Keen photographers captured the red algal bloom at various beaches in the Milton-Ulladulla region on Saturday.
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Over the weekend Julie Sinclair noticed it was thickest at the northern end of Racecourse Beach before it tapered towards the southern end.
She said it appeared to be mud as it went over the waves.
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“It was fascinating and rather beautiful to see,” Mrs Sinclair said.
“I thought it might have been jellyfish as we have had thousands of them washed up in the beach. Clear, red and orange.
“As it went over the waves in some places it looked like mud it was so thick and as the waves broke it disappeared. My husband said it was red algae.”
The red blanket was also seen from Bermagui to Eden since late September.
Sapphire Coast Marine Discovery Centre manager told Fairfax Media the algal bloom was “bioluminescent dinoflagellate”.
While looking red during the day, at night they are enthralling locals by turning a luminescent blue. Many photographers have also shared the stunning luminescent photos on various Facebook groups over the past.
Red tides are large concentrations of microorganisms known as dinoflagellates. Some glow in the dark and brighten when agitated by boats or even migrating whales.
“Bioluminescent dinoflagellate is a very beautiful natural occurrence,” Ms Wood said.
“It’s from the warming temperatures and the rain. Algae generally require a mix of light, high nutrients and warm water in order to bloom.”
Although many South Coasters seem to have been surprised by the sight of red hugging the coastlines, the extra surprise has come from the beauty of the luminescence the algae has at night.
According to South Coast locals, including fishermen and surfers, the occurrence comes around every couple of years and it doesn’t seem to be any cause for alarm. One fisherman said he had seen the red tides all of his life, but reported it began to make a more regular appearance since around 1985.
“Almost every year people call us up or come in and ask us about the algae bloom, they are always surprised to see it,” Ms Wood said.
The last reported “red tide” was in 2016, before that it was in 2013.
The Milton Ulladulla Times encourages budding photographers to share their photographs by emailing them to sam.strong@fairfaxmedia.com.au.