Green sea phenomenon off Bang Saen baffles observers
A Facebook user has kindled curiosity after he shared on Friday pictures of the greenish seawater at Bang Saen Beach in Chonburi province.
FB user @shopjungbangsaen posted pictures of a greenish sea, saying it looked "exactly like green tea". The post said that the phenomenon had happened in the last few days.
“This phenomenon is called plankton bloom and is caused by Noctiluca scintillans, a unicellular marine organism of green colour that divides itself faster during this time of year in the Bang Saen sea,” said the post.
“Besides seeing water that looks like green tea, people visiting Bang Saen will also experience the smell of fish, which will become stronger in the next few days,” the FB post said.
The locals call this phenomenon khee pla wan (whales’ excrement) due to the foul smell.
The post added that the plankton bloom could kill aquatic wildlife in the area, as it also causes a depletion of oxygen levels in the water.
“Bang Saen sea often experiences this phenomenon during the rainy season. Usually it returns to normal after 3-7 days as the waves will eventually sweep the bloom away,” it said.
Bang Saen Beach is located about 108km east of Bangkok, in Chonburi's Saen Suk subdistrict, and is highly popular because of its proximity to Bangkok and Pattaya.