The squid are proving elusive.
But on the beach,
there are the first signs
that the Firefly squid have arrived.
This is the display that everyone
has been waiting for.
This remarkable light show is caused
by a beautifully controlled
chemical reaction inside the squid,
a chemical called luciferine, and reacts
reacts with oxygen and produces light.
The luciferine
is simply made of elements
such as carbon, nitrogen and sulfur.
The basic elements and reactions
of the Earth's raw
ingredients
have been hijacked by the squid
and then controlled in
an exquisite expression
of life's alchemy.
Back on board Mr.Murakami's fishing boat,
there's a change in fortune.
Lights off!
Off!
It's a beautiful,
Although uniquely spectacular,
the squid are doing what all life does
controlling chemistry,
to do what it needs to survive.
Ultimately,
life is a cascade of controlled
chemical reactions
between the elements of Earth.
Reactions played out
at exactly the right time,
in exactly the right order,
reactions that harness energy
and sometimes beautifully release it.
Lights on!
For Mr.Murakami and his crew,
this is the spectacle they live for.
Life's chemistry in action.