Hurry up to see! The Sea is now glowing in Crimea!! A spectacle of rare beauty!

“...The whole sea is burning with fires. On the crests of small, slightly splashing waves, blue gems. In those places where the oars touch the water, deep shiny stripes light up with a magical shine. I touch the water with my hand, and when I take it back, a handful of glowing diamonds falls down, and gentle, bluish, phosphorescent lights burn for a long time on my fingers. Today is one of those magical nights about which fishermen say: "The sea is burning!"»
(A.I. Kuprin.)

To all those who like night swimming in the sea they know what the classic is talking about so poetically and subtly. It's about night glow of the sea.
This magic of nature usually occurs from July to the end of September, during the summer-autumn development of plankton.
In our latitudes, this phenomenon can be observed in the Black and Okhotsk Seas.
Those who are lucky enough to accidentally and unexpectedly witness this miracle perceive it as the magic of nature. Those who have heard or read about this, take note that this incredible phenomenon must be mandatory see with your own eyes.
In August, the Azov Sea glows very brightly.
I think those who rested in the second half of summer in our tent camp "Cimmeria" in the Azov region, they will never forget the glowing night action they saw.
Yes, a truly extraordinary sight, even for me, who often goes to the sea.

I love swimming at dusk and at night, enjoying the warm sea, the stars in the sky and the beneficial light of sea water, which makes you feel blissfully delighted!

You stand on the shore, shrouded in a mysterious world, surrounded by the caress and warmth of the bay, the smell of sea grass and shimmering darkness.
The stars are shining overhead, the lights of distant shores are sparkling, then you draw water from the sea - and the sea sparkles in your hands...
I remember how even inveterate pragmatists, entering the night sea and watching this magical action, rejoiced like children, not hiding their surprise and delight at what they saw.

And the night storm! You stand at the top and see below you how the seething abyss is silver and glowing... it seems that the starry sky and the blue sea have changed places.
Paustovsky very accurately noted:
“...the sea turned into an unfamiliar starry sky, thrown at our feet. Myriads of stars, hundreds milky way swam underwater. They either sank, dying out to the very bottom, or flared up, floating to the surface of the water.”

Glow of the sea observed for a long time and an explanation for this phenomenon was not immediately given.
A description of the lights in the sea seen by H. Columbus on the night when the ship “Santa Maria” approached the islands of the West Indies has been preserved. The ship at that time was near Watling Island, the site of Columbus's first landing.
Later, Charles Darwin, in his Voyage on the Beagle, described not only the glow of the sea, but also the glow of a hydroid - one of the lower invertebrate animals: “I kept a large bunch of these zoophytes in a vessel with salt water... When I was rubbing in the dark any part of the branch, then the whole animal began to phosphoresce strongly green light; I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything more beautiful of this kind. The most remarkable thing was that sparks of light rose up the branches, from their base to the ends."

The paths that scientists followed before they were able to correctly explain the essence are interesting. glow of the sea, which for centuries remained one of the mysterious phenomena of the universe. Various assumptions have been made.
It was believed that this was due to the phosphorus content of the water or the electrical charges that arise due to the friction of salt and water molecules. Others believed that the glow was caused by friction. sea ​​waves about the atmosphere or something solid(boat, rock, shore pebbles). It was even assumed that at night the sea returns the solar energy accumulated during the day.

B. Franklin came closest to the truth.
He believed that it was an electrical phenomenon.
And only in 1753, they found an explanation for this phenomenon - the naturalist Becker saw under a magnifying glass tiny single-celled organisms, two millimeters in size, which responded to any irritation with a glow.
The phenomenon itself was called "bioluminescence", which literally means “weak living glow”, or “cold” light, because it does not appear from a heated source, but as a result of a chemical reaction with oxygen.
It's a natural glow large mass marine organisms that have luminescent (glowing) cells.
Glows in the sea many living organisms - from tiny ones visible to the eye bacteria to huge fish.
But the principle of glow is similar for everyone, it is akin to the glow of nocturnal fireflies, which we marvel at and admire on warm summer nights.

The substance - luciferin (light carrier - Greek) is oxidized by oxygen under the action of the enzyme luciferase and quanta of green light are released.

