Bioluminescence Paddle from Nick’s Cove – August 12, 2010

Nine intrepid paddlers gathered at Nicks Cove for an evening of kayaking and bioluminescence. In attendance were Joe, Sue, Jeff, Brigitte, Jeff, Bonnie, Mike, Gail and Sig. The launch was leisurely, but eventually we got all the glow sticks distributed and we were on the water by 8:15 PM.

The fog was in when we started, but not too bad. There was no wind to speak of the whole trip. From Nick’s, we headed across to the North side of Hog Island. There were plenty of harbor seals there to keep us company and the usual assortment of birds making a racket and a stink.

From Hog Island, we headed straight across into White Gulch. Elk were heard calling and someone also heard a night heron. Owls were spotted on the wing close to the cliffs at the water’s edge. We paddled way back into the bay at White Gulch as the sun was setting. By the time we regrouped, the biolume could just barely be seen. After a short rest, we headed further North up the Tomales coast.

By now the sun had fully set and the plankton were really doing their thing. Every time you put a paddle in the water, it struck sparks and stars spinning in the water. We saw fish illuminated in the shallow bay, streaking past us as we startled them. The eel grass was especially spectacular. You could slap your paddle on top of it and light up a big mat, maybe three feet square. I was
shocked by how dark it was on the water. There was just a sliver of moon, but even that was hidden by the fog. This made for some great biolume viewing, but it was a challenge keeping the group together when we couldn’t see more than a couple hundred feet (at least I couldn’t). The glow sticks were perfect, thanks Joe!

The return trip took us back to White Gulch and then around the South end of HogIsland (aka Piglet). Again, the bioluminescence was spectacular. Some folks saw a diving cormorant lit up by the plankton. We followed the lights back to Nick’s Cove and were all safely ashore by 11:00 or so.

Brigitte