![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0eNGne-Mzn1kicz5Fw6qV7H3NIpilIpq1Uigkpfnga6B92y5EfLM5qoxpjpRYchv-7E3Nv2iGArciaV6t69uHnr09MXY0FbJulm3UtMnJHhlIiHMcoc-zzshmc8OFBXeYk0l2Uw/s200/phos.jpg)
On the way back to Shiraishi Island, at about 11:00 pm, the phosphorescence in the water was very bright. This photo is looking down at the water from the side of the boat. You don't have to be on a boat to see the phosphorescence, however. You can set it off by throwing a stone into the water from the beach or by just walking in the shallow water--anything that causes the water to stir. But nothing compares to the brightness a boat creates as it plows through the water at a good speed.
Some people go night kayaking to see this phenomenon. It is quite beautiful as each time you put your paddle in the water, it is rewarded with a spray of underwater light. On the island, they call this phosphorescence "umi hotaru" or sea fireflies.