With the kayak to the self-luminous Plankton (Bioluminescence Tour)

In part one of our report you read what the dream beach at Pigeon Point has to offer you. Read in the second part, how we have made our way with the kayak to self-luminous plankton, a so-called “bioluminescence tour”.

Tobago is a paradise for windsurfers and kite surfers.

An unfamiliar world awaits us here. Wind- and kite surfers pack up their equipment and talk shop over a beer about a successful day. Granted: We don’t have any experience with these sports and we haven’t felt the excitement of trying them out for ourselves yet. But the enthusiasm in the faces placed with sunblocks in a matt white is contagious. We owe the transition from a slightly cloudy morning to a very sunny midday to a wind that apparently has not only made us sun worshippers happy. The kite surfers were really pushing it up, while the windsurfers were sailing at a good speed on the water.

End of a successful day for water sports enthusiasts

The water sports enthusiasts sit together relaxed with cold beer and look back on the day, but we still have the sporting part ahead of us. We will be welcomed at the entrance of the hall and can confirm our participation. Great – the registration via the Internet went well. The payment of the tour will be made in cash either in TT$ or USD$ – card payment is not possible.

On the trail of the shining plankton with a kayak

You can choose between kayaking or Stand Up Paddle Board (SUP). We chose the kayak because we would like to do the trip together and have relatively little experience on the Stand Up Paddle Board (SUP).

Our group gets bigger and bigger until Douane, our guide for the evening, joins us. Douane is a Trinidadian by birth and embodies the cliché of a water sportsman: very friendly and smart, well-trained and tanned.

Free choice between SUP board and kayak

After the greeting we get a short insight into the course of the evening and the “Bioluminescence Tour”. After the paddles have been handed out, we head to the beach, where the kayaks are ready. Duane and another guest decided to buy a SUP Board and carry it from the hall to the beach.

Once you arrive at the small boats, there will be a short briefing, especially for the best paddling technique and carrying the boat. After all, the kayak must not only be carried from the beach into the water, but at No Man´s Land it must also be carried over the small sandbank into the Bon Accord lagoon.

In the darkness towards the lagoon

Well prepared we now bring the boats into the water and sit down in the yellow plastic canoe. It’s the first trip for us, so it takes a little while until our paddle strokes (halfway) are synchronized and we move forward quickly. Over the Caribbean the sun has set in the meantime, so that it is almost completely dark on the water. With decreasing vision, the perception of sounds increases significantly. The penetration of the paddles into the water, screeching birds in the distance and the splashing of the sea at our kayak suddenly become audible. Our first goal, the sandbank at the headland at No Man´s Land, we see in outline before us – still some sporty employment is demanded, in order to be able to translate the boat! Duane always has a look at the group from his SUP board and brakes the front boats when the distances get too big. Due to the comfortable pace there is hardly any need to do so, so the tour is also suitable for less sporty people.

Natural spectacle in the light of the flashlight

Arrived at the sandbank we get out of the kayak and pull it briefly out of the water. While we loosen our legs Duane introduces us to the nightlife of the Caribbean. He puts his flashlight at knee level above the water and turns on the light. What we’ve got now is amazing! In the darkness it seemed as if we were alone. Suddenly thousands of “flying fish” float over the water and are hunted by a huge number of birds. A lively hustle and bustle that is second to none! The distances of the “flying fish” in the air are surprisingly long. Quickly they navigate with a fin the direction on the hunt for small fish, which are again their loot. An impressive picture of how this part of a food chain functions in a matter of seconds.

Sudden glow in the night

We now pack our kayak in front and behind to put it into the calm water of the Bon Accord lagoon. Here Duane encourages us to look for the first contact with the shining plankton. We don’t see anything yet. The lagoon lies pitch dark in front of us, the outlines of the coast cannot even be seen in the beginning. Is it too dark, the moonlight too weak?

Duane wipes through the water with one hand and stirs it up a bit. In fact – it glows like it is occupied by millions of fireflies!

The glow is a friendly warning

Duane explains that the plankton reacts to touch, so the calm water is completely inconspicuous and dark. One suspects that the light function is about a territorial behavior of the plankton and it signals: “Hey, here is my territory – go away!”. Now we’re going to try it ourselves with excitement. Quickly the water is stirred up with hands, legs, paddles etc. to see the spectacle. It is unbelievable how the plankton lies on the skin so that the contours of hand, leg, etc. are illuminated and clearly visible.

Pelicans spend the night in the Bon Accord Lagoon

However, we have not yet reached our destination. All group members get into their kayak or on the SUP board and continue into the Bon Accord lagoon. Counterclockwise we drive slowly very close to the coast. High trees and mangroves give nature an almost uncanny character in the shimmering darkness. Also here Duane turns on his flashlight and shines into the tops of the impressive trees. In the silence sit countless pelicans and other birds to spend the night here! We know the Bon Accord Lagoon quite well from our excursions with Alibaba Tours – but during the day there is nothing to see of the pelicans on land and the treetops are orphaned.

Mangroves are the perfect environment for luminous plankton

At the transition to the land, the roots of the mangroves, which have grown together in a rustic way, protrude into the water. Here the concentration of the luminous plankton should be densest. The temptation is great to test it directly. Actually – it shines again clearly more intensively! Somewhat surprisingly, Duane is making an offer that most members of our group are accepting.

Time for a refreshment!

The water is quite shallow, there are no dangerous animals on land or in the water – so if you like, you can jump into the lagoon! Little by little the excursionists slide from their kayaks and SUPs into the warm water and provide an impressive play of colours. With every movement plankton is swirled up and begins to shine – an unbelievable picture. Of course, anyone who doesn’t want to go into the water can stay in the boat and make the plankton glow from there.

Relaxed return trip thanks to current and wind

After all kayaks and SUP are ready for take off again, the last meters in the semicircle of the lagoon and to the sandbank in front of No Man´s Land. After translating, we fix the light on the coast to arrive at the desired destination. The return trip is a bit faster and more relaxed, as the current and wind do some of the work.

Sporty conclusion to a relaxing day

Arriving on land we learn that we have spent almost 6 kilometres on the water. Not bad for a start, is it? We certainly enjoyed it and the physical effort was kept in a very pleasant frame. Also on the two days after the tour there was nothing to feel of muscle soreness. We can also recommend this excursion to beginners and less sporty people.

After we have positioned the kayaks safely on the beach we bring the paddles back into the hall and position ourselves for a group photo. Our taxi driver is already waiting at the parking lot next door, so that this wonderful day at Pigeon Point and the Bon Accord Lagoon is finally over. We’ll be back!