Videographer Patrick Coyne managed to catch a memorable moment of a group of dolphins turning bioluminescent, showcasing the beauty of nature.
Coyne captured the following video on April 15 at Newport Beach, California. He shared the clip saying “Last night bioluminescence in Newport Beach was incredible! So far the brightest I’ve ever seen.”
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This magical incident isn’t caused by witchcraft or exorcism. It’s science!
Enrique Ayala Duval, a marine biologist, explained: “Bioluminescence is the light produced by living organisms, as a result of a biochemical reaction where mostly luciferin (a protein), molecular oxygen and ATP (adenosine triphosphate) participate, which react by the luciferase enzyme as follows:
First, oxygen oxidizes luciferin, then luciferase enzyme catalyzes the reaction and ATP energizes the reaction, producing water and light, which is very noticeable at night. Like all other enzymatic reactions, luciferase enzyme doesn’t get used up and remains available to catalyze more luciferin and oxygen.”
He further added; “Initially, when the Earth’s atmosphere had an almost zero concentration of oxygen, and oxygen was gradually increasing due to the increasing presence of photosynthetic organisms, oxygen was released from organisms, which was then toxic to them, with the bioluminescence reaction, producing water.”
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This dazzling natural phenomenon is commonly observed in some Mexican beaches including Isla Holbox, Xpicob, Lagoons of Manialtepec, Quintana Roo, and Nayarit. In Xpicob, it’s said that the lights get so bright that even fish at the bottom of the sea is visible.
Reading, creative writing, poetry writing, and language learning have been my passions since I was young. I have won many Japanese and Chinese language competitions, and many national-level creative writing, art & oratory competitions too. I am still schooling, and passed my O/Levels with distinction passes for English Literature, Japanese, and English. I have also completed my Certificate of Human Resource Management.
