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.
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.
Bioluminescence is evident in the waters around Cocoa Beach throughout the year. However, visitors will likely see it at its most intense in glowing algae between July and October. November tends to be a busy month for glowing comb jellies which creates quite a show under the waves once the sun goes down.
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.
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!
Things like bioluminescent algae that twinkle along the seascape can poison sea life from fish to sea turtles and can make humans very sick if they come into contact with it, so swimming is not advised.
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.
There are five bioluminescent bays in the world and three of them are in Puerto Rico. Mosquito Bay, Laguna Grande and La Parguera.The other two are located in Luminous Lagoon in Jamaica and Halong Bay in Vietnam. A bioluminescent bay or bio bay is a body of water that glows.
The bay attracts hundreds of visitors mesmerized by its glowing waters that are activated when microscopic organisms are disturbed. But its murky waters also serve as a nursery for several species, including tiger, nurse, reef and hammerhead sharks.