The indexnightdatable to the day
Bioluminescence, Indian River Lagoon
Fires when new moon ±5 days AND water temp > 82F
Photograph Bruce Anderson (University of Stellenbosch). · CC BY 2.0
Dates worth protecting
- Fri, June 4, 2027in 8 months
- Sat, July 3, 2027in 9 months
- Mon, August 2, 2027in 10 months
- Tue, August 31, 2027in 11 months
- Thu, September 30, 2027in 12 months
Keyed to the new moon nearest this season. Moon dates come from a mean lunar month and can be a day out — check one before you commit a four-hour drive to it.
- Where
- Haulover Canal, Merritt Island NWR
- Drive
- 95 minutes from Lakeland
- In season
- June through September
- Peak
- July and August
- Certainty
- datable to the day
- Drone
- no
How often we have called it on
We have called this on 1 of the 6 Sundays we looked. Last on September 13. That is our own weekly verdict rather than a measurement of the trigger, and a condition that fires midweek can pass between two builds.
Flying here
National Wildlife Refuges: Launching, landing or operating from refuge land is prohibited without a special use permit. Overflight is again an FAA matter rather than the refuge's, but disturbing wildlife is separately unlawful and a drone over a roost or a colony is disturbance regardless of altitude. Treat this as a no unless you have the permit.
From the field
Dinoflagellate glow. Shore tripod works on the north bank; kayak charters sell out at new moon. The comb-jelly season that follows in November is dimmer but empty of tourists.