Freaky blood rain phenomenon turns tides and beach red: Truly unique

The Red Sea has got nothing on this red beach.The shoreline off an Iranian island turned bright red after getting battered by heavy rains in a scene straight out of the Bible.Footage of this so-called crimson tideline is currently amassing millions of views across Instagram, the Daily Mail reported.“Yesterday this bloody beach had everyone by surprise,” tour guide hormoz_omid captioned one of the clips of the phenomenon, which occurs on the Silver and Red beach of Hormuz island in the Persian Gulf, CNN reported.

In the freaky footage, red runoff can be seen rushing down seaside cliffs into the sea amid a downpour as raincoat-clad tourists gather around to watch.Another clip shows a man wading into the surf, which is so brilliantly vermillion it looks AI-generated.Viewers were blown away by the spectacle.

“It is truly a unique island,” gushed one, while another wrote, “The power of God ….How beautiful and amazing.”This phenomenon isn’t supernatural — the soil, known as gelak, reportedly contains a high amount of iron oxide, hence the plasma-evoking hue.

“Walking along the shore you will encounter parts where sand glitters with metal compounds, especially mesmerizing at sunset or sunrise,” the Iran Tourism and Touring Organization wrote, per the Daily Mail.“The soil color around you keeps changing as you walk or ride.”In fact, Hormuz is known as the “rainbow island” due to its kaleidoscopic landscape, which is caused by the more than 70 minerals found on it.

While some have mistakenly thought that inclement weather induces the color change, the shoreline sediment is naturally magenta no matter what the season.The soil is more than just a pretty sight, too.

Due to its lava-red pigment, gelak is often used for industrial purposes ranging from dyeing to ceramics.The mineral-rich sand is also edible with locals putting this natural spice in sauces such as sooragh, a sour and salty fish paste that’s eaten with bread, rice, and other lo...