Glowing blue algae lights up the shore of a Tasmanian bay

Visitors to Tasmania’s Preservation Bay have borne witness to a magical sight in recent days: blue glowing waters lapping up on the shore.

The phenomenon is known as bioluminescence, and it happens when waves shake up algae or plankton cells known as Noctiluca scintillans and make them flash in the water, Australia’s ABC reported Tuesday.

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The algae flashes this way as a defence against predators, University of Tasmania professor Gustaaf Hallegraeff told the network.

He said the glowing algae doesn’t threaten humans, though it can carry risks for shellfish.

Numerous photographers captured spectacular images of the phenomenon.

One of them was Brett Chatwin, who captured the glow close to his home, he told the BBC.

“The whole bay was iridescent blue,” he told the broadcaster.

“I was gobsmacked. It was just an amazing sight.”

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But Chatwin was far from the only photographer to capture the sight.

Here are more images of the luminous waters in Tasmania’s Preservation Bay: