A dazzling phenomena is occurring in a shallow saltwater lake in coastal St Johns County, Florida. A natural light show created by multiple species of bioluminescent sea creatures was discovered in 2019 by Benjamin Brandao, owner operator of GeoTrippin’ Adventure Company. Since then, in partnership with North Guana Outpost, he has escorted hundreds of people out on Guana Lake after hours. During the day, everyone is welcome at the GTM National Estuarine Research Reserve. But it takes tickets to get in at night to see something locals didn’t know existed here until now.
How to see it for yourself? Pick a dark night. Find a guide, a kayak and a sense of adventure! Limited reservations are available for the public to have a close encounter. Certified Kayak Instructors and Ecologists accompany small groups around the lake all year. Kayaks, safety gear, plus equipment to observe specimens up close are provided by North Guana Outpost, located inside the GTM Recreation Area at 505 Guana River Road. Calendar and online ticketing can be accessed at www.geotrippin.com. Experience not required. Prices go up in the summer. Right now tickets are $50 per person for a 90 minute experience.
After discovering and confirming the persistent bioluminescence in St. Augustine’s backyard, Benjamin Brandao says “Bioluminescent Guana Lake is added to a very shortlist of places in the world to observe microscopic as well as large glowing organisms near the surface of the water practically every night of the year.”
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Providing highly qualified eco tour guides on demand, GeoTrippin’ Adventure Company is a professional ecotour guiding service. Headquartered at 291 Cubbedge Road in Crescent Beach, Florida, they promote and staff tours for top outfitters in Northeast Florida. To see a map of kayak launches or book a tour visit www.geotrippin.com.