A Glowing Adventure!
Florida is home to many adventure opportunities, and the Space Coast is home to the most bio-dense ecosystems in North America. Nature lovers, adventure seekers, water or science lovers unite! A Day Away Kayak Tours has been leading the Ecotourism industry for over ten years. Join in on the adventure with your tour guides at A Day Away and experience day time Manatee & Dolphin Encounter tours, watch the sunset, or see the glow of the bio after dark from Comb Jellies in the winter and Dino Flagellates in the summer.
Nature’s Magic on Florida’s Space Coast
The Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge is home to more than 500 species of animal, 1,000 species of plants, and more endangered species than most other National Wildlife Refuges. Take a 20-minute drive outside of town to the Haulover Canal and join your tour guide for an on-the-water experience of this unique estuary. Manatees, Dolphin, wild boar, Horseshoe Crabs, jumping Mullet, Brown Pelicans, Great Blue Herons, and a variety of bioluminescence and other birds are commonly seen here. Get away from the city, and paddle with A Day Away Kayak Tours for your own experience in the ‘real Florida’!
But that’s not the only place they paddle. Check out their website for a list of all their current launch site locations across Brevard County.
Biol
uminescence Begins!
During the cooler months when the water temperature drops below 77ºF the bioluminescent Ctenophore, AKA Comb Jellyfish flood in from the Atlantic and begin populating the Indian River Lagoon system. When disturbed, proteins in their transparent bodies light up a beautiful blue-green glow! You can see these alien-like creatures from your kayak, scoop them up with nets, and hold them right in your hand. Watch them gently propel themselves through the water with their cilia and see them refract light from your flashlight like a rainbow.
In the warmer season, when the water temperature picks up to 77ºF the Dino Flagellates bloom in the same waters. Many people know about Bio Bay in Puerto Rico, but Florida has its own with easy access right off-shore. Every stroke of your paddle, wave of your hand, or contrails off of your kayak in the water make a beautiful light show of bright blue-green light. Fish darting look like shooting stars, and you may even get lucky and see a giant glowing manatee or dolphin swim by. Be aware though, they have been known to give some guests quite a splash!
And the best kept secret is at two points in the year as the seasons change, you may be able to experience both of these glowing wonders at once. Your Day Away guide will provide everything you need, including a science lesson all about them. Just be sure to bring some water, a towel, and bug spray!
Keep calm and kayak.
With kay
aking becoming more popular, it’s no surprise the mental and physical benefits have begun to come to light. For example, studies have been done on people with serious brain injury, and PTSD with amazing results. By stimulating the left and right hemispheres of the brain in a steady rhythm, such as paddling your kayak, it enables the brain to process traumatic memories. Right-left brain stimulation showing interesting positive results in patients suffering with trauma isn’t the only reason to grab your paddle and jump on the water. Kayaking is an excellent low impact full body form of exercise, helping you get that chemical boost your brain is craving. That on top of getting away from your day to day life stress and immersing yourself in nature is something we all need to unwind.
A Day Away Kayak Tours has been paddling the Space Coast for over ten years. Unique in their mission, money isn’t the objective. Though essential for survival and the ability to provide the best experience possible for their patrons, it’s the people A Day Away exists for. Giving the opportunity to people in need of an escape, and an opportunity for all of us to feel connected to nature. Whatever that moment may be for you, a glimpse at the stars inspiring you, feeling ten years younger even for a moment, or being able to feel small in today’s massive busy world. It could just be getting your kids away from their cell phones for 90 minutes! Come share it with A Day Away.
ABOUT THIS STORY:
Stories & Adventures wishes to thank A Day Away Kayak Tours for writing this blog about kayaking and bioluminescence in our area.
All photos courtesy of the Titusville Area Visitors Council.
