The Night the Sea Lit Up

 

Last week, something curious happened in the Sea of Cortez.

Two rare oarfish — long, silver ribbon-like creatures that normally live in deep ocean waters — washed ashore near Cabo San Lucas.

 

In Japanese folklore these elusive fish are called Ryūgū-no-tsukai, meaning “messenger from the sea god’s palace.” For centuries they have been associated with major ocean shifts and, according to legend, earthquakes and tsunamis.

 

Whether myth or coincidence, the ocean often signals change in subtle ways.

And last night on Tomales Bay, Northern California paddlers witnessed a reminder that the ocean can also speak through light.

 

Just after sunset our kayaks slipped quietly into the darkening water. At first the bay appeared calm and black beneath the rising stars. Then the glow began.

Each paddle stroke ignited a streak of electric white - blue. Soon the entire bay seemed alive with movement. Fish darted beneath the surface leaving luminous trails. Leopard sharks glided past like glowing comets. Bat rays lifted from the bottom in curling spirals of light.

 

The scene resembled the opening sequence of Disney’s Fantasia — swirling ribbons and bursts of white flourescents painted across the water’s surface.

 

In over a decade of guiding night paddles, we rarely see a display like this so early in the season.

Bioluminescence is produced by microscopic plankton called dinoflagellates. When disturbed, they release light through a chemical reaction known as bioluminescence, creating the impression that the ocean itself is glowing.

 

In a "full" El Niño, the water can eventually become too nutrient-poor for some species, but the transition period (where we are now) is usually the "sweet spot." It’s that shift from the cold, stable La Niña to the unpredictable warmth of El Niño that causes the ocean to "reorganize" itself, sending deep-sea creatures (like oarfish) and surface-level light shows (bioluminescence) into high gear.

 

It may be coincidence that deep-sea oarfish appeared in Mexico just days before Northern California’s waters erupted in light.

 

Or perhaps the ocean is simply reminding us that its rhythms operate on scales far older than our calendars.

 

For those lucky enough to be paddling that night on Tomales Bay, the message was simple.

 

Lucky for you… we still have a few front-row seats on the water from St. Patrick’s Day through Friday. Take the day off — this light show beats a bar crawl, and you won’t be hungover at the office on Wednesday.

 

Drew Dickson

Owner

NVP