Off The Cuff

Watch: Whales with glow-in-the-dark algae are seen floating in space

September 6, 2022
Bharat Times

A whale passing through a colony of algae.

The internet is full of amazing videos. From man-made techniques to natural phenomena, people have captured and uploaded clips that inspire users to admire these wonders. And some of these videos, which are massively viral, circulate from time to time. One such video shows a whale “floating in space”. astonished? Well, the mammal is actually gliding through the bioluminescent algae, but the black and white view makes it appear like space. This 30-second clip has been uploaded by Wonder of Science and is credited to Mike Nulty.

In the video, algae are attached to the whale’s body and glow like stars. Colonies of the same micro-organisms have filled the calm waters of the ocean, making it seem like a real place.

The location where the video is shot is not mentioned in the video. But the whale is seen very close to the person holding the camera.

The video has so far garnered over 1 million views and 79,000 likes. The clip was originally posted on reddit And other social media platforms were extremely popular last year.

According to National Geographic, bioluminescence is light produced by a chemical reaction within a living organism. It said the phenomenon is also called “cold light,” meaning that less than 20 percent of the light generates thermal radiation, or heat.

Luciferin and photoprotein are two chemicals that are essential for bioluminescence. Some organisms such as firefly and lanternfish produce different bioluminescent colours, which is due to the arrangement of the luciferin molecules.

National Geographic said most bioluminescent organisms are found in the ocean. These marine species include fish, bacteria and jellies. Some bioluminescent organisms, including fireflies and fungi, are found on land. It states that there are almost no bioluminescent organisms native to freshwater habitats.

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