Man Dipped His Hand Into Florida’s River Water — It Came Out Covered in Glowing Specks of Blue

The waters of Florida pulsate with an invisible scientific marvel that can only be experienced at the touch of a hand. Every summer, tourists book boats and kayak rides at the Indian, Banana, and Mosquito river lagoons to witness and feel this magic up close. As their boats disturb the waters during sundown, this magic comes alive in the form of a surreal blue-green glow. In a viral video, photographer Patrick Coyne (@patrickc_la) documented this sight while boating in the waters of Florida’s Indian River. “It’s still one of the most amazing nights I have ever had, and I hope that we get that again,” he wrote in the caption.

Coyne posted the video in late July this year, but according to the description, he filmed it two years ago on Florida’s Merritt Island. “I had some of the craziest bioluminescence in Florida,” he wrote. In the video, the backdrop remains cloaked in darkness until a hand emerges on the screen. The hand appears to be dipping into water. As the hand comes in contact with the water, the water lits up with a charming neon blue glow. The glowing light surrounds the hand, and as Coyne pulls his hand out from the water, shimmery blue particles cling to its shape, looking like a cluster of stars.

Coyne explained that these sticky particles actually have a name in biology. “Sticky bio,” he said, and added, “It would stick to your hands with thousands of tiny blue dots.” According to Adaya Way Kayak Tours and other science outlets, this is not an unusual sighting in Florida. The waters of these rivers, namely Indian, Banana, and Mosquito, are densely concentrated with microscopic organisms called “dinoflagellates” at this time of the year. These organisms, along with comb jellies, "respond to mechanical agitation" by emitting glowing lights.

This is both a defense mechanism to disorient predators and a strategy to attract mates. The flinging, dipping, and stroking movements of the paddle agitate and irritate this concentration of organisms, reacting to which they illuminate the surrounding water with glittering lights. Everything that passes or flits through this water area or takes a dip, a manatee, a dolphin, an osprey, or a human, becomes blanketed by this glow. Oftentimes, a traveller catches a live comb jelly and squishes it with their fingers. The squeezed jelly erupts into a surreal bluish glow, after which they release it is released back into the water, as seen in a video by BK Adventures.

As for Coyne, the sight remained an unforgettable experience during the trip, as he fondly recalled in a comment. “I still dream about this night! I can’t wait for what we get this year.” Meanwhile, his video prompted a flurry of poetic comments from the viewers. “This is truly magical. It's crazy to think how nature can consistently surprise you if you slow down and look in the right places,” commented @creative_soul.17. @moonquakergirl wrote, “Bioluminescence is just one more thing that makes the earth incredible.” @voyager_mouse said, “I want my skin to look like this perpetually. The second, there is tattoo ink that glows (not under a black light), I’m in it.”

You can follow Patrick Coyne (@patrickc_la) on Instagram to watch more breathtaking videos of bioluminescence.