Why do living organisms glow? The reasons are different: scaring away enemies or attracting victims... It happens that during the mating season, lovers “glow with happiness”... Yes, yes.. literally glow with happiness -)).

In the Black Sea you can see glow of ctenophores, tiny planktonic crustaceans and planktonic algae.
The largest, of course, are transparent ctenophores, which are similar in shape to jellyfish, although they are not at all a related species.
During the day, ctenophores sparkle like an underwater rainbow, and at night they glow.
If while swimming summer night at sea, you will see a green magic lamp suddenly flash: you touched the ctenophore.
And if you scoop sea water into your palms and throw it up, green sparks will fly into the air - along with the drops, many tiny crustaceans will fly into the air.
This is probably the only and wonderful way to see life in every drop of sea water, without a microscope.

Glowing plankters create a completely different effect: each of them is the smallest crumb, but in their multimillion-dollar mass they seem to envelop large objects and spaces in light. And then you can see an amazing picture: a luminous swimmer or a boat that glows and splashes splashes of diamond light with its oars.
And if you are lucky, you can see the games of dolphins blazing with green fire!
Spectacle glowing sea – one of the most fascinating in nature, which you can admire endlessly...

The most numerous of the luminous plankters in the Black Sea is planktonic alga noctiluca, or as it is popularly called -.
This algae is a predator. She has no chlorophyll and looks like a miniature transparent apple with a tail-flagellum. For a planktonic algae, it is quite large - about 1 mm in diameter.

Noctiluca- is not the only representative of bioluminescents in the Black Sea; some other small algae and bacteria also glow.
Some jellyfish sometimes glow with white light. The strange animal “sea feather”, similar to a coral bush, also glows with the same light.
If you take it out of the water at night, then many wandering fiery points begin to run across the branched parts of the animal, up and down.
Some shrimp emit a bright yellow light, and the black sea folada shell, drilling into the rocks, burns with blue fire.

If you walk along the edge of the surf, you can find small, constantly glowing dots on the sand - these are amphipods, or sea fleas - but they are no longer alive, they no longer jump, like the ones we are chased by seagulls during the day.
These crustaceans have already begun to be eaten and decomposed by bacteria that glow.
Not only planktonic microorganisms glow, but also many bottom microorganisms: if you dive onto a rocky bottom and rub any smooth surface– it will light up; pick up a stone from the bottom, rub it - it will glow.
If it was calm over the sandy bottom for a long time - there were no waves and no people were swimming, a film of microlife forms on the surface of the loose soil, which glows.
Walking along such a bottom, emerald traces will remain behind you.
However, in most cases, the sea glows thanks to nightlight.

When she appears at the surface of the sea, everything glows: splashes of waves, oars, hands dipped into the water, fishing lines and nets, and even submarines and the bottoms of ships, fish and bathing people become emerald and leave behind a clearly visible sparkling light.

There are real legends about the night light...
....Tavrika. A mysterious and tempting country that so attracts restless Hellenes.
But here’s the problem: the inhabitants of Taurica are proud and freedom-loving, they want to reign supreme in their paradise land.

You can't approach them with flattery or hard cash.
And then the Greeks decide to act by force.
They select the bravest and most skilled warriors in battle, equip the fastest ships and choose the darkest August night...
And here it is - a foreign and such an attractive peninsula!
The black outlines of its steep banks are barely visible against the dark sky.
But this is enough to quietly and smoothly sneak up from the sea to an unsuspecting enemy.
The Hellenes are very careful, because patrols are probably posted on the shore.
And therefore the oars silently go into the water, none of the warriors utter a word.
But what is this?!
The sea suddenly flares up with a cold green-blue flame, as if someone omnipotent in an instant lit up the surface of the sea in front of the coveted Taurida.
- ABOUT great Zeus- cried the Greeks,
– why are you punishing us so cruelly?!
And the mountaineers had already noticed the approaching enemies and raised the alarm. Many lights swept along the shore. What could the Hellenes do?
Just admire for a while the magical mystery of the luminous sea and... with nothing to turn the ships towards home...
This is how a tiny girl once saved the people of Tavrika from big blood and inevitable enslavement.

