Page 19 - The Majestic Balochistan

The beach that glows in the dark: SAPAT
In the middle of Makran Coastal Highway, located about 220 km from Karachi in Lasbela district of Balochistan, a
unique beach is found called ‘Sapat’. The beach is home to a curious rock formation called Buji Koh (Balochi word
for a single standing mountain) – a steep cliff rising from the sand entirely on its own. It contains naturally formed
caves inside. The entire beach is home to a healthy colony of crabs, and dolphins can often be found playing along
the waves. However, the most interesting part is that the beach is an entirely different entity at night. On full-moon
nights, when the rays strike the surf of the incoming waves, they almost seem to glow. This phenomenon is known as
bioluminescence. Due to which this beach in Balochistan is ranked among some of the best in the world such as
those of Puerto Rico, Hong Kong, and Vietnam. This natural phenomena is caused by phytoplankton (a type of
microalgae that float at the surface of the ocean water). They emit a bright blue light after they become agitated by
wave movements or nearby swimming fish. Phytoplankton have channels to allow protons (positively charged suba-
tomic particles) to pass through their bodies. So, the nearby movements in the water cause protons to pass through
their bodies, creating electrical pulses, which trigger chemical reactions. These reactions, in turn, activate a protein
called luciferase, which creates the blue light.