Starlight Under Your Feet

Awestruck By The Marvels of Nature in Vieques, Puerto Rico

It was a new moon, and the stars glittered in the sky above us, here in the middle of the bay, far from any city lights. Gliding through the water with each stroke of the paddle, we watched as more starlight rushed beneath our feet, under the bottom of our clear kayak, here in the world's brightest, more iridescent bioluminescent bay in Vieques, Puerto Rico.

It reminded me of those moments in the Star Wars saga on the big movie screen, when the Millennium Falcon would jump to light speed in hyperdrive. The rush of light beneath your feet on a silent bay is awe-inspiring, and we took it all in silently, marveling at nature.

It was a return to the bio bay for me. I had first traveled here back in 2005 during graduate school at Harvard, when a classmate who was originally from Vieques organized a trip there for 18 of us. One night, we headed out to the bioluminescent bay which is reputed to the brightest one in the world.

It was the most miraculous experience of my life in nature. Back in those days, you could still swim in the bioluminescent bay, and I dove in from the boat. The experience of being surrounded by millions of dinoflagellates, which are essentially like millions of under-water fireflies, was so astonishing that I removed my bikini top and bottom so that I could experience it naked... It felt even more miraculous and sacred that way.

When you swam through the water, your movement created a butterfly of neon light in your wake. We had wings underwater - neon wings of light.

You could cup your hands, fill them with water and pour it over your head - and it was as if stars were raining down on your from heaven. Just. Plain. Dazzling. I was in total awe!

That first night in the bio bay, I had a spiritual awakening.... (to be continued)