El único Panamá - Week 12

Welcome to our weekly series about the uniqueness of Panama!

photo: Pinterest

The Caribbean water glows like a 'Sea of Stars'.

Something magical happens in Bocas Del Toro. The Caribbean water literally lights up with the swirl of your paddle or the motion of you body as you as move through the sea. You will feel like you are swimming through stars.

This magical experience is caused by Bioluminescence. The light is produced by a chemical reaction that occurs in an organism. It occurs at all depths in the ocean, but is most commonly observed at the surface.

According to biologybiozine.com, "The creatures behind the mysterious bluish-green glow in the oceans surface waters are tiny organisms called dinoflagellates. Dinoflagellates do not glow all the time. Instead, they flash their bluish-green light when movement disturbs the water they live in. Scientists hypothesize that the sudden flashing of light serves to startle and illuminate attacking predators. Rather than becoming lunch themselves, the dinoflagellates make their predators the prey for even larger organisms. And, in the ensuing chaos, the dinoflagellates are able to safely escape."

There are literally thousands of micro-organisms that have the ability to glow in the dark producing a one-of-a-kind visual experience.