Kayaking Puerto Rico's bioluminescent bay
Mosquito Bay off Puerto Rico's Vieques Island is renowned for its bioluminescence: waters that glow an electric blue and green -- a combination of environment and the tiny luminescent micro-organisms called dinoflagellates that live there.
"We have the brightest luminescent bay in the world," says Barbara Schneider of Abe's Snorkeling and Bio-Bay Tours.
The Vieques-based company runs two-hour kayaking tours to experience this spectacular natural light display.
There's an info session on the bay's unique ecology beforehand.
Despite recent news reports about the bay's loss of bioluminescence, Schneider assures that it's nothing more than an annual -- and temporary -- occurrence, and the water's have since returned to glowing "really, really bright."
The best time to go is on a moonless night after an especially sunny day, since dinoflagellates collect sunlight during the day and then flash that light as a defense mechanism in the darkness.