Tasmanian photographer Helena Wisby was driving home from a nightscape photoshoot when she passed River Derwent in Bicheno, Tasmania, and noticed that the water was glowing bright blue. 

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"Myself and my photographer friends spent hours playing with the neon blue water and were gobsmacked at what we were seeing and experiencing," Wisby told weather.com. She described the night as an Avatar-like experience, referring to the award-winning sci-fi film.

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According to National Geographic, bioluminescence is a chemical reaction within a living organism's body that produces light. A stunning site like the scene caught in Wisby's photos can occur when heavy rains wash nutrients into costal waters, attracting the organisms, or heavy winds make the creatures group together in a mass. The microscopic organisms Wisby caught on camera are a type of micro algae called Notiluca scintillians. The organisms produce a pink hue during daylight hours. 

Wisby says that people come from all over to view the glowing waters. 

"Upon arriving, as I approached the beach, I could hear squeals of excitement and the entire stretch of beach [...] was filled with masses of people coming and going to experience the bioluminescence for the first time," the photographer said. "I was in awe of this amazing experience."

For more of Wisby's photos, visit her Instagram and her Facebook page, Leena's Lens. 

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