Description
Puerto Rico’s Laguna Grande bioluminescent bay is one of three bioluminescent bays on the island and one of the most active in the world — dinoflagellate concentrations exceeding 700,000 per gallon produce a strong bioluminescent response to movement in the dark water. The kayak night tour navigates the bay with no artificial light, allowing the bioluminescence to be perceived at maximum intensity. This image was made during a moonless night tour with a camera mounted to the kayak’s bow with a wide-angle 14mm prime, a 30-second exposure capturing both the kayaker’s silhouette and the bioluminescent light trails created by the paddle strokes and the kayak’s hull movement. The mangrove shoreline — the dense rhizophore root system that traps the dinoflagellates by reducing water flow — is visible as a dark mass at the frame edge.
