Acapulco beach in Mexico emitted its characteristic neon lights caused by a rare plankton reaction for the first time in six decades.
Social media users were bewildered on seeing the shining blue waves after the photos of the scene were shared online. The extraordinary phenomenon happened on Monday.
According to Acapulco’s Tourist Board, the process happens when a ‘biochemical reaction’ takes place between the microorganisms present in the water of Puerto Marqués beach.
When people attributed the rare occurrence to the lack of human activity caused by the virus lockdown, biologist Enrique Ayala Duval took exception to the idea.
Duval wrote on Sabersinfin: “Bioluminescence is the light produced as a result of a biochemical reaction in which most of the time luciferin [protein], molecular oxygen and ATP [adenosine triphosphate] take part, which react by means of the enzyme luciferase in the following way: oxygen oxidizes luciferin, luciferase accelerates the reaction, and ATP provides the energy for the reaction, producing noticeable water and light at night.point 616 | 1
“There is a hypothesis that the bioluminescence that exists today is the result of evolution. Initially, when the Earth’s atmosphere had an almost zero concentration of oxygen and oxygen was gradually increasing due to the increasing presence of photosynthetic organisms, organisms were released from oxygen, which was then toxic to them with the bioluminescence reaction producing water.”
Facebook user Arturo Martínez grabbed the opportunity to blame tourists, especially motorists, for the absence of bioluminescent plankton for the last six decades.
Recalling a conversation with one of his friends, Martínez wrote: “My friend Domitilo Soto once told me that these microorganisms on the beach … were not visible this way because tourists on ATVs ran over them.
“I think it is a good time to see this beautiful phenomenon in that part of Acapulco in the absence of preferred people on a dark moonless night.”
Even though the Mexican government has banned tourists from bathing in beaches across the country due to the ongoing lockdown, one visitor couldn’t just restrain himself.
However, his decision to jump into the neon blue Pacific coast waters wasn’t appreciated by the internet users.
“What do you think? Yes, the human being again? Do we not understand?” one user tweeted.
“The phytoplankton natural spectacle in Puerto Marqués #Acapulco is impressive, it is an effect created by microorganisms from the sea.
“What is bad is that the human being will always be there to ruin everything.”
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