Parties, jetskis, second homes: how tourism threatens one of the world’s only bioluminescent bays

An aerial view of La Parguera’s bioluminescent bay in Lajas, Puerto Rico, on 3 September 2022. Photograph: Ricardo Arduengo

Every year, tourists from across the globe flock to the south-west corner of Puerto Rico to witness a phenomenon found in only a few select locations worldwide.

Here in the idyllic coastal region of La Parguera in Lajas, the main attraction is a bay by the same name: filled with microscopic plankton that can glow in the dark, the bay turns into a sparkly blue lagoon after sundown. This is one of the only bioluminescent bays in the world; nighttime visitors rush to see it up close, pushing off into the shimmering waters in kayaks.