Ventura Visitors & Convention Bureau update for Sept. 30

We call ’em Disco WavesEvery few years, Ventura’s beaches glow neon blue in a mesmerizing display of bioluminescence. Bioluminescence refers to the light resulting from a chemical reaction within a living organism. We are used to seeing it in fireflies but the majority of bioluminescence occurs in the ocean.

The neon blue glow is caused by an algae bloom of bioluminescent phytoplankton that emit light in response to stress, such as when a wave crashes, a surfboard slashes through the surf, or a kayaker’s paddle splashes the water.

During the day, these single-celled creatures that are older than dinosaurs are less than stunning; they often turn ocean water red and murky. But when the sun sets, they put on a stunning show. One might say bioluminescence turns our shore into a dance floor lit by disco waves and wet sand that sparkles with footsteps.

Versions of this happen up and down the California coast where the phenomenon has been observed on a semi-regular basis since 1901 but you’ve gotta be in the right place at the right time. Right now, that’s Ventura. ??