Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/04/06
By: Huang Huei-min and Ko Lin

Photo courtesy of the Kinmen Photographers Association

Kinmen, April 6 (CNA) Dubbed “blue tears” by local residents, the mysterious sparkling blue light that can be spotted along the shore of Kinmen during spring, has become a major tourist attraction for the outlying county.

According to the Kinmen County Fisheries Research Institute, this natural phenomenon was first observed a long time ago, but has only became a popular tourist attraction since the county opened up its coastline to tourists in recent years.

“Blue tears” are formed when clusters of marine algae, disturbed by the crashing waves, glow a bioluminescent blue, and only prevalent in warm sea water between the months of April and May, said Li Chia-fa (李家發), a head researcher at the institute.

In the past, “blue tears” were associated not with Kinmen but Matsu, which was thought to be the only location where it occurred, the institute said.    [FULL  STORY]