Simon Jacobson on Bioluminescent Dinoflagellates

In his latest email installment Simon Jacobson writes from Ritz Carlton, San Juan, Puerto Rico on Passover 2005:

Well, when you look deep enough you�re bound to discover Divine riches, especially among the wonderful people who have joined together to celebrate Passover in the Puerto Rico (port of the rich).

Sure enough, Puerto Rico is host to one of the most spectacular Bioluminescent Bays in the world. Every object that enters the water in this unusual bay begins to glow in the night. The mysterious blue-green light is created by microorganisms, which thrive in this unique bay, also known as Phosphorescent Bay. The bay contains up to 720,000 single-celled bioluminescent dinoflagellates per gallon of water. These half-plant, half-animal organisms emit a flash of bluish-green light when agitated at night, lighting up submerged objects with an aqua-green aura.

The high concentration of these creatures � called Pyrodimium bahamense, in case you were wondering � can create enough light to read a book from.

The flashes of light are believed to be a defense mechanism used by the plankton to scare off or confuse predators -- giving the plankton enough time to escape. The glow is created from the combination of a protein and enzyme that occurs within the organism.

A trip into the Phosphorescent Bay on a moonless night is a magical experience. Fish flash by in dark water, boats take on a silver rim of light and a swim is like floating through stardust. Lie on your back and make luminescent snow angels. Raise your hand from the water and watch pellets of light drop back into the sea. A halo surrounds every piece of matter that enters the water.

Above all, these illuminating waters show us the true nature of existence. Every creature gives off light; every organism a glow. We are all bodies of energy, waiting to be ignited, waiting to shine forth.