NASA captures beautiful phytoplankton in Bay of Biscay.

NASA has gifted us with exceptional images from our planet and elsewhere.

On April 20, 2013, an image was captured from NASA's Aqua satellite featuring the growth of phytoplankton in Bay of Biscay.

Vibrant swirls can be seen in the picture, seemingly residing right beneath the water’s surface. Phytoplankton live all year round in the bay, however in springtime, the extended amounts of sunlight, the increase in nutrients and melted snow remnants carried over from nearby rivers help the plant-like, underwater organisms flourish.

The whirling colors of blue and green tones represent the massive, healthy amounts of blooming phytoplankton which can be spotted from space. March and April are the best months to catch the beautiful organisms as by May, the environmental conditions change causing them to fade.

The Bay of Biscay is bordered by both France and Spain, located off of Europe’s western coast in the Atlantic Ocean.

With a maximum depth of over 9,000 feet, the waters here are often turbulent. Even with those harsh conditions, dolphins and whales frequent the bay along with large cetaceans.