Bioluminescence at Salt River Bay
I’ve gone on a night-time kayak tour here before, but it was with another company a long, long time ago. Bryan at Virgin Kayaks (340-718-0071) does a wonderful job with this tour. Not only is Bryan an avid historian (to the nth degree) and story-teller, but he’s enthusiastic about the natural processes of this precious area and easily imparts that enthusiasm to his guests.
The best time to go is around the new moon when it’s darkest. We went the other night, not only when the sky was moonless, but there were also no stars to be seen. It was hazy from Sahara dust and overcast from clouds which continuously threatened rain, but did not deliver. So it was pretty dark.
Unfortunately, there is some artificial brightness in the area from street lights and a large rental villa, which at times during the tour make it slightly more difficult to see the flashes of blue in the water, but Bryan knows what to do and where to take his guests to maximize the potential of this sacred place.
It was fantastic! Michael and I came with our kayak (purchased from Virgin Kayaks a few years back) and met up with Bryan and a small group, including our friends Greg and Margaret in Bryan’s white van towing a trailer full of kayaks for the others. We put in at a small, secluded beach and proceeded to pedal out past old abandoned boats to a roosting area in the mangroves where scores of herons and egrets spend their nights.
After everyone was comfortable in their kayaks, we headed across the bay to “the dark side”, behind the point where the old hotel is.
As we went along, I put one or the other of my hands into the water and saw small blue flashes emitted in the wake. But when we got into the small bioluminescent bay, the water stirred up by our hands and kayak pedals and paddles wash like glowing blue foam. We paddled more than pedaled and every now and again, we’d hit a jellyfish and a big blue flash would appear beneath the surface. It was magical!
We carried on, observing lightening-like flashes in the pedal holes of our kayaks and waves of light blue under each others’ boats until Bryan suggested we go back to land before the local restaurants closed their kitchens. We reluctantly acquiesced, and on the way back across the bay, flying fish flew by us in the dark.
We all had a fabulous time. We have another tremendous resource at Salt River. Let’s keep supporting people like Bryan who work to share it’s wonders with us.
July 25th, 2009 at 9:53 am
Wonderful description. Sounds like a Frank Frazetta painting.
I’ll have to do this some time. Sounds like the night was perfect.
July 26th, 2009 at 8:00 am
So it’s not only in Vieques, sounds great.
Growing up on Long Island Sound there were seasons of various creatures that migrated up and down the coast – jellyfish, various fish species including sharks, and sometimes what we called “sparklers”. They would wash up on the rocks and coat them in iridesceance (spelling?) not really blue. One time when I was sick they brought me a bucket that glowed when you stirred it. I do miss the fog and foghorns of that area.
July 26th, 2009 at 9:35 am
Your outing sounds magical! I was out at Buck Island one summer night, in the water when there were “sparklers” it is a moment I will never forget, running my hands through the water with a mas of little lights trailing behind. I thought, “this must be what tripping on acid is like!”
July 27th, 2009 at 6:17 pm
I had no idea so thanks for being the adventuress that you are and writing about it.
Brian is a human manual of interesting facts about this island.
August 2nd, 2009 at 8:58 pm
wow, I want to live there to experience that. unfortunately, I’m not quite ready. But one day very soon. please don’t ever stop blogging.