Name of the
bioluminescent bay on the island of
Vieques in
Puerto Rico.
The bay is sheltered in a secluded corner of the island, protected from the rough waters of the
Atlantic Ocean. Its life is that of a family of
microscopic creatures called
dinoflagellates, which produce a faint
fluorescent blue glow when perturbed in the water. Special conditions allow them to thrive in the bay, but also inhibit them from escaping.
Mangrove trees that thrive on the salty waters of the bay line its shores in great number, shedding their
leaves directly into its waters. The leaves decompose and fill the water with nutrients that are perfect for
dinoflagellates. The creatures thrive and multiply, and as a result have come to exist in
concentrations as high as 720,000 organisms per gallon of bay water. These concentrations make it so that any motion in the water creates huge waves of soft blue light that dazzle and delight visitors and
tourists, allowing this amazing
natural resource to go on mostly unaffected by man's encroachments on the
Caribbean islands.
A company called
Island Adventures (see www.biobay.com for more information on tours and some
amazing pictures) runs tours of the bay nightly using a
non-polluting electric boat. For a nominal (and well worth it!!!) fee of $12, a representative of Island Adventures will take you out on the bay, explain the delicacies of the
eco-system to you, lead you on a guided tour of
the Puerto Rican sky and some prominent
constellations, and, at long last,
let you swim in the bay, in what will probably be one of the most breath-taking and
life-affirming moments of your life. The proceeds all go toward maintenance of the bay and efforts to protect it from
pollution and other ecological threats.
Yes, the bay also does happen to be full of
mosquitos.