Having lived in Florida for 13 years, I think I know the state pretty well. When it comes to the list of things to do and see there are basically three categories: stuff I’ve done, stuff I heard of but never done, and stuff that I never new was a thing. Ok, I guess that a pretty basic taxonomy that could apply to anything. I like the third category because it represents new and unusual experiences. Recently a friend mention seeing bioluminescent algae. That sounded like something from the Discovery Channel. Tell me more.
I found a tour and signed up. In the words of Joey Tribillani, “what’s not to love?”: kayak: good, sunset: good, wildlife: good. The tour started at 5:45. I signed up with BK Bioluminescent Adventures. I met up with three other fiends for the experience. We got a late lunch in Titusville beforehand at a restaurant named Third Culture Kitchen which itself was very good and met my party’s vegetarian GF requirements. The tour was 16 miles and 30 minutes away with not much in the way of civilization in between.
We drove across the bridge from Titusville. The VAB and Launchpads 39 were clearly visible across the water. The only evidence of the recent Hurricane Ian visit was a couple of capsized sailboats and a reminder from Google Maps to watch for flooding. We drove down a long flat road, turned onto another flat road, crossed over a canal and arrived at a pothole strewn road next to Haulover Canal. Along the way we saw several bald eagles hanging out on telephone poles. The kayaks were easy to spot. There were two tour companies operating from that point. Others followed later. After signing the waiver we were issued a lifejacket, whistle, glow-bulb light, a paddle, and a kayak. Two guides gave us a safety briefing. One important safety note was, “if you fall out of the kayak, stand up. The water is only about 4-foot deep on average”. Fortunately no one on our tour tested that claim. With the business out of the way, we were on the water.
Directly out of the canal, is Bird Island. This is not coincedence. The canal was cut by nasa in the 1980’s to allow for the solid rocket boosters to be ferried to the VAB. The muck dredged from the canal was piled off to the side. Now, forty plus years later, it is covered with mangrove trees and a protected ornithological reserve. Signs tell visitors to stay 100 foot away to leave it unmolested. As we crossed the Indian River (not really a river), a couple of dolphin came by but decided that we were not that interesting. We circumnavigated the little island. It was covered with pelicans, sandpipers, spoonbills, and cormorants. I spotted at least on osprey. The birds were mostly unconcerned with our presence so we were able to observe them for comfortably. By this time the sun was setting and Jupiter was on the rise. We retuned to the beach for a break in the middle of our 3-hour tour.
The beach had been invaded by other tour groups and mosquitos. Each tour group was using a different color glow-bulb light so it was relatively easy to keep track of our party. We saw the last of the sunset glow fade as we put to sea again and left the mosquitos behind. This time we headed south through the paths of mangroves. As we paddled, you could see the water glow when disturbed. The darker it got the more obvious was the effect. In the middle of the glow were occasional sparks of blue-white light. In some areas it was more pronounced. You could produce the affect by dragging your hand through the water. It was a magical experience. Every once in a while, you’d see a streak of light zoom by underwater, the apparent glow-trail of a fish, probably mullet.
Once we rounded the corner from the launch point our eyes started to adjust to the darkness. With the Atlantic on one side and no people for 15 miles on the other, there was remarkable little light pollution. The Milky Way was faintly visible crossing the sky. We pushed further down into a cul-de-sac where the comb jellies (ctenophora) could be found. These guys are not actually jellyflish. They can be small as a grain of sand or as large as a basketball. Once I was one, I realized I’d seen them was up on the beach before without knowing about their bioluminescent abilities. Our guide used a net to scoop up a bowl of the jellies so we could feel them. They looked like ice cubes and felt like slimy Jell-O.
While in this cul-de-sac, you could hear the occasional deep exhale of a manatee. In the reflected starlight you could see them breaking the surface with their snouts to take in a new breath. One of our tour bumped into one and was quite alarmed.
We meandered back to shore and returned the kayaks. This was a fun experience. The guides admitted that the hurricane and current weather conditions made our tour sub-optimal. I had a great time. The algae and jellies are typically visible at different times of the year. We happened to be at the point where the two seasons overlapped. The phase of the moon is also a scheduling factor. I knew this when booking. Even though the moon was in last quarter, it did not rise until after our tour completed.
I did learn a fun fact from the guides. Apparently during a recent construction project som human remains were found. The bodies still had skin and organs so were initially treated as a crime scene. It was later determined that they were from the indigenous people who lived here before the land was submerged. This could have been 10,000 years ago during the last ice age. The muck ended up being a near perfect preservative like the mammoths found in Siberia.
I’m not sure if there was anything in my control that would have improved my experience. I did not bother to bring my camera. There are plenty of videos and pictures on the web. I do not know what a GoPro would have been able to see. Mosquito repellant is a must but mainly on the beach. The guides wore long pants and sleeved shirts for protection. The weather was perfect, barely 80ºF. We had a choice of tandem or solo kayaks. Some physical exertion was needed occasionally to keep up. My main complaint was from my legs that were stuck in a weird position and the seat offered no lower-back support. Other tours offer translucent kayaks which I assume would enhance the experience.
I recommend this tour for anyone wanting to see something interesting and authentically Florida.