Episode description

Today we bring you an episode from our friends over at Atlas Obscura. It's about something that for centuries people thought was a tall tale, something sailors would occasionally spot out in the waves like mermaids or the Loch Ness monster, but most people on the land didn't think was real. Until one day, when a satellite in the sky was able to solve the case. 

Host Dylan Thuras tells us the story of a satellite scientist and a ship captain in search of gigantic swaths of bioluminescence that radiate up from the surface of the sea over thousands of square miles.

For more, check out the Atlas Obscura podcast. It’s an audio guide to the world’s wondrous, awe-inspiring, strange places. In under 15 minutes, it’ll take you to an incredible site, and along the way you’ll meet some fascinating people and hear their stories. Listen Monday through Thursday to explore a new wonder.

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Support for Terrestrials is provided by the Simons Foundation, the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, the Kalliopeia Foundation and the John Templeton Foundation.