Bioluminescence can be found all over the world, from the southernmost tip of Australia to the shores of New Jersey. While most people associate these naturally occurring light phenomena with beaches in the South Pacific, there are also glow worm caves in New Zealand and even glowing termite mounds in Brazil. Below is a collection of the best of the best (on Instagram) forms of bioluminescence out there. Note: most of these spots are tourist friendly.

1. The glimmering worm caves of Waitomo, New Zealand

A post shared by TomArcher 📷 (@tomarcherphoto) on

2. The glowing squid of Toyama, Japan

3. The plankton Sea of Stars at Vaadhoo, Maldives

A post shared by Brisa Roots (@brisaroots) on

4. The foxfire fungi of Wisconsin, US

5. The dazzling dinoflagellates of Trelawny, Jamaica

6. The bright termites of Emas National Park, Brazil

7. The aurora borealis/bioluminescent algae double-whammy of Hobart, Australia

A post shared by Bevan Lovejoy (@lovejoy_bevan) on

8. The flaming fireworms of Bermuda

A post shared by Dive Curacao (@divecuracao) on

More like this

Trip PlanningHow to see the brightest bioluminescence in the world