Editor Pick
Glistening Waters
- May 7, 2006
- Rated 5 of 5 by
Moggymoll from Louisville, Kentucky
I am a biologist by profession and have studied the ins and outs of bioluminescent organisms, but no amount of studying can prepare you for the experience at Oyster Bay.On our visit to Oyster Bay we were initially unimpressed with the vast dark waters (especially after paying $17); however, as our guide at Glistening Waters slowly glided along the shore, we were stunned to see little flashes of bright blue-green darting past the boat—fish. Suddenly our guide revved the motor producing a fiercely glowing wake.The micro-organism responsible for the glowing water is a type of dinoflagellate, specifically pryodinium bahamene. Apparently, the cool waters from the Martha Brae River meeting with the warmer Caribbean Sea produce the perfect environment for some of the brightest bioluminescent micro-organisms on earth. When the cool/warm water mixture is at its optimum, you can see the waters glowing from shore. No worries though, even if you can't see the glowing water from shore you will still have a unique experience on your hour-long boat ride through the bay.Be sure to bring a bathing suit for a dip in the bay midway through the trip. I highly recommend participating in this activity yourself. Only four people out of a boat load of 12 braved the waters. The guide will stop at a point only 3-4 feet deep and allow you to climb down a ladder to the warm waters. Immediately you are enveloped in glowing blue—truly amazing and unique! The texture of the bay bottom is a unique one as well—it is not completely solid, rather more of a warm, "fluffy," soft sensation, though not slimy like lake silt. I felt rejuvenated after climbing out of my glowing watery trail. Our guide promised us all that we would experience a miracle the next morning. However, after such a satisfyingly unique experience that night, no morning miracle could compare to the miracle of biology in action.
From journal Exploring Real Jamaica