The most surprising phenomenon taking place in the Maldives is most certainly the bioluminescent phytoplankton. The microorganism is responsible for lighting the beach of some islands with tiny blue fluorescent lights.
When stimulated or stressed by the movements of waves, a chemical reaction happens and gives the plankton this surreal color.
This is a particularly rare event taking place in only very few places in the world. It is also quite mysterious since the same plankton can be found in lakes yet it does not shine.
Sometimes called blue stars, the phenomenon is mostly visible on Vaadhoo Island, about 10 km away from Male international airport.
The phytoplankton is only visible at night and between the months of August and November, between the dry season and the monsoon season.
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