This week, the narrow waterway that cuts through Istanbul separating Asian Turkey from European Turkey and connecting the Black Sea and the Marmara Sea turned bright turquoise following a surge in phytoplankton.
The phenomenon-which has led to some incredible images-is a fairly frequent occurrence in Turkey's Bosphorus Strait that typically takes place in the summer, according to NASA.
"Most summers, jewel-toned hues appear in the Black Sea. The turquoise swirls are not the brushstrokes of a painting; they indicate the presence of phytoplankton, which trace the flow of water currents and eddies," NASA states on its website.
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"The May ramp-up in reflectivity in the Black Sea, with peak brightness in June, seems consistent with results from other years," said NASA ocean scientist Norman Kuring in a statement.
According to Kuring, this year's bloom is the brightest since 2012, however.
Hacettepe University professor of environmental science Ahmet Cemal Saydam told the Dogan News Agency that the coccolithophores known as Emiliania huxleyi are behind the bloom, calling it a "blessing for the Black Sea."
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The floating, microscopic organisms known as phytoplankton rely on sunlight and dissolved nutrients to make their own food and rarely survive more than a few days. However, the blooms they create may last several weeks, according to NASA.
Therefore, travelers will want to get to the Bosphorus quickly before it returns to its usual dark blue hue.
A beloved attraction for visitors and locals alike, the Bosphorus Strait ranks as one of the top 10 things to experience in Istanbul, based on more than 8,600 TripAdvisor reviews.
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