While the bio bays have some bioluminescence year-round, the best time of the year to visit them is during the dry season, from December to mid-April. Heavy rainfall can cloud the water and make it harder to see the glow from the dinoflagellates.
Notable spots to see bioluminescence in popular bodies of water in the U.S. include Tomales Bay State Park in northern California, Vieques National Wildlife Refuge in Puerto Rico, Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary in Washington and bays near Acadia National Park in Maine.
1. Mosquito Bay, Puerto Rico. Hidden on the southern coast of Vieques, off the east coast of mainland Puerto Rico, this narrow inlet widens into a dolphin-shaped bay of mangroves that protects the brightest occurrence of bioluminescence in the world according to Guinness World Records.
Is bioluminescence in Florida? Yes. From June to September, the Space Coast has several bioluminescence tours. Popular spots to see this natural phenomenon include the Thousand Islands in the Banana River (in Cocoa Beach), parts of the Indian River Lagoon, in Titusville and National Wildlife Refuge on Merritt Island.
Well what you have witnessed is indeed a natural wonder of the world called Bioluminescence. Here in the Gulf of Mexico, even right here in Destin, we see it quite often while out for an evening stroll along the beach, but it occurs all over the world and comes in many different colors and forms.
In Florida it's likely you can see bioluminescence near Titusville, Fort Pierce, and even Tampa Bay each summer. We've even seen bioluminescence occur in California during the summer time! It's an incredible phenomenon that we'd recommend checking out at least once in your lifetime!
The MaldivesThe sand on this beach glows in the dark because of ostracod crustaceans, or sea shrimp. These tiny organisms, only one millimeter in length, emit the blue light for up to a minute, lighting up your path as you walk across the beach.