The Maldives is world-famous for its unbelievably picturesque beaches. A simple online image search brings up images of the clearest water in the world, cloudless skies, and … glow-in-the-dark sand?

That's right, that photo is real. No Photoshop here. Some beaches in the Maldives do light up at night, and it's not because a visitor with no environmental conscience sprayed fluorescent paint across the sand. In the Maldives alone, the beach known with this bioluminescent phenomenon is the Vaadhoo or Mudhdhoo Island. The sea planktons are believed to be responsible for it. They are the ones producing the lights which are visibly seen at night. It seems that the sea is filled with microorganisms and microbes with a natural ability to produce a vibrant blue glow. As the result, the sea has this ethereal view that is amazing and gorgeous. Because of the phenomenon, many tourists coming to the Maldives want to see the glow-in-the-dark beach.

The Maldives is world-famous for its unbelievably picturesque beaches. A simple online image search brings up images of the clearest water in the world, cloudless skies, and … glow-in-the-dark sand? That's right, that photo is real. No Photoshop here. Some beaches in the Maldives do light up at night, and it's not because a visitor with no environmental conscience sprayed fluorescent paint across the sand. The organisms responsible for this blue light are called ostracod crustaceans, also known as seed shrimp. They are generally about 1 millimeter long and can emit blue light for several seconds, sometimes for even a minute or longer, Cornell biology professor James Morin told The Huffington Post.

To compare, bioluminescent phytoplankton, another light-giving organism that lives in the water, can only shine for a moment when they collide with the beach or water. It's believed that these glorious (albeit unpredictable) displays are created from a mass mortality of ostracods—a sad but spectacular sight all the same.

If you've been meaning to take a trip to the Maldives, you now have another reason to book your ticket. However, if a transoceanic vacation isn't an option, you're in luck. These aquatic light shows also occur in Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Belgium, and San Diego (though the blue light in San Diego is caused by bioluminescent algae).