Dubbed “blue tears” by local residents, bioluminescence along the shore of Kinmen in spring has become a major tourist attraction for the outlying county.
The natural phenomenon was first observed a long time ago, but has only become a popular tourist attraction since the county opened up its coastline to tourists in recent years, the Kinmen County Fisheries Research Institute said.
Blue tears are formed when clusters of bioluminescent marine algae are disturbed by waves, said Li Chia-fa (李家發), a lead researcher at the institute.
Photo: CNA, courtesy of the Kinmen Photographers’ Association
The phenomenon is prevalent in warm seawater in April and May.
In the past, blue tears were associated not with Kinmen, but the Matsu Islands of Lienchiang County, which was thought to be the only location in Taiwan where it occurred, the institute said.
Hsu Chin-hsi (許進西), who heads the Kinmen Photographers’ Association, said that Kinmen’s topography makes it easier for visitors to get up close to the natural phenomenon.
People can even hold the glowing algae in their hands, whereas in Matsu it can only be viewed in the distance from a beach, Hsu said.
Blue tears can only be seen clearly in near-pitch darkness. Even the moon affects visibility, the association said.
The research institute plans to introduce an ecological tour based on the phenomenon to educate the public about environmental protection and conservation, while addressing such issues as marine pollution, Li said.
People wanting to see blue tears can also visit a pond in Jiougang Borough (舊港) in Kaohsiung’s Mituo District (彌陀), where they have been seen.
News that sparkles were sighted in a pond in the borough was reported last year, but the site is hard to find and the terrain is difficult to traverse, leading to many instances of visitors falling into ditches or becoming lost, residents said.
Groups are visiting the area as news of the phenomenon spreads, residents said.
Jiougang Police Chief Ou Chien-ming (毆建銘) said that the police station has set up an area to provide instructions on how to get to the pond, as many people go there to ask for directions.
The station urged visitors to refrain from driving on the narrow paths near the pond and to drive slowly at night.
People should not get too close to the edge of the pond, as they might fall in, and should refrain from feeding fish in the pond, as it could harm the pond’s ecology, the station said.
Alain Robert, known as the "French Spider-Man," praised Alex Honnold as exceptionally well-prepared after the US climber completed a free solo ascent of Taipei 101 yesterday. Robert said Honnold's ascent of the 508m-tall skyscraper in just more than one-and-a-half hours without using safety ropes or equipment was a remarkable achievement. "This is my life," he said in an interview conducted in French, adding that he liked the feeling of being "on the edge of danger." The 63-year-old Frenchman climbed Taipei 101 using ropes in December 2004, taking about four hours to reach the top. On a one-to-10 scale of difficulty, Robert said Taipei 101
Taiwanese and US defense groups are collaborating to introduce deployable, semi-autonomous manufacturing systems for drones and components in a boost to the nation’s supply chain resilience. Taiwan’s G-Tech Optroelectronics Corp subsidiary GTOC and the US’ Aerkomm Inc on Friday announced an agreement with fellow US-based Firestorm Lab to adopt the latter’s xCell, a technology featuring 3D printers fitted in 6.1m container units. The systems enable aerial platforms and parts to be produced in high volumes from dispersed nodes capable of rapid redeployment, to minimize the risk of enemy strikes and to meet field requirements, they said. Firestorm chief technology officer Ian Muceus said
MORE FALL: An investigation into one of Xi’s key cronies, part of a broader ‘anti-corruption’ drive, indicates that he might have a deep distrust in the military, an expert said China’s latest military purge underscores systemic risks in its shift from collective leadership to sole rule under Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), and could disrupt its chain of command and military capabilities, a national security official said yesterday. If decisionmaking within the Chinese Communist Party has become “irrational” under one-man rule, the Taiwan Strait and the regional situation must be approached with extreme caution, given unforeseen risks, they added. The anonymous official made the remarks as China’s Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia (張又俠) and Joint Staff Department Chief of Staff Liu Zhenli (劉振立) were reportedly being investigated for suspected “serious
Nipah virus infection is to be officially listed as a category 5 notifiable infectious disease in Taiwan in March, while clinical treatment guidelines are being formulated, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. With Nipah infections being reported in other countries and considering its relatively high fatality rate, the centers on Jan. 16 announced that it would be listed as a notifiable infectious disease to bolster the nation’s systematic early warning system and increase public awareness, the CDC said. Bangladesh reported four fatal cases last year in separate districts, with three linked to raw date palm sap consumption, CDC Epidemic Intelligence
RSS