Phosphorescent Dolphin Display

[gm4caq]

Just completed a trip from Kinsale to Rhu that involved an overnighter from Kinsale past Cork to Tusker Rock.
I was treated to a fantastic display by a pod of dolphins chasing alongside and around the boat for over three hours. The phosphorescence in the water made it a superb sight with streaks of yellow light marking the dolphins as they played around the yacht. In particular, they had a special trick. They would race ahead and put a shoal of fish into our path, then race throught the shoal causing them to leap out of the water like sparklers. This happened three times, so I am sure it was not a coincidence.
I have searched the web, and found a few references to dolphins and phosphorescent displays around southern Ireland, but nothing about the shoal of fish trick.
It was something I will always remember, and wanted to share with this group.

Fantastic.

Bob

 

[Danny Jo]

Sounds magical. One of the good things about sailing is that, no matter how good a time you've had, there's always more to look forward to.

 

[Woodentop]

I have seen something similar. Sailing along at night by myself (from the Azores to Falmouth), There was a glow from the bow so I went to have a look.

The phosphorescence was very strong, each wave lit up the bow. Then I saw the fireworks - as the boat moved over fish they would "flick" and trigger a burst of light.

I moved up and sat on the bowsprit to watch. A fish, about 3 foot down would suddenly burst into action and produce a football sized cluster of green dots as the phosphorescent algae triggered.

Then three dolphins appeared, looking as if they were covered in luminous paint, clearly visible up to several feet down and as we passed through another shoal of fish the "light explosion" was fantastic. Like a superb fireworks display with the big starbursts but on a smaller scale below my feet rather than up in the air.

My jaw dropped and I remember thinking that was the first time I had ever had a real jaw dropping experience. It was a stunning display for about half an hour as the luminous dolphins twisted and turned below the bowsprit and the fish scattered.

Then it ended, I went to sleep and woke up to find the boat sailing on for another day.

 

[snowleopard]

I have seen dolphins by night several times. Crossing Biscay in a calm we could see every detail of the dolphins outlined in phosphorescence. On another crossing, this time from higher up on the deck of a square rigger, we had them with us for a whole watch, diving round and under the ship. Occasionally they would find a shoal of fish which would explode outwards trailing plumes of light, just like a firework exploding. Magic.

 

[Slow_boat]

Funny, I've been in most seas of the world in my lifetime and the first time I saw true phospheresence was a couple of years ago anchored up a creek in Essex watching the seals leaving trails and the anchor chain lit up. It's my favorite anchorage now. The phospheresence isn't always there but the seals are.

Magical.

 

[Noddy]

I too saw phospherescent dolphins. Very impressive.

How would you set about photographing them?

Paul

 

[philmarks]

Similar experience Crosshaven to Falmouth /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif, all night, but without the shoals of fish /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Have seen dolphins many times at night, but the conjunction with strong phosphorescence was magical and only on that one accasion.

 

[lenseman]

Many have been to sea but some have never seen phosphorescence.

The first time I saw it was when I was doing a middle watch with the Sunk Pilots in the 60's.

Absolutely magical, one of the "Seven Wonders of the Sea".

You will have to work out the other six yourself but whales broaching must rank high on the list? /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[snowleopard]

If you want to see phosphorescence, don't turn on the light when flushing the heads at night. You can often see sparks of light as the water enters the bowl.

 

[lenseman]

Phosphorescence was the downfall of a number of German submarines during World War II.

They used to surface a night to recharge their batteries and it was the surface phosphorescence trail that was the give away.

The allied bombers used to drop the depth charges where the trail stopped hoping to catch the submarine just after a 'crash-dive'. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[longjohnsilver]

Did a night dive quite a few years ago and can clearly remember the phospheresence on the smb line, just shook it na dalmost all the way to the surface 20m above it looked like sparklers going off. Magical.