When Darkness Falls: 15 Jaw-Dropping Night Transformations
9. Forest Park, New York
A species of fungus known as Panellus Stipticus or “bitter oyster”, commonly seen in New England woods, has an unstoppable urge to glow in the dark, presumably attracting bugs and … tourists. These shrooms illuminate the forest by mixing a pigment called “luciferin” with oxygen from the atmosphere, making Forest Park one of New York’s most beautiful places to visit. Scientists are still not quite sure as to why these fungi developed this trait other than to lure in small insects to spread the spores, but that’s a boring explanation, don’t you think?
10. Catatumbo, Venezuela
Catatumbo in Venezuela may be the closest thing to Hell we’ll ever get to see. This phenomenon has many names ranging from the “never-ending storm” to “gates of hell” and judging from the looks of it – it may very well be that. Nearly 300 flashes of lightning every hour, 10 hours a day, five months a year make this “storm” a perfect attraction for tourists and scientists.
11. Waitomo Caves, New Zealand
New Zealand is full of breathtaking tourist spots like the Hobbiton or the never melting Glaciers but once you’ve been to the New Zealand’s Waitomo Caves, your world will be turned upside-down. Secretions of a very peculiar species of the glowworm, called Arachnocampa Luminosa, make the inside of the caves look like a beautiful starry sky. And the facts that you’re awe-struck by worm saliva makes this place even more surreal.
12. Vaadhoo, Maldives
Ah, Maldives, probably the closest thing to heaven you’ll find on Earth. One of the islands, Vaadhoo, is especially popular among the tourists. Hordes of tiny bioluminescent sea creatures, known as Phytoplankton, get regularly washed ashore creating an illusion of billions of star pieces scattered on the beach. If you can’t afford a trip to Maldives and Google Images just don’t do it for you, you can always go to San Diego, where a very similar occurrence also takes place.
