Here's a question for you...

[wendymichele]

Hello all,
I have a question for those wise in ther ways of the water and what lives close to shore. I was so curious about what this may have been that I was tempted to log on when I got home last night, which was late. O.K., here's the the senario- I'm at the short wall fishing the ebb, getting skunked as usual. I'm starting to get bored so I'm looking around. I look at the rocks below my feet and see a flash of blue. Just a quick flash that scoots across the water. And the water is shallow where I see it . Now I start paying attention. I keep seeing it and as I fumble with my flash light it disappears. It looks like bioluminesence, but I've never heard of that inshore. I've only heard of that in very deep water. The spots varied in size from about a half dollar to maybe a nickle. You'd see them and then they'd be gone. I was literally running around in circles trying to figure out what it was. Anyone have any idea?

[Bill]

Its just what you thought it was.Phospherous or "Fire" in The water is a common . Its always there its just that on some nights you will see it more on some than others depending on how churned up the surf is or how dark the night is. We have a full moon on the 24th so my bet would be that the stronger tides brought it out off the bottom more than usuall.Last night was also cloudy.

Some people say they never catch fish when the stuff is around.When there is alot of it in the water, limit your use of hardware or anything that can reflect it.It can make a plug or lure look ten times its size.I always use bait when that stuff stirs.You see much more of it on the cape than you do in rhody.

[Bill L]

Some small jellyfish will biolume. A spot in the Pond I like to anchor or drift over at night has a deep hole with a sand bar with eel grass at the end. When the tide flows strong up over the bar, the jellyfish tumbling over the bottom light up -- some nights its a regualr light show. It may have been jellies bumping on the rocks at your feet

[redcrbbr]

jellyfish will light up, and when the water gets a bit warmer so will plankton. it's almost a family tradition to go swimming at the beach in mid august at night so the family can experience the trails made while moving thru the water. you can pick the jelly fish up in your hand and see the glow close up. just make sure you don't pick up a man-o-war

[wendymichele]

I didn't realize you'd find it right on the shore. You learn something new every day. Thanks for the info.

[Jenn]

first time I noticed it I had been on a 48 hour long "cape marathon" (meaning no sleep and pure fishing after a very long ride)

anyway.....to say the least I thought I was hallucinating or something from lack of sleep! (thank god someone set me straight or I might have gone mad.... )

, getting skunked as usual.

We have the same kinda luck??????

[Saltheart]

You can sometimes see great light shows at Weekapaug in the fall. All black out there then , here and there ,the blue glows. Not little tiny spots but big areas about 3 feet across. Or maybe its many little ones all together in an area glowing. Sometimes big areas moving. You know that's a fish disturbing them as it swims by causing them to flouresce. And you know the real big glows must be real big fish! I've seen it dozens of times there.