The world of nature is strange…  by way of example is bioluminescent plankton.  If you aren’t familiar, many types of small (tiny) critters that live in the ocean glow with a green light when they are disturbed.  It is a very dim light, dim enough that it can be overwhelmed even by the light of a full moon, and far too dim to show up on any normal photography.  But in very dark conditions, it can be spectacular to see.  The wake behind a boat can be a glowing green trail, truly an amazing experience the first time you see it.  As far as I know, there is no good, generally accepted scientific explanation for WHY this happens, although the chemistry of HOW it happens is understood.

Here in the Chesapeake Bay, the water is rich with nutrients, and the amount of plankton is large, so the amount of green glow can be dramatic.

In the last few days Karen has discovered some new ways to experience this phenomenon. In a light rain shower, she noticed that every time a raindrop hit the water, a glowing green spot resulted.  This was interspaced by the trails left by the fish swimming around the boat.  Fun to watch.  The second discovery, was a bit more surprising.

Our toilets flush with salt water.  Imagine for a moment, you arise in the middle of the night to use the toilet.  Of course you are considerate of your sleeping boat mates, so you do not turn on a light.  As you go to flush the toilet, the incoming water fills the bowl with brilliant glowing green streaks and swirls.  What would YOU think if you hadn’t expected such  a strange sight?  I wonder what she will think the first time she flushes and a small fish is sucked into the bowl?

Today we took the opportunity to up anchor for a bit, drive over to the local marina and fill our water and fuel tanks, and empty our holding tank.  We took on about 150 gallons of diesel fuel, the first time we have filled the tank since we were in South Florida in March.  Our total tank capacity is 268 gallons.  We’ll be heading further up the bay tomorrow, forecasts are for a nice day with a good sailing breeze.