Beachgoers in the Maldives got the surprise of their lives as the land beneath their feet turned a stunning glowing blue colour, as bioluminescent algae were disturbed in the water and sand.

Footage shows the phenomenon - locally known as Redhan - light up with an otherworldly glow when the waves wash up on the shore and beachgoers on Maafushi Island walk across the sand.

The footage was captured on December 20 by two locals, Hassan Nishau Ali, who tweets @Kuredhibeach, and photographer Ibrahim Shameel, whose Instagram account is @shameelphotos.

"It is a rare phenomenon," Nishau explained to Newsflare. "But it can sometimes be observed during monsoon, when we observe strong winds and rough seas.

Maafushi local beach is glowing with bioluminescence.

Bioluminescence (Locally known as Redhan) is a natural phenomenon that occurs when a micro-organism in sea water is disturbed by waves or other creatures.