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Bio-luminescence in South Goa

Have you ever craved for a peaceful holiday alongside some pristine beaches? Read on…


South Goa is pleasantly different from north Goa. Sometimes it gets hard to believe they both are a part of the same place. South Goa is less crowded, greener, has several steep winding ghat sections, lagoons and most importantly some beautiful beaches. This trip to South Goa did surprise us and how!



It was a monsoon evening on a beach in south Goa. Along with a couple of friends, we decided to hit the Betalbatim beach to enjoy a sunset. Betalbatim is one of the more calm and quiet beaches we visited in South Goa. There was something so calming the sun setting into the cloudy sunset, and we loved it. There were pockets of people taking a stroll, an enthusiastic bunch playing football, kids flying kites alongside the clear waters of its shoreline. Soon after the sunset, we decided to try out some long exposure photography tricks with some steel wool. Not so long past sunset, people in the vicinity soon left, and we were just four people on the beach. We set up the tripod and tried lighting up the steel wool. The wool wouldn’t light-up thanks to the constant sea breeze, and we began getting restless as we run out of matches.


Just then, We noticed a bright light on the waves, and it looked like the moon reflecting on the white waves and ignored it the first time. But I saw it again. Something was lighting up the waves with a shade of blue every time a couple of waves hit the beach sand. I was in awestruck when I realized what it was. The Bio-luminescence! and I was seeing it in a south goan beach. People travel as far as South America to witness these fascinating natural phenomena.



What is Bioluminescence?


Bioluminescence is the production and emission of light by a living organism. These living organisms are living in the currents and tides of the ocean. When the waves hit the shore, these organisms get disturbed and emit a light-emitting pigment. This causes the bright blue light on the beach.



It got darker, and we noticed that the lights were getting more mysterious as well. Glowing like some LED lights were attached to the waves. It was starting to be more prominent towards the right side of the beach. We packed our camera and ran towards the right along the beach. One of my friends noticed that when we are walking on the sandy beach, and when we placed our feet, the surrounding area started glowing. It was like we are part of the avatar world. Imagine you are on a beach that glows, and there’s nobody on the beach but you. Such a magical moment and would never forget that feeling.



We settled down and decided to enjoy the light show. The colour of the bioluminescence was a faint blue with a little green; It got stronger and wilder with time. It started spreading between the waves. The tide got higher, and the lights got closer. It’s always a strange feeling to see nature display its art. These lights were one of the most beautiful things I had seen in my life after the Northern Lights.



The world is full of beautiful things and gorgeous lights. What we saw that day seemed so ethereal and out of the world, quite literally. We were at the right beach, at the right time, with the right kinds of equipment to shoot something like this. Did we get lucky, or did we get lucky? 🙂


Go out there. Make plans. Don’t follow them. Stay a little longer. Wait for the crowd to leave. Do daring things. Protect the environment. The world will surprise you. It will award you with such brilliant things. 🙂



If you want to visit south goa and try your luck to see the lights, stay at Vivenda Dos Palhacos. It’s roughly 10 mins drive from this beach and is a gorgeous place to stay.


So, will South Goa be your next check-in?

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