If you're lucky vacation in Crimea on the Black Sea or Azov Sea in August-September(the most “favorite” time of Noctiluca in the sense of glow), be it independent relaxation or Wanderer Dory's multi-day tours, do not miss the opportunity to swim or at least walk near the sea on dark nights.

Then you will definitely witness a fantastic extravaganza on the water.

And maybe even its participants...

With southern greetings from the sea, South

July 24, 2018

Much has been written about holidays on the Sea of ​​Azov, its advantages and disadvantages are described in detail...

However, there is surprisingly little information on the Internet about this sea of ​​information, except for that addressed to specialists. And this despite the fact that the Sea of ​​Azov is unusual in many ways; scientists believe that it was formed as a result of a global natural disaster around 5600 BC. e., that is, already in historical times. In this article, we tried to fill some gaps in the knowledge of tourists who enjoy vacationing at resorts on the warm and sunny Azov coast, and we provide here little-known information about the Sea of ​​Azov.

Shallow water and other “records”

Perhaps everyone knows that the Sea of ​​Azov is the shallowest in the world. The greatest depth is 13.7 meters, which by sea standards is nothing. But few people know about another “world record” he owns. Among the inland seas of the planet, the Sea of ​​Azov is the farthest from the World Ocean. Including from Atlantic Ocean, to which pool it belongs. Another all-Russian “record”, this is the smallest sea of ​​all that washes the shores of our country.

Heat and ice

Temperature in upper layers water in resort areas of the coast sometimes rises to 30 degrees Celsius in summer. And in winter, bays and bays in the same areas are often covered with ice. There are cases in history when the waters of the Sea of ​​Azov were almost completely covered with ice.

Some crucian carp, some shark...

Many large and small rivers flow into the Sea of ​​Azov, bringing millions of cubic meters of fresh water annually. And the narrow Kerch Strait cannot provide it with real, “marine” salinity; here it is three times lower than the average in the World Ocean. Low salinity leads to natural paradoxes. Thus, in the Sea of ​​Azov there are river fish such as pike perch, crucian carp, and pike.

And here they coexist with stingrays, sharks and even dolphins! True, sharks here are small, quite safe and are extremely rare off the coast.

And the waves here are quiet...

The Sea of ​​Azov can also be called the “quiest” in the world. The most high wave, which has ever been observed here, did not exceed 4 meters. On average, the height of storm waves in the seas and oceans is 7-8 meters, waves (tsunamis) with a height of more than 30 meters are known, but such cataclysms have not been recorded in the Sea of ​​​​Azov.

The Kerch Strait is expanding

In 1068, Gleb Svyatoslavovich, a Russian prince who at that time ruled Tmutarakan (the farthest Russian principality, at the mouth of the Kuban), measured the distance between the extreme points of the Taman and Kerch peninsulas on ice. This was the first known attempt to measure the width of the Kerch Strait. The measurement showed a result of approximately 20 kilometers. Today, 950 years later, this distance has increased by three kilometers. Either the prince made a mistake, or the strait has expanded over the years - there is no consensus among scientists.

It also glows!

If you are lucky and go on vacation to the Sea of ​​Azov in August, you will be able to witness an amazing spectacle - the night glow of the sea. The common belief that it is seaweed that glows is wrong. There is even less basis for speculation about any connection between this glow and the level of radiation. Scientists call this natural phenomenon“bioluminescence”, its cause is the accumulation of sea water at the surface large quantity living microorganisms.

Clean, azure...

Another erroneous opinion about the Sea of ​​Azov is based on stories about some unprecedented turbidity of its water. In fact, Azov water is very clean, the sand covering the seabed and located quite close to the sea surface is an excellent natural filter. Waves and wind can sometimes lift sand from the bottom, and the water can become a little cloudy, but the wind subsides and the water again becomes clear, with a beautiful azure tint.

Beyond the four seas

As mentioned above, the Sea of ​​Azov is the farthest from the World Ocean. It is separated from the “native” Atlantic Ocean by as many as four “intermediate” seas - the Black, Marmara, Aegean, and Mediterranean. Therefore, and also because of the narrowness of the Kerch Strait, there are never low tides or high tides.

