{"id":2996,"date":"2026-07-08T14:06:07","date_gmt":"2026-07-08T14:06:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/charlotterelocationguide.com\/?p=2996"},"modified":"2026-07-08T14:06:07","modified_gmt":"2026-07-08T14:06:07","slug":"electric-blue-waves-at-nc-beaches-best-spots-to-see-bioluminescence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/charlotterelocationguide.com\/?p=2996","title":{"rendered":"Electric blue waves at NC beaches? Best spots to see bioluminescence"},"content":{"rendered":"

AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.<\/p>\n

Read our AI Policy.<\/a><\/p>\n

Water off the coast of North Carolina sometimes glows blue, but the light can be hard to find.<\/p>\n

Read more More than 550 acres near Charlotte now belong to a New York conservation group<\/a><\/p>\n

The glow is bioluminescence from phytoplankton, which glow as they photosynthesize. Bioluminescence is usually blue or green, but has been documented in other colors.<\/p>\n

A North Carolina photographer once spent two years trying to photograph the phenomenon in the waves off the coast of the Outer Banks<\/b>, the Charlotte Observer previously reported.<\/a> Electric blue waves were also spotted in 2016<\/a>, but the microorganisms that cause the light are more frequently seen in the sound.<\/p>\n

Eli Wisden owns Outer Banks Kayak Adventures<\/a> in Kill Devil Hills. Wisden said the bioluminescence is visible in the sound when wind blows from the Southwest.<\/p>\n

While it isn\u2019t as defined as people might imagine or always visible as waves from the beach, bioluminescence can be seen throughout the summer off the coast of North Carolina<\/b>, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not like what people have pictured, in Costa Rica or occasionally down on the Florida coast, when there\u2019s massive amounts of phytoplankton in the waves and rolling up on the shore,\u201d Wisden said. \u201cIt\u2019s not as bright or as defined<\/b> as that, but if with the naked eye you can see a glow and glitter in the water<\/b>, it\u2019s pretty impressive.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wisden said his business is the only one that consistently runs kayak tours to see the bioluminescence just inside the Cape Hatteras National Seashore<\/b>.<\/p>\n

Read more Charity president used $400,000 in donations for online gambling, NC sheriff says<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cYou need to be in total darkness, so you need to know your way around where you\u2019re going and what you\u2019re doing, your eyes need to adjust, so you need to begin paddling after the sun has set, but while it\u2019s still dusk, and then you get to locations where the phytoplankton has built up<\/b>,\u201d Wisden said.<\/p>\n

Wisden said it is important to be careful if you go looking for bioluminescence, and it is easiest if you\u2019re with someone who already knows where it has been seen and knows the area.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce it\u2019s dark enough, and there\u2019s no more ambient light from the sun setting, or from nearby towns, you can begin to see it. Then you run your hands through the water, and it\u2019s like glowing glitter running through your fingers<\/b>,\u201d Wisden said.<\/p>\n

Bioluminescence is far more common in the ocean than on land. North Carolina is home to another set of bioluminescent creatures though: synchronous fireflies<\/a>.<\/p>\n

According to the National Parks Service<\/a>, the glow can serve several purposes for bioluminescent organisms:<\/p>\n

Inspired by a story from The Olympian<\/a> in Washington.<\/i><\/p>\n

Questions about life in North Carolina? Or have a tip or story idea you\u2019d like to share? The service journalism teams at The News & Observer and The Charlotte Observer want to hear from you.<\/p>\n

Read more Fruit recalled at NC Publix grocery stores after stomach illness reports<\/a><\/p>\n

You can submit your question by filling out this form<\/a><\/b>. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Discover when bioluminescent phytoplankton glow in North Carolina waters, safety tips for night viewing and how wind and darkness affect sightings.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2995,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2996","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-read-todays-edition"],"yoast_head":"\nElectric blue waves at NC beaches? 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