The main attraction that drew me over to the east coast was a nighttime bioluminescent tour in the Indian River Lagoon. I’ve seen the phenomenon before, having paddled through it in waters near me a few years ago. The lagoon is different because in addition to glowing phytoplankton they also have bioluminescent comb jellies.
For best viewing there are a number of factors that need to align; the water needs to be warm, the skies clear, the moon in its early stages, and for the comb jellies late Summer/early Fall. As luck would have it, last week all of that aligned with my work schedule, so it was a bit of a last minute decision but I didn’t want to miss my chance.
Setting off at 7pm we had time to get acquainted with our hybrid paddle boards while the sun set. That part of the lagoon is part of a wildlife refuge so light pollution from humans was limited, which was important.
The bio we paddled through was fairly faint with a few intermittent bright spots but I wasn’t disappointed because the Sea Walnut (Mnemiopsis leidyi) comb jellies made up for it by far! Jess, our tour guide gave us each a net to swish in the water to stir up the jellies and catch the glowing, pulsating little orbs.
At the end of our paddle she placed them all in a glass jar so we could get an up close look at the brainless little marvels. Afterward, she gently released them back into the brackish water. What a cool experience!
Forgive the video quality, it was a bit of a challenge to paddle and film at the same time. At least you’ll get the general idea.
