Lights in the Dark - Phosphorescence Hunting

Went on a nocturnal adventure this evening down the Menai Straits in Canoes and Kayaks. Tide times and sunsets and light winds all aligned in our favour for a journey through the big bridges from Menai Bridge to Y Felinheli. With glowstick attached to our backs, so as not to loose sight of each other in the dark, we set off into the gloom at around 18:30.

The tide was rushing through the bridges at an incredible rate, so no paddling was required to start with - just steering to avoid the hazards of bridge stanchions, eddie lines, boils, whirlpools and of course, Swellie Rock. We tucked into the eddie behind the marker post in the centre of the straits as water gushed past at a mesmorizing rate of knots, then carried on down, through Britannia Bridge, to where the speed reduced as the channel widens. As it became properly dark, we investigated each little beach, cove and cave (well, man made cave).

Once it was dark, as our paddles disturbed the plankton in the water, little lights, like shooting stars lit up and glowed in the water. A magical natural phenomena. Some of the seaweed could be picked up and glowed in our hands, or when we splashed water up against the wall, it glowed on impact. Best of all was when I was able to pick up a small circle of plankton that glowed in a little ring of light in the palm of my my hand. Totally incredible.

After firing through the bridges at top speed, feeling like we'd be at the end before it got properly dark, we ended up spending ages splashing the water and gasping in amazement at the natural phenomena. John and Bex even got out of their boats to swim through the mini-solar systems that glowed with every ripple. The final paddle across to Y Felinheli was tiring. Not because it was a long way - because it had been a long day and was now nearly 21:00 and I'd not eaten since having a sandwich at lunch.

We quickly stripped out of our kit having made landfall, then, somewhat crushingly, discovered that the village take-away was closed on Wednesdays! However the pub was across the road, so all was not lost! A pint of shandy and a packet of Nobby's Nuts sufficed for the night's dinner as the kitchen had already closed. It made for a great finish to the adventure, sat around a big table in the warmth of the bar trading stories.