AMAZING!! Red Tide is Here in San Diego.

Tonight I took a drive up the coast with my friend Marni to go hunt down a good viewing spot to see the red tide. For those of you who have no clue what I'm talking about please see the end of this post. :) So, we took a drive and stopped at a few different beach locations. Finally we found a great spot where we could see the waves literally GLOWING in the ocean. This was an amazing thing to see. So different and unlike anything I've seen before. The only way I can describe it is to imagine those glow sticks and necklaces that you can buy at concerts or during Halloween. It's as if someone has poured gallons of the glowing stuff on the waves. They GLOW just like that. I tried very very hard to take pics, but the ocean at night is pitch black and they didn't really come out. This first pic, if you look closely, you'll see one glowing spot...:) The last pic I got off the web, it will give you a better idea :)

"Red tides are natural occurrences; the plankton community becomes dominated by one or a few species at extraordinarily high concentrations. The net growth rate of the cells (including accumulation by swimming) is higher than their net loss rate (due to grazing, etc.). The growth can be fueled by nutrients brought to the surface by upwelling." "Each cell is about 30-40 microns across (there are 1000 microns in a millimeter, which is about the thickness of a dime). The cells have tiny sacs of enzymes that react when the cell is jostled (for example by the breaking surf). When the enzymes react, they give off a bluish flash of light. So our waves (and your footsteps on the beach; your hands and feet when you swim) will be adorned with gorgeous flashes of light at night."