Chennai has always shared an intimate relationship with the sea. More than a geographical feature, the coastline feels like an extension of the city’s spirit, evolving and endlessly alive. The beaches are places of routine, ritual, and relaxation, where days begin calmly, get chaotic, and end very quietly.

Chennai’s beaches are its crown jewels. The city pulses to the rhythm of the ocean, and the beach always has something to behold. On most mornings at Elliot’s Beach, fishermen sail in their elegant boats, their silhouettes visible even from as far as the horizon. Along ECR, the vast shoreline slowly welcomes daily walkers, weekend visitors, and occasionally hosts a game of volleyball or cricket, as the sun rises over the water. At Marina Beach, during the later half of the day, as the waves heave and fall, the shore bustles with vendors selling and buyers bargaining. As select game stalls start to line up, it’s hard to tell if it’s a beach or an arcade. By the time the air begins to smell of spicy fish and sweet peanuts or roasted corn, the sky is already orange again, and no one notices how quickly time has passed. Yet this is only the beginning of a spectacle quietly waiting to reveal itself.

Home to strays, the beach never sleeps, but as the crowd thins and daylight fades, a magical transformation occurs. As night approaches, the beach sheds its familiar identity. The sea begins to glow. Literally. First spotted in the summer of 2019 and again in 2024, this surreal, soft blue glow is caused by bioluminescent microorganisms. A type of phytoplankton called Noctiluca scintillans, commonly known as “sea sparkle,” produces light through a chemical reaction triggered by the friction of moving waves. Ordinary waves become extraordinary, shimmering with a gentle, otherworldly blue.

The phenomenon feels almost unreal. Each step along the wet sand lights up like a trail of stars, and every crashing wave looks electrified. There is no music, no announcement, no crowd control. Just people standing still, whispering, afraid to break the spell. It feels like stumbling into a secret the ocean didn’t mean to unravel to the world.

This year too, here and there, when the sky turns ink-black, the sea gleams through the darkness. So, if a friend says, “Let’s go to the beach,” even if you don’t feel like it, go anyway. You never know—you might just find yourself in front of a radiant, glowing sea.