Red Tide's Glowing Waves Light up the Shore

If your day could use a little magic, a little sense of wonder and awe, nature has a present for you.

The red tide is here and, for some evening beachcombers, it brings the chance to witness the rare beauty of fluorescent waves caused by bioluminescent microorganisms.

It’s breathtaking. It’s the closest thing Southern California has to fireflies, and, frankly, it’s better. When conditions are right, entire waves appear to be glowing. And conditions have been right off and on since Thursday night. Up and down the coast in Long Beach and pictured here in Seal Beach, the waves glowed in the dark every time they crashed into the sand.

The phytoplankton algal bloom of the red tide causes the phenomenon. The tide has appeared off the coast of Belmont Shore, a Long Beach lifeguard said Monday, calling it "pretty interesting." It's been visible in Seal Beach for the last several days, causing larges patches of water to appear red during the day, said Seal Beach Marine Safety Chief Joe Bailey.

“It usually happens this time of year because of the high level of algae,” said Bailey.

Similar large red tides that spread from the coast of San Diego happen less frequently. They occur every six to seven years, according to Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

No one knows exactly what conditions cause the algal bloom to appear or disappear. So, the red tide could be here today and gone tomorrow.