Japan: Red Tide Turns Sea Surface Crimson off Aichi Coast

A rare red tide was confirmed off the coast of Aichi Prefecture on Friday, May 22, caused by a bloom of bioluminescent plankton known as Noctiluca, or sea sparkle. While the red tide turned the sea surface crimson during the day, the same plankton lit up the shoreline in glowing blue at night.

Japan: Noctiluca Lights Up Aichi Coastline in Glowing Blue After Red Tide

A rare red tide was confirmed off the coast of Aichi Prefecture on Friday, May 22, caused by a bloom of bioluminescent plankton known as Noctiluca, or sea sparkle. While the red tide turned the sea surface crimson during the day, the same plankton lit up the shoreline in glowing blue at night.

US: SpaceX Falcon 9 Launch Creates “Jellyfish Cloud”

An early morning SpaceX Falcon 9 launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station created a glowing “space jellyfish” effect over Florida on March 4, 2026. The phenomenon occurred when sunlight illuminated the rocket’s high-altitude exhaust plume before sunrise, producing a colorful, jellyfish-like cloud. The rocket successfully carried 29 Starlink satellites into orbit, and its booster landed safely at sea.

US: Time-Lapse Captures SpaceX “Jellyfish” Cloud

An early morning SpaceX Falcon 9 launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station created a glowing “space jellyfish” effect over Florida on March 4, 2026. The phenomenon occurred when sunlight illuminated the rocket’s high-altitude exhaust plume before sunrise, producing a colorful, jellyfish-like cloud. The rocket successfully carried 29 Starlink satellites into orbit, and its booster landed safely at sea.

China: Octopus Clings to Phone After Being Caught by Fisher in Fuzhou

In Fuzhou, Fujian, a video captured a man fishing when he unexpectedly caught an octopus with a phone stuck to one of its tentacles on September 28. The octopus refused to let go, wrapping its arms tightly around the device as if claiming it as its own.

China: Stunning Bioluminescent Glow Lights Up Eastern Weihai Beach

On June 4, 2025, at Jin Hai Beach in Weihai, Shandong, eastern China, glowing blue bioluminescent “blue tears” appeared as a net was dragged through the sea. The sapphire-like light, caused by marine plankton, captivated viewers, though netizens warned against touching it to protect the ecosystem.

China's Huiling Mountains shrouded in a sea of clouds after rain

STORY: China's Huiling Mountains shrouded in a sea of clouds after rain DATELINE: July 25, 2023 LENGTH: 00:00:40 LOCATION: XUANCHENG, China CATEGORY: ENVIRONMENT/SOCIETY SHOTLIST: 1. various of Huiling Mountains shrouded in a sea of clouds STORYLINE: After a summer rain, a sea of clouds against the sunset is seen in Huiling Mountains, east China's Anhui Province. The sea of clouds gently flows among the green mountains, like a heavenly pool on earth. Looking ahead, the glowing sunset, the green mountains, and the sea of clouds constitute an incredible spectacle. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Xuancheng, China. (XHTV)

Stunning "tears of the ocean" glowing at night

STORY: Stunning "tears of the ocean" glowing at night DATELINE: March 22, 2023 LENGTH: 00:00:15 LOCATION: PINGTAN, China CATEGORY: ENVIRONMENT SHOTLIST: 1. various of "blue tears" in Pingtan City, east China's Fujian Province STORYLINE: A surreal phosphorescent world of Avatar is seen in a sea in Dongmei Village in Pingtan, east China's Fujian Province. Dubbed as "tears of the ocean," the glowing wave is caused by bioluminescent plankton. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Pingtan, China. (XHTV)

Firefly squid set Toyama bay aglow in blue as fishing season begins

Firefly squid set Toyama bay aglow in blue as fishing season begins

"Hotaru-ika," or firefly squid, glow blue as fishermen haul in a net in the bay off Namerikawa, Toyama Prefecture, central Japan, before dawn on March 15, 2015. The fishing season for the glowing squid peaks in early April and is a popular tourist event in this part of the Sea of Japan. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo