SAN DIEGO — A new attraction called "Glowing Oceans" is set to bring the mesmerizing phenomenon of bioluminescence to Southern California year-round, starting in June 2025.
Created by biologist Andy Bass, the immersive experience will allow visitors to interact with bioluminescent phytoplankton in specially designed touch pools and bio lagoons.
"What I hope to inspire is the next generation of ocean advocates," Bass said. "If life can glow, what else can it do?"
The attraction aims to recreate the stunning blue glow that occasionally appears along Southern California's coastline, a natural occurrence that has gained popularity on social media in recent years.
Bass has been cultivating the bioluminescent plankton for over a decade, starting with a cup of seawater in his living room. He has since scaled up production to hundreds of thousands of liters to accommodate the expected visitor numbers.
"It's taken a long time to have the volume we are at today," Bass explained. "But it's the volume we need to have thousands of people walk through this on a daily basis."
Dr. Dimitri Deheyn, a research scientist at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and senior scientific advisor for Glowing Oceans, highlighted the fascination with bioluminescence.
"Anything that produces light, from the stars, even a rainbow, it's fascinating, it's ephemeral, it's the beauty of nature," Deheyn said.
While the Glowing Oceans experience won't be available until 2025, tickets will go on sale December 9, 2024 at www.glowingoceans.com.
The first location will open in North County, with plans to expand to other states in the future.
In the meantime, those interested in experiencing bioluminescence can visit the "Oceans at Night" event at Birch Aquarium, where Bass has set up interactive displays featuring the glowing microorganisms.
To view more videos and images of bioluminescence, you can follow these photographers who have also contributed to this piece:
- UC San Diego photographer Erik Jepsen https://www.instagram.com/erikjepsen/?hl=en
- Photographer/ videographer Patrick Coyne https://www.instagram.com/patrickc_la/?hl=en