Watching phytoplankton illuminate the world's shores is an otherworldly experience. With a bit of luck and perseverance, these are the best places to catch the notoriously elusive natural phenomenon.

Kris Quintanilla has been camping at Goose Island State Park in Rockport, Texas, for 28 years, but he recently discovered ...

It only takes the gentle brush of a hand or slow glide of a boat to trigger the sparkling blue-green light of bioluminescent plankton, or phytoplankton. The dinoflagellates — single-celled ...

The ‘Sea of Stars’ is a recurring natural phenomenon that turns the shoreline into a glowing spectacle after nightfall. Google searches for the destination have soared over the past year thanks to ...

The waters here come alive with a glowing blue light, thanks to the presence of bioluminescent plankton. Due to minimal light pollution, the glow is especially vivid, making night-time kayaking or a ...

The lights are the result of moving bioluminescent plankton, called dinoflagellates. When these are agitated, they emit a blue-green glow. Vaadhoo, an island in the Raa Atoll, has become best ...

Bioluminescent animals create stunning displays of light in oceans, forests, and caves. Discover these mesmerizing glowing wonders today! Glow worms are bioluminescent larvae or wingless females ...

This story appears in the February 2018 issue of National Geographic magazine. Daan Roosegaarde—urban architect, innovator, and night diver—finds bioluminescent plankton inspiring. “They don ...

Bioluminescence is widely used for in vivo imaging of nude mice. By conjugating luciferase protein to quantum dots, bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) turns these useful fluorophores ...

From glowing shores to illuminated caves, let’s explore the places known for bioluminescence. Beneath the ocean of Koh Rong, microscopic plankton sparkle at the brightest with a brilliant blue glow at ...