San Diego surf glows aqua blue from bioluminescence

SAN DIEGO -- An algae bloom filled with bioluminescent phytoplankton has been lighting up the ocean from La Jolla to Encinitas since Monday.

It's a stretch of about 18 miles. The micro-organisms light up along the face of the wave when it crashes near the shore.

Oceanographer Michael Latz tells The San Diego Union-Tribune the last red tide was in September 2013. He says scientists can't predict when they'll occur and they really don't understand the dynamics.