Making angel’s wings by sweeping
her arms, Mosquito Bay tour guide
Sharon Grasso lights up the surface
of the water.
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No, it’s not magic. With each paddle stroke, the girls stir up millions of tiny dinoflagellates (dy-no- FLAH-juh-luhts). When stirred at night, these plantlike life-forms glow beautifully. Each gallon of Mosquito Bay water holds some 750,000 dinoflagellates. Their combined light creates spectacular evening shows.
On the island of Vieques off the coast of Puerto Rico, Mosquito Bay’s dinoflagellates give off their bioluminescent (by-oh-loo-mih- NESS-ent) light from dusk until dawn. “In other parts of the world, bioluminescence is seasonal,” explains Sharon Grasso, a tour guide on Vieques. “But here, the water glows brightly year-round.”
Each night Grasso shows off the natural beauty of the bay. Passengers stare in awe as the tour boat leaves a glittering trail. They dip their hands in the water, leaving greenish-blue trails of their own.
Mosquito Bay’s displays are threatened, however. Bright artificial light from nearby developments can outshine the natural glow. Pollution, destruction of mangrove trees, dredging, land development, and overuse of the bay’s water can kill the fragile dinoflagellates. “We can’t let the lights go out,” says Grasso. “The magic of Mosquito Bay should live on forever.”
Mosquito Bay is only one wonder of the natural world. What’s YOUR favorite natural wonder? Share your thoughts online!
Text by David George Gordon
Photograph by Frank Borges LLosa
To learn more about bioluminescence, read “Go with the Glow” in the May 1998 issue of WORLD magazine. Click here to become a Junior Member of the National Geographic Society and receive WORLD each month or call 800 437 5521.
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