This summer [read: tourist season], a “man-made natural wonder” is being promoted to visitors in Northern Europe – the swirling blue-green algae blooms of the Baltic Sea. The blooms resemble the northern lights but unlike their celestial counterparts, these eerie shapes are no miracle of nature.
Instead, they are a warning sign that eutrophication is suffocating one of the world’s most fragile seas.
In a bold twist, the Northern Plights campaign, created by Finnish agency, United Imaginations, for the John Nurminen Foundation, that works to save the Baltic Sea and its heritage, frames this ecological crisis as a tourist attraction, eerily echoing the beauty of the northern lights – perhaps the most famous drawcard of the Nordic region.
Styled as a tourism campaign and launched to coincide with World Ocean Day on June 8, ironic postcards including, “Wish You Weren’t Here” and “Greetings from a Dying Sea”, are being distributed throughout Helsinki as well as featuring at a pop-up Tourist Information Centre in the heart of the Finnish capital.
Striking outdoor ads are also on display at Helsinki and Nice airports, to coincide with the 2025 UN Ocean Conference (June 9-13) in France – as well as across both cities in a bid to raise global awareness and inspire donations while there is still time to save the Baltic Sea.
In addition to this, one of Finland’s top comedians, Inkeri Hyvönen, plays the role of a cheerful tourist guide eager to profit from the new ‘natural wonder,’ on social media films
Elina Lehtinen, communications director, John Nurminen Foundation, stated, “Nowadays, there might be a better chance of seeing algae suffocating the Baltic Sea than catching the real northern lights. With Northern Plights, we want to shake people out of passive concern and into urgent action by encouraging international travellers, environmentalists, and decision-makers to look beneath the surface both literally and figuratively. The Baltic Sea is among the most polluted seas in the world, and the impact of climate change and biodiversity loss are becoming evident here faster than in other oceans.”
To reverse the damage and ensure that future generations inherit a living sea, not just a beautiful postcard, donations can be made directly. Contributions support ongoing initiatives that reduce phosphorus and nitrogen loads, protect biodiversity, and promote sustainable marine practices.
