Florida Bioluminescence Kayaking Tours near Orlando and Cocoa Beach (2023)

FAQs

Can you see bioluminescence at Cocoa Beach? ›

Where is the best place to see Bioluminescence near Cocoa Beach? In the summer months both the Banana River and the Indian River glow bright with bioluminescence. Many people refer to this as the “Bioluminescent Bay” of Florida.

Peak bioluminescence season is between July and September, and the best time to book one of these tours is during the New Moon -although it's still unforgettable no matter what phase the moon is in.

There are a few places to experience Florida's glowing water. The most common place to visit and for sure the place with the most guided bioluminescent kayaking tours is Titusville. Located between Daytona Beach and Cocoa Beach, Titusville is home to NASA, Cape Canaveral and the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.

However, bioluminescence is notoriously hard to predict and can happen at any time. Most places that often see this chemical reaction concur that it happens in the middle to the late summer for the majority of the time.

Join a small group and gently paddle between Cocoa Beach and Merritt Island, watching as the water illuminates with millions of tiny plankton. Learn about this unique phenomenon from your guide and how the is the only bioluminescent bay in the continental US.

While we typically see the bioluminescence nightly, the optimal time to go is on the days before or after a new moon when there is little to no moon visible. This way, there is no moonlight reflecting on the water disrupting your view of the bioluminescence.

Summer months are usually the best time of the year to watch the glowing plankton. For best experience, you should consider going anytime between mid-May and early-October. Also, try to schedule your night kayaking excursion about 5 days after a full moon.

Turns out the mysterious light shines from a company called Ward Photonics, which is developing and testing a weight-loss device that uses simple red light to trick fat cells in the body.

Is the water at Cocoa Beach blue? ›

This beach town is known for its clear blue waters, white sand, long coastline, tons of water activities, and exciting tourist attractions. Cocoa Beach is a fun destination for a winter vacation as you can escape the crowds of the summer season.

May through November is the best time to see bioluminescence dinoflagellates in Florida. In the early days of summer, they begin to show and by the peak of summer, these creatures sparkle bright whenever stirred with your hand or paddle. The shining plankton is especially stunning in July and August.

Wear warm clothes (pants and long-sleeved shirts) and carry a change of clothes in a waterproof bag. Bring a bug spray or insect repellant as well. You may have seen pictures of bioluminescence online before coming on the tour, but you should be ready to witness a different version in-person.

There are five bioluminescent bays in the world and three of them are in Puerto Rico. Mosquito Bay, Laguna Grande and La Parguera. The other two are located in Luminous Lagoon in Jamaica and Halong Bay in Vietnam. A bioluminescent bay or bio bay is a body of water that glows.

Looking at bioluminescence can be the most beautiful experience. However, it may be a warning sign because many bioluminescent dinoflagellate species are toxic. They can be poisonous to fish that swim around them. If you come in contact with such bioluminescent algae, they can be harmful to you too.

Bioluminescent algae can have severe effects on human health and should not be touched. Do not swim in waters containing algal blooms, no matter how beautiful they are. Direct contact could lead to skin infections or even death.

Some of the most impressive bioluminescence sights in the country can be found on a San Diego sea night beach at night. The area is regularly blessed with Red Tides, a phenomenon caused by algal blooms, where the waves regularly turn a deep red by day and stunning neon blue at night.

Too much weed on the beach can be a bad thing, especially in surfing meccas such as Cocoa Beach, where Sargassum seaweed snarls boards, snags surf fishing lines, and is a bane to all others who prefer weed-free wading.

Torrey Pines Beach, San Diego, CA

Torrey Pines State Beach is a coastal bioluminescent beach located in the San Diego, California. The waves here give a vivid blue glow as they crash ashore. And it is visible only after nightfall. Tip: Pick a dark spot at nightfall to witness the spectacular neon light.

Mosquito Bay is considered the brightest bioluminescent bay in the world! These bays are located on the East, West and South-West sides of Puerto Rico. The bioluminescent waters are created from dinoflagellate plankton in all three of these bays.

What month is best to watch bioluminescent water? ›

Dinoflagellates are plankton that photosynthesize to build energy to illuminate bioluminescent light and they are microscopic. The best time to see dinoflagellates glow is in the hottest months of summer (July and August). During these months, they will make a neon blue of anything that touches them in the water.

Even the experts can't accurately forecast bioluminescence. “We can't predict when they are going to occur or long they will last,” research biologist Michael Latz told the Los Angeles Times last year.

The length of time the bioluminescent algae in San Diego stick around depends on how long the nutrients they like to munch on last, which, depending on their source, can be anywhere from a week to a month or more.

According to nautical safety experts, the most visible color is yellow, followed by orange and reddish tones, white, light green.

Kayaking in the morning is usually better than in the afternoon as winds can pick up in the afternoon making kayaking more difficult. For the first half of your trip, head into the wind, if possible. That way when you're tired later on, you can then kayak downwind and get a little boost.

The minimum requirement for kayaks and canoes (whether paddling or adrift) conforms with U.S. Coast Guard Rules for a "vessel under oars" requiring "an electric torch or lighted lantern showing a white light which shall be exhibited in sufficient time to prevent collision."

May through November is the best time to see bioluminescence dinoflagellates in Florida. In the early days of summer, they begin to show and by the peak of summer, these creatures sparkle bright whenever stirred with your hand or paddle. The shining plankton is especially stunning in July and August.

Summer months are usually the best time of the year to watch the glowing plankton. For best experience, you should consider going anytime between mid-May and early-October.

When Can I See Bioluminescence? Bioluminescence is a year-long phenomenon. In the summer months (June – September) and into Fall, we see a bioluminescence produced by a plankton called dinoflagellates. In the winter months, we see a bioluminescence produced by comb jellies.

Wear warm clothes (pants and long-sleeved shirts) and carry a change of clothes in a waterproof bag. Bring a bug spray or insect repellant as well. You may have seen pictures of bioluminescence online before coming on the tour, but you should be ready to witness a different version in-person.

Can you swim in bioluminescent beaches? ›

Is It Safe to Swim in Bioluminescent Water? Some bioluminescent algae produce toxins that are harmful to marine wildlife, humans, and anything that comes in contact with them, so it may not be safe to touch the algae or swim in bioluminescent water.

Yes, there are sharks in Bioluminescent Bay. Small blacktiped and lemon sharks are known to be roaming around the area.

Bioluminescence is most commonly blue-green, probably because the short wavelengths of blue and green light travel longer distances in the sea. Other animals emit red light, which helps them see things in the deep sea where all the red light has been filtered out.

While Bioluminescence in Florida is rare, it does exist. You can mainly find the plankton and their magical lights on Florida's Space Coast. If you're not directly located near the East Coast near Central Florida, you will be in for a drive.

Bioluminescence is a "cold light." Cold light means less than 20% of the light generates thermal radiation, or heat. Most bioluminescent organisms are found in the ocean. These bioluminescent marine species include fish, bacteria, and jellies.