9Bioluminescent Waves

These beaches may look like the stars have fallen, but the light is actually generated by bioluminescent phytoplankton.

When they’re washed ashore by the tides, their chemical energy becomes light energy creating this breathtaking natural phenomenon. The most famous location to see this is on the Sea of Stars Beach on the Raa Atoll in the Maldives. Where to see: the Maldives, Thailand, Puerto Rico and Japan