Magic in the Marshes: Bioluminescence at New Teakettle Creek, GA
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes – SBFL Stop 36 – Planned – Hey there, fellow boating adventurers on the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (ICW)! Welcome back to our Slow Boat to Florida journey (SBFL)! If you’re just hopping on board, we’ve been planning a cruise on the ICW to Florida starting in just outside of Annapolis, Maryland. But no worries if you’re late to the party—this is the SBFL journey, and we’re all about taking our sweet time.
Journey to St. Simons Island
So, last time, we soaked up the charm of Savannah, Georgia and then Richmond Hill as well.Now, we’re setting sail towards the Golden Isles and our next stop: the lovely St. Simons Island. The Golden Isles sit pretty along Georgia’s Atlantic coast, nestled between Savannah and Jacksonville, Florida. This region boasts the city of Brunswick and barrier islands like St. Simons Island, Sea Island, Little St. Simons Island, and Jekyll Island. Ever heard of Driftwood Beach on Jekyll Island? It’s famous for its gigantic pieces of driftwood, and it’s a must-see!
But before we get all cozy on St. Simons Island, we have a little detour planned—New Teakettle Creek. This spot is extra special because it was one of the favorites of Dorothea and Stuart E. Jones of National Geographic back in 1958. As our avid readers know, we’re following in their adventurous footsteps. Referring to this part of their journey from Isle of Hope to St. Simons Island, they called it the gateway to the “Golden Isles of Guale.” Along the way, they met some not-so-friendly giant stinging horseflies!
As they meandered through Georgia’s 9,000 square miles of tidal marshland, the Joneses passed by some colorful places with names like Burntpot Island, Cane Patch Creek, and Sometime Creek. Eventually, they found themselves in Creighton Narrows, then in Old Teakettle Creek, and finally anchored at New Teakettle Creek. In 1958, the charts showed depths of 16 to 37 feet, perfect for a good night’s rest.
That night, they experienced something truly magical: phosphorescent sparkles in the water, also known as bioluminescence. What a wonderful gift of nature’s beauty. We have not been there yet to experience it, but it seems that it was a very special moment at the right time of the year. Several areas in Florida are also abundant in this stunning sight. Enterprising companies offer Bioluminescence Tours at night. If you’ve never seen it, bioluminescence is when living organisms—like animals, plants, and fungi—produce and emit light. It’s Mother Nature’s way of adding a touch of whimsy to our world. You might have heard of famous bioluminescent spots like San Juan Island in Washington state in the U.S., Koh Rong in Cambodia, Manialtepec Lagoon in Mexico, Vieques in Puerto Rico, Luminous Lagoon in Jamaica, and Hachijō-jima in Japan with its glowing mushrooms. But finding this phenomenon in Georgia? Totally unexpected and totally awesome!
New Teakettle Creek
So here we are, planning to anchor at New Teakettle Creek, hoping for our own glimpse of this natural light show. It’s a bit like chasing the Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, in Iceland or elsewhere. If you’ve seen that, you know it’s one of the most spectacular shows on Earth. Fingers crossed for some bioluminescent magic that night! It might be a lot or a little, there’s no way to know, but it’ll be wonderful if we can see it!
Stay tuned for our next stop, St. Simons Island, in our upcoming article, Stop 37. Until then, happy sailing!
Well, that’s it for now. Stay well. I hope to say hello to you if you spot my boat, Life’s AOK, in one of the locations that I’m hoping to visit in 2024.
I bid you Fair Winds and Following Seas.
Cover photo: Courtesy of Sobe Surf. An observation during Bioluminescence Tourism adventure. Florida Bioluminescence Tours Cocoa Beach offered by Sobe Surf
*SBFL stands for Slow Boat to Florida. Each numbered heading has two parts. The first is “Planned or Planning to Visit,” and when we visit the planned location, a “Visited” label appears at the beginning, next to SBFL.
Join us on our journey of discovery along the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (ICW)! We’re taking you with us, through our blog “Trips of Discovery,” as we follow in the footsteps of three National Geographic editors – Dorothea and Stuart E. Jones and Allan C. Fisher, Jr. In this series, we’ll show you the past, present, and a glimpse into the future, as we compare and contrast the locations visited by the Joneses (1958 National Geographic article, “Slow Boat to Florida”) and Fisher (1973 book, “America’s Inland Waterway”), respectively. But don’t worry, we’ll add our own personal touch by sharing our observations and interviews with local residents during our visits.
In this series, we’ll take you to some of the most historic and charming spots along the ICW and share our personal observations and experiences. Who knows, you might even be inspired to plan your own adventure!
My wife and I hope you’ll be able to join us on the journey, either by boat or by car. Don’t hesitate to reach out and share your own insights or experiences about the locations we visit. We’d love to hear from you and keep the conversation going! If not, don’t worry, you can still follow along as armchair travelers! So sit back, relax, and let’s embark on our Trips of Discovery of the ICW.
