We went for a night kayak bioluminescence tour last week.
It starts at 9:30. We show up a little before 9:00 pm after setting up the tent at a camp site. The tour ends at 11:30 so we won't go all the way home.
We watch the sun set and try to figure out the mountains across the water. I wish I would carry the map around. The sunset is gorgeous. The moon is nearly full.
The four guides hand out bubble solution to the 20 people gathered. Families and groups of friends. We play with it, waiting for 9:30.
They do a short orientation and safety talk. Everyone is provided with a life jacket and headlamp. We troup to the boats. They are open sea kayaks. There is very little wind tonight, which is helpful. Not much in the way of waves. We tourists are two to a boat and they launch us one by one. The tourist kayaks have a green light and the solo guide ones have red ones. We wait on the water while everyone is launched. We kayak along the shore.
The full moon is not the best time to see the bioluminescence. Overcast and no moon would be better. Going out we don't see a lot, though the bubbles from the paddle are somehow a little bright. On the way back, we follow the guide into little dark coves and there: the motion of his paddle looks like electric blue sparks! We tuck as close to shore as possible and play, taking turns splashing and twirling the paddles. The bioluminescence is variable, depending on the plankton. In some coves even the drip of water from the paddle causes blue sparks in the water. In other coves it is faint or none.
Two whistles mean stop and one means go. We head back along the coves to shore. Everyone thanks the guides and tips them.
We want to go back on a moonless night and see it again, brighter. They go out even in fine rain. More.
https://pacificupperleft.com/bioluminescence-bellingham-teddy-bear-cove/
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53814226