While vacationing on the Maldives Islands, Taiwanese amateur photographer Will Ho stumbled onto an incredible stretch of beach covered in millions of bioluminescent phytoplankton. These tiny organisms glow similarly to fireflies and tend to emit light when stressed, such as when waves crash or when they are otherwise agitated. While the phenomenon and its chemical mechanisms have been known for some time, biologists have only recently began to understand the reasons behind it. Photo: Bioluminescent phytoplankton washes up on Maldives beach. (Photo by Will Ho)

Suited volunteers in bowler hats stand in the surf holding umbrellas aloft at sunrise at Bondi Beach on June 27, 2010 in Sydney, Australia. The human installation is the latest in a series of “surreal human sculptures” by artist Andrew Baines (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)

“Joey”, a dwarf Siamese rabbit, is dressed as Batman's sidekick Robin at a Halloween dog costume parade and contest in Long Beach, California, October 28, 2012. (Photo by Robyn Beck/AFP Pfoto)

Shortlisted. Dragonfly, North York Moors national park, by Jonathan Green: “In June I was at May Beck with some colleagues when someone spotted this Hawker perched in a gorse bush. I love the detail on the wings, and it’s rare to be able to get so much of such a small subject in clear focus. Getting a few scratches was worth it”. (Photo by Jonathan Green/2020 UK National Parks Photography Competition)

A Common Blue Morpho butterfly lands on the arm of Garbiella as it and hundreds of other butterflies from around the world fill the bird aviary for the next month at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in San Diego, California March 13, 2015. Called the Butterfly Jungle, the exhibit has over 30 species of butterflies. (Photo by Mike Blake/Reuters)

A swimmer stops short of a red algae bloom at Sydney's Clovelly Beach on November 27, 2012, which closed some beaches for swimming including Bondi Beach for a period of time. While the red algae, known as Noctiluca scintillans or sea sparkle, has no toxic effects, people are still advised to avoid swimming in areas with discoloured water because the algae, which can be high in ammonia, can cause skin irritation. (Photo by William West/AFP Photo)

Cory Ritz braces himself as a wave bursts onto a pier at the Boynton Beach inlet on August 25, 2011 in Boynton Beach, Florida. Hurricane Irene is moving over the Bahamas and could still be a major storm as it approaches the North Carolina coast the morning of August 27. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Marcos Trujillo cleans the engines of a boat made by Contender in preparation for tomorrow's opening day of the four day long Progressive Insurance Miami International Boat Show at the Miami Beach Convention Center on February 15, 2012 in Miami Beach, Florida. The boat show features more than 3,000 boats and 2,000 exhibitors from all over the globe. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)