The pinkness is affected by the tide, wind and level of microbes in the water at any given time, although it is always most noticeable in bright sunshine. It tends to be at its best in the middle of the day when the sun is high in the sky. We also found that the colour of the pink sands stood out most when there were some waves, with the brightest pink occurring as the waves retreated back from the beach leaving the wet sand glittering in the sun.