Bioluminescence is a chemical reaction that takes place within some organisms, causing them to emit a light known as luminescence.
Photos of Friday night’s marine phenomenon, captured at Stanmore Bay by Matthew Davison, showed the waves glowing neon blue.
Davison said it was an “unforgettable” show.
Auckland Museum’s curator of marine biology Clinton Duffy says it was an annual occurrence as the microscopic plankton bloom in spring.
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Duffy said depending on the nutrients in the water and how calm the waves were, the algae could continue blooming for weeks.
Auckland’s Hibiscus coast was widely known as the best place to view bioluminescence in the region.
