Red Tide Surfing
October 3rd, 2011
It’s been a while, something like two weeks… which is pretty lousy of me. But it’s been a damn productive two weeks, and I’m excited to share.
There’s been a red tide here in San Diego for the past few days. Red tide is quite an experience. Basically, phytoplankton (I believe specifically dinoflagellites) accumulate quickly and in an intense density, leaving the water a brownish-red color. My brother was in town so we had been surfing every day. We surfed a spot that was completely rust colored, so intensely that you couldn’t see a few inches below the surface of the water.
So what’s so great about red tide? Well, red tide surfing.
Red Tide Surfing San Diego 2011 Bioluminescence via Loghan Call
(watch that video. really, watch that video right now.)
The red tide at night is something to be seen. The dinoflagellites are a type of bioluminescence. They glow a bright neon blue color when moved or disrupted. So that top photo is one we took from the beach at night, while waves were crashing. You can see the electric blue color from the shore and on the sand every time you step. It’s something out of science fiction.
The rust colored water leaves little to be desired in the daylight. The strange thing is the beauty that only comes with nightfall. I guess it’s nature’s way to remind us to change our perspectives sometimes. Maybe just wait for the sun to go down.
