Summer 2023 Bioluminescence in Puget Sound: Best Dates

What does it take to see bioluminescence? If you’re looking for displays of glowing waves crashing into the beach, it’s probably best to head for the coast. But if you’re interested in watching sparks fly through the water as you paddle, or your entire bow wake light up, or explosions of glowing shadows as fish swim under your kayak, the Puget Sound provides plenty of opportunity. If you are new to this adventure, be sure to read tips & tricks we shared in 2020. We’ve found that the biggest factor is less about where to kayak and more about when to go. This is a naturally-occurring phenomenon that doesn’t come with a map or a schedule, so even with our best advice, we can only wish you Happy Hunting!

Summer 2023 Bioluminescence

If you’re a local paddler, we’ve pulled together the days and times you’re likely to be able to see summer 2023 bioluminescence in the Pacific Northwest. Note that the times listed below are based on sun and moon timing for our home base of Tacoma, Washington. Your local timing will vary – more info in the article linked above. We also only listed nights that have at least an hour of total darkness – that’s when we’ve always seen the most impressive displays. For ease of planning, we’ve listed each night with two dates – times listed are for the night between. In several instances, you’ll notice that total darkness actually begins the morning of the second date.

If your schedule doesn’t allow for night paddling during one of these times, don’t despair. We’ve seen the sparks of bioluminescence in lots of different circumstances. We’ve seen it in different seasons. We’ve seen it during nautical twilight. We’ve seen it in areas with a lot of light pollution – when paddling past the Port of Tacoma, bioluminescence was visible on the shadow side of our kayaks (though not the side lit by industrial port lighting). Bioluminescence is generally less vibrant during colder weather or when there’s a lot of light pollution, which is why we put this guide together every year. But “less vibrant” doesn’t mean you won’t be able to experience the phenomenon.

June 2023

We publish dates for the summer season, when your chances of catching the bioluminescence is highest.

July 2023

Early July has a lot of moonlight, but later in the month you’ll have some good opportunities.

August 2023

In our experience, the most impressive displays have always been in the heat of summer. If you can paddle an August night, that’s likely to provide a good show.

September 2023

If we are still experiencing warm, sunny days in September, that can still provide a great opportunity to see bioluminescence at night. September also brings even earlier sunsets, so as soon as moonrise shifts later (toward the end of the summer), you’ll see some opportunities that might not even interfere with bedtime too much.

We hope you have a great time – drop a comment to let us know how it went. We’d love to hear all about your summer 2023 bioluminescence paddling trips!