Wales' Bioluminescent Waves Draw Crowds in Search of Natural Light Show

This natural phenomenon has been spreading through social media, and people are coming in increasing numbers to Welsh beaches late at night to try to see it.

Emma Tumulty, a 42-year-old teacher from Cardiff, finally saw the plankton after a year of trying, and advises that it needs to be very dark for best viewing.

The Facebook group Bioluminescent plankton watch shares information with plankton seekers, and Emma will be returning to a different location next weekend in the hope of catching it again.

Peter Boden-Ryan, who runs a holiday cottage business in the Swansea valley, has seen membership of the Facebook group rocket since it first started in 2017.

The bioluminescent plankton in the waters off the south coast of Wales has attracted thousands of people to go out in search of it.

The best places to spot it are on south-west facing bays and generally on an incoming tide between midnight and 3am.

Thomas Winstone, a semi-professional photographer, enjoys taking pictures of the blue-lit waves, and he has found it a natural extension of his astro-photography.

Many people move from beach-to-beach in search of the plankton, but Thomas prefers to stay in one place.

Christopher Lowe, a marine biology lecturer, has easy access to Swansea Bay and Gower beaches and explains that the recent dry weather has produced great conditions for plankton displays.

The seas have seasons, like those on land, and the combination of nutrient-dense waters in the spring and light create the perfect conditions for phytoplankton to grow, and animal plankton to come and feed on them.

The article discusses how waves and other disturbances in the ocean can trigger bioluminescence in fireflies, creating a beautiful display.

The movement of the waves can be perceived as a threat by the fireflies, causing them to flash their lights as a response.

This phenomenon is known as "oceanic glow."