10/26/2026
What happens when the fog rolls in during a bioluminescence tour? 🌫️🌌
Sometimes, it makes the experience even better! Some of our most memorable nights on Tomales Bay have been spent paddling through fog, watching brilliant blue-green bioluminescence illuminate the water while the shoreline disappears into the mist. It can be a pretty incredible experience!
But fog also presents some very real challenges. When it gets thick enough, familiar landmarks can disappear completely. Add darkness, wind, and tidal currents, and navigating Tomales Bay becomes a much more serious undertaking. Even experienced paddlers can become disoriented when visibility drops, and currents can carry you off course without you even realizing it. That's why we carry compasses on every tour and practice using them frequently.
This is one of the biggest reasons we generally discourage folks from crossing Tomales Bay on their own at night. Fog can move in quickly, and what starts as a beautiful, clear evening can turn into challenging navigation conditions before you know it.
If you're hoping to experience the bioluminescence, we recommend joining a guided tour or camping along the bay! Camping gives you the opportunity to enjoy the glowing water right from shore without having to navigate across the bay in the dark.
We love seeing people get out and experience the magic of Tomales Bay. We just want everyone to make it home safely. 💙