WHAT TO EXPECT ON A BIOLUMINESCENCE TOUR
When I arrived on-site for my group eco kayak tour with Fin Expeditions on Cocoa Beach, our guide was waiting by a shoreline picnic table, ready to orient us by map and beam of a flashlight to the Banana River, a 31-mile-long lagoon between Cape Canaveral and Merritt Island in Brevard County, one of the rare places in the world to witness the phenomenon of bioluminescence. The brackish water of the lagoon – up to 4-feet in depth – is home to manatees, dolphins, stingrays, and other marine life.
An air of mystery and adventure sparked the moment we arrived at the launch site when we traded the well-lit, air-conditioned comfort of our car cabin for the dark of night and the unpredictable forces of nature, including a light drizzle that began falling just as we approached the picnic table.
We arrived early, and standing in the dark near the water’s edge waiting for other group participants to arrive was enough to get my blood pumping even before we set foot in the kayaks. Some people shared they were scared about being on the water at night and were nervous about what we might encounter. I was not nervous yet, just eager to get out there and see the glowing light show.
Getting in the boats required putting our feet in the water and navigating through some mangrove branches without being able to see very well, but the whole group was brave, and I felt we accomplished a lot just by being there.
Our first few paddle strokes revealed the first glimpses of the bioluminescence we had hoped for — each dip of the paddle ignited a soft blue-green glowing trail in the water.
Within a few minutes, we heard a scream, the sound of laughter and splashing. One of the couples had accidentally tipped over and found themselves afloat in the water, and trying to get back in their capsized boat they, like our paddles, created a wake of blue-green color in the water with their motion.
As we got on our way, our guide led us to some remote areas of the lagoon — places likely to have even less light and even more going on underwater so we could see the full magic of what we came for.
We encountered dolphins, comb jellies and schools of mullet that darted and jumped, creating fast-moving streaks of light, like lightning, underneath and all around us. I felt flashbacks to middle school science class as our guide explained how the microscopic organisms, called phytoplankton, were responsible for lighting up the water when they are touched — by a fish, a kayak paddle, a hand or foot, or anything else that might enter the water where they are living, which, in the summer months in the Banana River Lagoon, can be everywhere.
While the glittering light show was captivating, there were times later in our tour when our group just sat still in our boats, or quietly and slowly paddled under the moon, following the curve of the mangroves and canals. In those quiet moments, the sounds of the night creatures took center stage, and I was humbled and grateful we were able to be visitors in their habitat. The water continued lighting up under our boats, and I dipped my hand in and made glowing ripples as I let drippy droplets fall from my fingers back into the water, smiling as the summer breeze and shifting current helped us drift with little effort. I took that moment to tilt my head back and look in awe at the star-filled sky. The iridescent lights in the water that we had come for eventually became just one part of the whole experience.
I’ve traveled to Costa Rica, Thailand, Morocco, and other destinations, but this nighttime paddle ranks among my top five outdoor experiences. It was a mesmerizing and magical 1½ hour trip into an other-worldly place that we don’t often experience as bipedal humans who spend so much time indoors or in vehicles.
If you’re looking for an experience with the natural world that will open and engage your every sense, teach you and remind you about the ecosystem we’re all a part of, and offer a memorable and thrilling night you won’t soon forget, you’ll more than love this excursion.
Every tour is different.
WHAT TO BRING
Bug spray
Towels
Flip flops or water shoes
Quick dry clothes (and consider a hat in case of light rain)
Change of clothes for after the tour
Drinking water
Floating dry bag to store a cell phone, keys, or valuables
WHAT TO LEAVE BEHIND
Your worries, and the cellphone. Unless your cell phone is safely secure in a floating dry bag, you run the risk of dropping it in the water trying (like me, unsuccessfully) to capture pictures of bioluminescent moments, which require a long exposure. Pretty pictures of the glowing wakes can be tough to pull off with a smartphone on a kayak while trying to paddle and watch for dolphins and other animals. Instead, be present, in the moment, and take in the sights and sounds without any distraction.