Deep and expensive

At the bottom of the Sea of ​​Azov, more precisely, in the bowels of the earth under its waters, and in the coastal areas there are large oil and gas deposits. Fortunately for vacationers and fishermen, they are not developed; the extraction process is considered too labor-intensive and expensive.

How to view...

The Sea of ​​Azov, by European standards, is not so small. In its waters, as many as two could be freely located European states- Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the Kingdom of the Netherlands. And the total length of the sea coastline is 2688 kilometers.

The ancient Greeks did not consider it a sea, but called it Lake Meotia.

The Sea of ​​Azov is a shallow, flat body of water with low coastal slopes. The water in it is muddy, and the shores are bare, low, clayey-sandy. In summer, the temperature of the upper layers of water often warms up to 28-30 degrees. Moreover, on its coast and above the surface all year round the winds are blowing. Sometimes they are so strong that they push water onto the shore. Then the sea level in the coastal zone rises by several meters.

According to one theory, the Sea of ​​Azov arose 7,500 years ago as a result of a strong rise in the level of the Black Sea. And currently, its water level is steadily falling. If the situation does not change, sooner or later this beautiful sea will disappear altogether.

Azov has many names. It is called the Sea of ​​Shellfish. The ancient Slavs called it the Surozsky or Blue Sea. And the modern name comes from the Arabic phrase Bahr el-Azov or “dark blue sea.” But very often its waters acquire a greenish-yellow hue due to mixed sand. At the same time, there is a lot of plankton in the sea. Because of this, at night its surface glows. Here are some more interesting facts about this amazing body of water on the planet:

1. This is the shallowest sea in the world. Its maximum depth is only 13.5 meters. On average, the depths of Azov do not exceed 7 meters.
2. The ancient Greeks did not consider it a sea, but called it Lake Meotia. The Romans agreed with them, calling Azov the Meotian swamp.
3. The most distant sea from the ocean. Its waters are separated from the Atlantic by 4 seas: the Black, Marmara, Aegean and Mediterranean. This is the most continental sea on the planet.
4. Its water is 3 times fresher than in other seas. It can quench your thirst. And all because of the abundant influx river waters to the Azov basin. In addition, water exchange with the Black Sea is difficult near the Sea of ​​Azov. Due to its low salinity, it freezes in winter.
5. The most fishy sea in the world. Due to its low salinity, the Sea of ​​Azov is rich in fish. There are even river species here. His small sizes turned the reservoir into a kind of fish nursery.
6. The main minerals are oil and combustible gas. The Sea of ​​Azov is rich in minerals hidden both at its bottom and under it. Gas fields frame its entire coastline. The most promising oil and gas bearing horizons are the Lower Cretaceous deposits. And the most oil-bearing ones are Maikop.
7. The Amazons lived on its banks. The state of Meotida was located on the coast of the Sea of ​​Azov. According to ancient Greek legends, beautiful women warriors or Amazons lived in the territory washed by the Black and Azov Seas. Almost all ancient writers write about them. The Amazons were first mentioned in the Iliad.

This magnificent natural phenomenon is called "bioluminescence". It exists in many places around the world near the sea or ocean, and manifests itself in different ways. Sometimes it seems that small stars are twinkling under the water, other times you are amazed by the special northern lights spread out over the water surface. This spectacle is best enjoyed in March, August and September.

A little history

For centuries, the glow of the seas and oceans remained a mystery. According to one version, scientists explained it by the presence of phosphorus in water and electrical discharges that arise from the friction of salt and water molecules. According to another version, thus, at night the ocean gives back to the Sun the energy it accumulated during the day. The real solution was found in 1753 - then the naturalist Becker looked at drops of sea water through a magnifying glass. His magnifying glass spotted tiny, single-celled organisms, the diameter of which was about 2 mm. Interestingly, they reacted to any mechanical or chemical irritation with flashes of light. These “aquatic fireflies” were called nocturnals. Now the fact that it is phytoplankton that is responsible for the “illumination” of the night sea or ocean during the period of its mass reproduction is already undeniable.

The sparkling squid Watasenia scintillans lives here. At the beginning of spring, their breeding season begins every year, and then thousands of fry rise to the water surface in search of a partner (or better yet, several). The bright blue light helps squids attract their mates for mating, and gives tourists an unforgettable and truly fabulous spectacle.

