4 min read Travel

Touch the water

Touch the water
Image courtesy www.puertorico.com

" Go ahead, Miss, touch the water, " encouraged Antonio, my tour guide and kayak partner for the day.

Hesitantly, I stuck the tips of my hand in and swirled the water.

Tiny wisps of blue-green dots appeared on the dark surface.

Emboldened, I stuck my hand in a little deeper.

This time I gave the water a bigger swish. More blue-green starry dots - Brighter. Better.

By now, the colored neon dots were everywhere - in the neighboring kayaks as the paddles hit the water, in the ripples the kayaks left behind, and in the myriad hands that touched the Laguna Grande Bio Bay in Puerto Rico that starless night.

It was mesmerizing. And magical.

But first, what is this sorcery?

The creative in me half-wished that fairy dust and magic were involved. But alas, science had a better explanation. And an interesting name - Bioluminescent Bays or Bio Bays.

  • Bio Bays are bodies of water that contain high concentrations of single-celled micro-organisms called dinoflagellates.
  • When disturbed, these organisms emit a blue-green light, creating a beautiful glowing effect.
  • The light produced is called 'bioluminescence', a defence mechanism against predators, and also a means to attract prey.
  • The word has Greek and Latin roots - Bios = life, luminescence = light.
  • 'Life that lights' (Pretty cool, don't you think?)

Where can we find bioluminescent bays?

There are several of these bays around the world, but the three famous ones are in Puerto Rico.

  • Mosquito Bay in Vieques (the brightest of them all)
  • Laguna Grande in Fajardo (the one we visited)
  • La Parguera in Lajas.

Traditional cameras, unfortunately, do not capture the bioluminescence. Check out the video below for some great footage of the actual experience.

The Laguna Grande experience

  • Laguna Grande is located in the town of Fajardo on the eastern coast of Puerto Rico.
  • The bay is approximately 35 acres in size and surrounded by mangrove forests.
  • Moonless nights are best for viewing the full effect of the dinoflagellates.
  • One can explore the bay on a kayak or an electric boat. We chose the kayak tour.

After a quick safety briefing, we loaded into our kayaks. Each kayak was equipped with low light lamps, though the light had to be kept to a minimum to appreciate the bioluminescence.  

Image courtesy: Mariott tours and activities

Kayaking in this area was challenging due to the ample natural vegetation and the darkness.  

I was five months pregnant at the time, so the most experienced kayaker in the group was my partner - Antonio, the guide :)

Swimming was not allowed, and we were asked to avoid sunscreens, insect repellents, or any chemicals that could harm the dinoflagellates.

The intensity of 'glow' varies depending on human activity, time of the year, and weather conditions. The 'glow' we saw was subtle but still riveting.

For more information on Laguna Grande and the other bio bays in Puerto Rico, click here.

Science and Magic

As Antonio rowed towards the narrow canal that led us away from the bio bay, I let my hand stay in the water.

My-yet-to-be-born tiny human, a silent spectator to my activities.

The blue-green dots dimmed from bright to dull to nothingness as we left behind the magical waters of the Laguna Grande.

Legend has it that the indigenous Taíno people of Puerto Rico attributed the glow of Bio Bays to magical powers.

While science took away the mysticism of that story and gave credit to tiny single-celled creatures, instead, my sense of enchantment remains.

SINGLE cells were responsible for lighting up an entire bay.

And SINGLE cells were also responsible for the tiny human that continues to light up my life.

If that's not magic, I don't know what else is.


References

Yamini

Yamini