Sea Sparkle turns Hong Kong waves neon blue

These fascinating long-exposure photographs show the glow from a flourishing algal bloom along the seashore in Hong Kong.

The algae Noctiluca scintillans causes the glow-in-the-dark effect when it is disturbed by ocean currents and waves.

The bio-luminescence, also called Sea Sparkle, was triggered by farm pollution and can be devastating to marine life and local fisheries as it excretes toxic levels of ammonia into the surrounding water.

The blooms flourish in shallow, warm waters that get plenty of sunlight to encourage the photosynthesis required for the organisms it feeds on it live.