Marine biologists have discovered first biofluorescent reptile in Solomon Islands in the South Pacific. The biologists made the discovery when they were capturing a video of coral reefs and small sharks in the island. According to the biologists, they were stunned to see a glowing sea turtle.

They filmed a hawkbill sea turtle that, according to the biologists, was emitting neon green and red light. David Gruber, a researcher from the City University of New York and an emerging explorer for National Geographic, and his team made the discovery in July this year. On Monday, the team released the video of glowing turtle.

When Gruber first saw the turtle, he described it as an alien spaceship that was swimming in the sea. It was stunning, according to Gruber. During an interview with CNN, Gruber said the gorgeous turtle swam into his team’s lights when they were filming coral reefs and small sharks in the water. The turtle's appearance surprised every member of the team, Gruber added.

From last few years, researchers have started paying attention to biofluorescence in marine species. “It's a bit like a mystery novel. It started with jellyfish and coral, and the fluorescent molecules jellyfish and coral create has lead to monumental breakthroughs in biomedical science”, Gruber said.

The hawksbill turtle is an endangered species which is affected by climate change. There are some areas around the world where only several thousand breeding females have left.

"It was absolutely gorgeous," Gruber said in an interview with CNN. The turtle swam into the team's lights while they were filming coral underwater. The turtle's appearance was unexpected and took everyone by surprise, he said.

"The ocean is the perfect place to evolve these kinds of fluorescent molecules because it is almost completely blue," he said. "The ocean absorbs almost every other color except for blue -- so these animals have been creating ways to take in that blue light and transform into other colors," he said.