turned into a lively discotheque with zillions of tiny fish dancing, likely stimulated and adrenalized by the droplets of rain pummelling them. The orange lights blinking in the backdrop add a glamorous touch to this electric blue ocean, further enhanced by a looped version of Grouper’s Poison Tree playing in the video background. “Hypnotic,” “firefly water,” and “fairies of the sea” were some of the expressions Reddit users used to describe the scintillating scene. On X, @zekecodes said, “One of the most beautiful rain visuals I've ever seen.”
In a May 2023 comment, Reddit user u/CouplaSoftBodies revealed that the footage from Mosquito Bay, a bay located on the south side of the Puerto Rican island of Vieques. Mosquito Bay holds the Guinness World Record for the brightest bioluminescent bay, with extremely high concentrations of these dinoflagellates, roughly 700,000 per gallon of water, according to Vieques.com and Atlas Obscura. Trapped by the S-shaped entrance, the bay’s dark stillness, and mangrove trees, the organisms find this bay their perfect home. When the conditions are right and they are stimulated by a larger fish or a boat, they illuminate the night with their lights.
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