Going out into the ocean in a kayak at night can at first be a little unnerving. The slightest splash tends to make you jump, maybe even bringing to mind… Read more » Continue reading →
Going out into the ocean in a kayak at night can at first be a little unnerving. The slightest splash tends to make you jump, maybe even bringing to mind that old 1975 movie, Jaws. Never mind that it was probably your own kayak paddle splashing; the fact that you cant see well puts you on edge.
We humans are better adapted visually for daylight than nighttime. But when you relax, and let your eyes adjust to the dusk, an entirely new fascinating world opens up. Suddenly, you are aware of the soft calling of night birds, the gentle stirring of the waters surface by fish, the calm peace of floating on a magnificent live body of water.
This is especially true in Costa Ricas Nicoya Gulf. Just below Vista Las Islas Hotel, near the ferry port of Paquera, Organos Beach (Playa) is a calm wide bay with a picture-perfect sandy beach, surrounded by jungle. There are really no waves to speak of, so casting off from shore in a kayak is easy. Tour guides also have never seen a shark, so forget about Jaws.
To go kayaking when its dark is a totally different experience than paddling out during the day. All of your senses are alert hearing, smell, sight, and touch. If there is a moon, the coastline and the Gulfs little islands cast shadows on a shimmering silver sea. Listen for the sound of a pelican taking wing or fish jumping out of the water.
Better still is when there is no moon at all. Then you can see the ocean itself light up with glowing bioluminescence. The water around your sea kayak will illuminate as you create waves, and every paddle stroke is like a firework. It is as if you are paddling across a liquid sky of blue stars.
Bioluminescence is the emission of visible light by a living organism as a result of a natural chemical reaction, according to Wikipedia. Bioluminescence occurs in a remarkable diversity of marine animals and microbes bacteria, plankton, fish, jellyfish, squid, etc. It also exists in some fungi, microorganisms and terrestrial invertebrates think of fireflies and glow worms.
Walking along the beach at night or sailing on a darkened sea, especially the closer you get to the equator, you will often see sparkling lights in the water. Sometimes thousands of square miles of ocean shine with the light of bioluminescent bacteria or plankton. The light energy tends to fall in the blue and green spectrum the wavelengths that can transmit most easily through seawater, reports Science Daily.
Although both fictional movies, think of the scene in the 2012 movie Life of Pi when the night sea glittered blue around Pis raft and a glowing whale jumps out of the water, or the illuminated neon forest in Avatar. Both are great examples of bioluminescence.
This unforgettable night kayaking tour is offered by Hotel Vista Las Islas with tour operator Bahia Rica on the placid waters of the Nicoya Gulf at Playa Organos. This area of Costa Ricas southern Nicoya Peninsula, near Paquera, Tambor and the famous Tortuga Island, is full of natural beauty and rich in biodiversity. The luxury boutique hotel sits up on a promontory above the beach. Well-appointed rooms have private balcony terraces and ocean views of the Nicoya Gulf and Tortuga Island.
Vista Las Islas Hotel is conveniently located just a 10-minute drive away from the Paquera ferry terminal. Ferries travel several times daily from the Central Pacific port town of Puntarenas to Paquera. Additionally, the small airstrip at Playa Tambor receives several national flights daily on both Sansa Airlines and Nature Air (only 20 minutes from San Jose).
Article by Shannon Farley
Originally from Southern California, I have lived, worked and traveled all over the world for 20 years, and been in Costa Rica since 1999. I started my professional life as a newspaper journalist, and later migrated into a career in tourism and travel. Ive combined the two to work for Enchanting Costa Rica (www.enchanting-costarica.com) and Enchanting Hotels (www.enchanting-hotels.cr).