Creatures that Glow: My Adventures in a Bioluminescent Bay . . .

“Mom, you’re glowing in the dark,” says a high-pitched squeaky voice in my ear. I look down at my arms and thighs as I push up through the waves lapping at my feet, and discover they’re covered in shimmering stardust. Off to the left and through the swaying palms, I catch an occasional glimpse of the rising moon as it emerges from the ocean, full in its glory, beginning as a huge, bright, orange gold globe slowly fading to a mother-of-pearl disc as it rises higher and higher in the velvety night sky. Suddenly, the bay is lit by millions of illuminating microorganisms adding their bright light to the moon’s pearly white shine, turning the water around us to a glistening blue glow.

Welcome to Jamaica’s luminous lagoon!