O ne of the most magical outdoor experiences in the North Bay is happening right now—out on the water, after dark. Bioluminescent kayak tours are growing in popularity and the experience leaves visitors enchanted. The National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, describes bioluminescence as light emitted by a bioluminescent organism. Basically, there’s a single-cell type of plankton called dinoflagellates that float in warm, shallow waters near coastal areas. Wave disturbances cause a chemical reaction in the plankton, and they emit light. Bioluminescence often glows blueish, but individual organisms can create a multitude of different colors. The best time for seeing bioluminescence is at night during a new moon—which means being on the water in the dark. In the North Bay, there are several kayak companies that offer bioluminescent tours—leading paddlers through the night waters to see the light show. Intense nights Suki Waters runs WaterTreks Eco Tours ( watertreks.com ) from its home base in Jenner. Waters is of Pomo descent and was ingrained with a sense of ecological stewardship by her grandmother. She’s been sharing that wisdom as she shares the magic of the Russian River Estuary with her kayaking business. Her most magical tours happen as darkness falls across the water and the ocean slowly comes alive with bioluminescent light.
Napa Valley Paddle guides lead guests on a bioluminescent tour of Tomales Bay. [Photo courtesy Drew Dickson]
“The most intense nights, we've been throwing balls of light 30 feet behind our kayaks with each paddle stroke,” Waters says. “Every ripple lights up.” The tours are made even more mesmerizing when sea life joins the fray. “You can see the darting fish—and on the most intense nights you find out how many fish are in the estuary that you can't normally see,” Waters says. “Harbor seals swim underneath and look up at you.” Waters says that although bioluminescence is certainly beautiful, her true mission is to educate people. She’s doing that through a combination of her indigenous heritage and science. As a child, Waters was taught to fish sustainably using a stick with twine made from dogsbane or waxed cotton thread, and using a rock for a sinker instead of lead. That way, she explains, if you break your line or hook it will all break down naturally in the water. “There's not going to be a bunch of plastic left in the environment,” she says. Waters helps monitor the health of the estuary and does water sampling and testing for the State of California. “There are algae blooms up on the Russian River that I get calls on,” she says. “It's a different algae [than what’s encountered on her kayak tours]. Those types of toxic algae blooms upstream are behind stagnant freshwater.” Waters says the best viewing is associated with warmer ocean waters and generally temperatures peak around the beginning of July. She laughs and mentions what she calls “global weirding”
30 NorthBaybiz
July 2025
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