BBC’s Attenborough’s Life That Glows is an absolutely gorgeous look at the mysterious creatures around the world that have bioluminescent powers. It details the life of fireflies, glow worms, fungi, fish, squid, plankton, etc. and shows how they use their glow in the dark abilities. Sometimes it’s to attract mates, sometimes its to prevent predators from eating them, and other times, well, other times scientists still haven’t figured it out. It’s awesome.
But the most stunning visual in a documentary filled with stunning visuals is watching dolphins swim at night in an ocean filled with millions of luminous plankton. Because the dolphins are moving, the plankton light up all around them and makes it seem as if they are outlined in glow in the dark light. It’s like the light show Fantasia at Disneyland in real life. It’s unbelievable how gorgeous it is to see.
But why do animals produce living light? For centuries we could only marvel at the beauty and the mystery, but now for the first time we can begin to reveal the amazing truth about living lights. It has taken three crucial technological breakthroughs. Firstly, colour cameras have improved dramatically; they are now over 4,000 times more sensitive than a decade ago. The cameras are so sensitive they are revealing startling discoveries that until now we could not see. Secondly, scientists have entered the unknown world of the boundless deep open ocean with the help of a new generation of submersibles and robots. Thirdly, Ammonite Films have invented and built a series of unique cameras that can capture the faintest ephemeral glow of luminous life.