The Maldives' famous Sea of Stars is part fact, part fiction – but that just adds to the mystery of one of the country's top tourist attractions.

A glittering expanse of the Indian Ocean glowed blue in the dark as if the stars were submerged underwater after falling from the sky. Along the shoreline, more tiny star-like dots were swept up by waves and tumbled onto the beach, lighting up the wet sand like a reflection of the night sky. They disappeared into the shadows in mere moments. I bounded across the beach and turned round to see my footprints rekindling the lights, leaving a glowing trail behind me. Dipping my toe into the twinkling blue water, the brightness intensified, like a swirling galaxy.

This incredible sight, commonly known as the "Sea of Stars", is one of the highest-rated attractions in the Maldives. Stunning images of it proliferate online, inspiring adventurous travellers to seek it out. But few people can agree on exactly where you can find the Maldives' Sea of Stars.

That's because the Sea of Stars does not actually exist.

To clarify, the Maldives' mysterious Sea of Stars does not exist as a geographical location. The simple reason for this is that these magical-looking lights are bioluminescent plankton that bob around the ocean.

"When people say they want to see the Sea of Stars in the Maldives, they are actually asking to see a chemical reaction – it's bioluminescent plankton," said marine biologist and wildlife presenter Lauren Arthur, who worked in the Maldives for eight years and recently returned to film sea life.

She explained that bioluminescence is a chemical reaction whereby light is produced, while plankton is a collective term for microscopic organisms that can't control their movements – they just float around in currents. Not all plankton is capable of emitting light (only specific species can), but even then, they don't emit light all the time, only when they are disturbed, she added. "There's no one specific place to find bioluminescent plankton. It can be found anywhere in the Maldives, or even anywhere around the world where you get plankton, even the United Kingdom.

This means that while the Maldives' famous Sea of Stars does not exist, you could still see something resembling a sea of stars – although witnessing it will largely come down to luck.

Best ways to see the Sea of Stars

Arthur confirmed my good fortune in previously encountering lots of bioluminescent plankton on several islands around the Maldives, including Olhahali, Kurumba and Hulhumale in North Male' Atoll. However, I lived in that atoll for five years and........

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