Start your tour at Rum Point on the north side of Grand Cayman. Travelers interested in experiencing sparkling water in a bay have a few options in the Caribbean. Usually that means there’s a substantial population of mangroves along the shoreline, since mangroves are an excellent source of B-12. One of the main requirements for a bio bay to exist is a narrow entrance to the bay, which keeps the plankton from being washed back out to sea.īut more importantly, there needs to be a high concentration of vitamin B-12 in the water, which the dinoflagellates need to survive. Scientists surmise the reason behind the glowing is to either startle away predators or to attract bigger ones to eat the predators feasting on the plankton. Interestingly, the light emitted from the plankton, although seeming constant to the human eye, is actually flickering, with each flash lasting about a tenth of a second. Movement in the water triggers the reaction with a compound called luciferin. The tiny plankton are actually called dinoflagellates, and they work like a glow stick - a chemical reaction in the dinoflagellates makes them glow a bright blue. It’s a phenomenon only experienced after dark and only when the plankton in the water are disturbed, say, by a paddle, boat or body part slicing through the water. At Bio Bay, along with Luminous Lagoon in Jamaica, tiny underwater plankton create the sparkling effect described above. The exact reason this occurs may be a bit more scientific than fairies, but the experience is no less magical.
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Kayaks float through the water, leaving a sparkling trail of fairy dust behind them, the rowers able to momentarily infuse their skin with glitter simply by scooping up a handful of the glow-in-the-dark water. They converge on a place called Bio Bay, floating serenely in the water and only appearing if disturbed by man-made craft.
It is said that the Glistening Waters lagoon is the brightest in the world a fact that continues to awe scientists and visitors alike.Īfter your boat tour, you may delight your taste bud at Jamaica’s finest seafood restaurant, their menu consist of Lobster, Shrimp, Fish Conch, Chicken, Steaks and Pork.Īfter these two invigorating experiences, we journey back along the north coast to your resort in Ocho Rios or Runaway Bay. There are only a handful of locations in the world where the warm waters of a fresh water river flow into a shallow lagoon of colder sea water allowing the luminous Micro-organisms to thrive like they do here. The lights that appears when the water is disturbed is the result of thousands of flashes each generated by a single animal. The organism responsible for the light produced here has the scientific name “Pryodinium Bahamene”, and can only be seen through a Microscope. Scientists from the John Hopkins University conducted a study of this Lagoon and said that the correct term for the light in this bay is “bioluminescence”, because it is produced by small living animals known as “Dinoflagellates”. it’s perfectly safe, as you swim, the water will glow all around you like magic. If you dip your hand in the water, a bright glow follows your hand where the water is disturbed. You will see a trail that lights up following the boat where the propeller disturbed the water as you go on your tour and spots of light in the Lagoon from fishes swimming in the water. In the day the water looks brackish however, at nights (especially on a clear night) the water has a bright glow when disturbed. Many visitors come here to go on the 30 minute guided evening boat tour to view the amazing natural phosphorescence in the water just offshore in the lagoon. Glistening Waters is located approximately 10 minutes east of Falmouth and approximately 55 minutes away from Ocho Rios and is one of Jamaica’s (and the world’s) most unusual spectacles. Next, we will head to the Glistening Waters Lagoon. Come with us on a short journey alone the north coast to the historic town of Falmouth for a short educational tour of the town. This is a great combo tour for guests who are staying on Island and want an evening out with the family or friends.
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