Amazing glows have also been recorded on the Vaadhoo Islands. Thanks to bioluminescent dinoflagellates, it seems that the local coastline is completely drowned in the starry sky.

Waterglows don't happen every year in San Diego. To be honest, scientists still don’t know how to predict when they will happen. But if this event does occur, as if with a wave magic wand some invisible wizard paints the surface of the sea with blue phosphorus paints. If you are lucky enough to visit the local beaches, be sure to visit them at night. Who knows, maybe you will be lucky enough to plunge into a fairy tale for a moment?

Once upon a time, strange “blue tears” were noticed on the local waters, which caused a great stir around Matsu. Scientists from the National Taiwan Ocean University conducted four months of research, taking water samples daily. As a result, they found the culprit of the mysterious glow - it was the aforementioned “night light”. Research is still ongoing to find other organisms that contribute to the blue ocean waters.

The warm summer months are especially popular in Navarre Beach. Of course! After all, tourists are offered a very unconventional entertainment - a night kayaking adventure, and we think you've already guessed why it's special?

Glowing plankton is an amazing sight. This microscopic organism is capable of turning an entire sea into a shining one. starry sky, transporting the observer into a fantastic world of magic.

Plankton

Plankton is a general name for many diverse organisms that primarily live in well-lit layers of water. They are not able to resist the force of the current, so often groups of them are carried to the shores.

Any (including luminous) plankton is food for the remaining, larger inhabitants of the reservoir. It is a mass of algae and animals that are very small in size, with the exception of jellyfish and ctenophores. Many of them move independently, so during periods of calm, plankton can move away from the shore and cruise around the reservoir.

As mentioned above, the upper layers of the sea or ocean are richest in plankton, however individual species(for example, bacteria and zooplankton) inhabit the water column to the maximum depths possible for life.

What types of plankton glow?

Not all species have the ability to bioluminescence. In particular, large jellyfish and diatoms are deprived of it.

Luminescent plankton is mainly represented by single-celled plants - dinoflagellates. By the end of summer, their numbers reach their peak in warm weather conditions, so during this period you can observe especially intense illumination off the seashore.

If the water shines with separate green flashes, then you can be sure that these are planktonic crustaceans. In addition to them, ctenophores are prone to bioluminescence. Their light is dimmer and spreads across the body with azure tints when colliding with an obstacle.

Sometimes a rather rare phenomenon occurs when luminous plankton in the Black Sea shines for a long time without interruption. At such moments, dinophyte algae bloom, and the density of their cells per liter of liquid is so high that individual flashes merge into a bright and constant illumination of the surface.

Why do plankton glow in the sea?

Plankton emit light through chemical processes called bioluminescence. Upon thorough study, it was revealed that this is nothing more than in response to irritation.

At times it may seem that the action occurs spontaneously, but this is not true. Even the movement of water itself serves as an irritant; the force of friction has a mechanical effect on the animal. It calls electrical impulse rushing toward the cell, resulting in a vacuole filled elementary particles, generates energy followed by chemical reaction, resulting in a surface glow of the body. With additional exposure, bioluminescence increases.

Speaking more in simple language, we can say that luminous plankton will shine even brighter when colliding with any obstacle or other irritant. For example, if you put your hand into the very cluster of organisms or throw a small stone into its center, the result will be a very bright flash that can momentarily blind the observer.

Overall, this is a very beautiful sight, because when objects fall into water filled with plankton, blue or green neon circles radiate from the place where they hit. Watching this effect is very relaxing, but you should not overuse throwing into the water.

Where to see

Glowing plankton is found in the Maldives and Crimea ( Black Sea). It can also be seen in Thailand, but, judging by the reviews, not often. Many tourists complained that they even visited paid beaches for this spectacle, but were often left with nothing.

If you have scuba diving equipment, it is very cool to observe plankton at depth. It is comparable to being under a falling star and literally takes your breath away. However, this should only be done with a small concentration of organisms. This is due to the release of poisonous toxins by some types of plankton that are dangerous to human health.

Therefore, it is still safer to observe the glow from the shore. It is especially not recommended to let children into the water at such moments, since a dose of toxins that would be trifling for adults can cause intoxication in a growing organism.