Finding the glow: Bioluminescence hunter says he can’t get enough
Good morning. It’s Friday, Nov. 4. I’m Carol Cormaci, bringing you today’s TimesOC newsletter with the latest roundup of news and events.
A few years ago, Torrance resident Patrick Coyne started photographing bioluminescence off the coast but began chasing it in earnest in 2020 after a giant red tide bloom exploded from Southern California to Baja California, according to a look at the quest of bioluminescence hunters written by Los Angeles Times staff writer Dakota Kim.
Kim sets the scene of a night when Coyne and two other nature photographers ventured out of Newport Beach, toward Dana Point, by boat on a cold night in April 2020. They were not having any luck finding their quarry, a shot of dolphins gliding through bioluminescent plankton, the product of red tide conditions.
After three hours, they were tired, “and after logging more than 60 miles round trip during what was considered a major bioluminescence event, no marine life had come to play by the boat,” Kim writes. “Just a few hundred feet from docking at Newport’s harbor, they decided to call it a night.
“That’s when they saw it: the glow around their boat. And then, two dolphins popped up in front of the bow as if to say hello, their weaving shapes gleaming with bright blue light.
“Coyne was so shocked he dropped his gear, but soon recovered to film the pair. Another two dolphins joined, and Coyne filmed silently, in awe as they lighted up the water on his screen.
“‘The second I stopped recording, we were screaming and cheering, and I remember having tears in my eyes,’ Coyne said. ‘The world needs to see this — this is literally out of a fairy tale, a movie.’”
That’s just the beginning of Kim’s fascinating look at the efforts Coyne has made to document the exquisite blue glow that not everyone gets to see. The reporter gets this bioluminescence hunter to reveal his tips for the best outcome, should you want to join in the search.
He does recommend specifically heading to Newport Beach, Crystal Cove and Crescent Bay Beach if you want to give it a try. He also offers insights as to the best type of camera to use.
A word to the wise: Coyne told the reporter that chasing bioluminescence, once undertaken, is a difficult hobby to give up.
“For me, it’s become an addiction so beautiful to see in person that I don’t want to ever stop seeing it — it’s never enough.”
MORE NEWS
— About 150 mechanics, machinists and service technicians employed by the Orange County Transportation Authority went on strike Wednesday after contract negotiations between the Teamsters union and OCTA broke down, the union said.
— The region has experienced stormy weather over the past few days. Winds have remained high down the coastline, according to Elizabeth Schenk, meteorologist for the National Weather Service San Diego, with Huntington Beach seeing 35 mph winds early Thursday, and San Clemente beaches recording gusts up to 50 mph. By Monday and Tuesday of next week, a new system is expected to move into the area, bringing a good chance of rain, as well as more winds and cooler temperatures, officials say.
— Multiple layers of security ensure that all votes cast by O.C. residents in the upcoming Nov. 8 election will not be tampered with, election officials said during a tour of the Registrar’s office this week. Orange County Registrar of Voters Bob Page has invited any person concerned about the accuracy of the count to observe how it is conducted at his offices in Santa Ana, 1300 S. Grand Ave.
— Laguna Beach police are looking for the public’s help in the case of a man they arrested on Halloween night on suspicion of attempting to lure a 13-year-old boy into a van by offering candy. Gabriel Matthew Hernandez Stinnett, 19, of Lancaster was taken into custody at about 8:45 p.m. on Monday on suspicion of child annoyance. Members of the public with additional information about Hernandez Stinnett or who have had contact with him are asked to contact Cpl. Fred Yeilding. He can be reached at fyeilding@lagunabeachcity.net or by calling (949) 464-6687.
— Three individuals were arrested in Huntington Beach Tuesday on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, after a parking lot altercation during which they used a hammer, stick, bottle and a firearm that went off in the fracas. H.B. police officials said officers were called out at 9:45 p.m. to a business on the 16000 block of Beach Boulevard, where they discovered two adult men and one woman using weapons against one another in a fight. The trio were taken into custody without incident. Anyone who may have witnessed the incident is asked to call the Huntington Beach Police Department at (714) 375-5066.
LIFE & LEISURE
— Daily Pilot columnist Patrice Apodaca recently visited UC Irvine’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (known as OLLI) where seniors can participate in a variety of activities. “OLLI’s fall catalog reveals an array of interesting options, ranging from a lecture on the Roman Empire to writing workshops to seminars on health-related topics,” Apodaca writes in this week’s column. “The institute also offers field trips ... an excursion last spring to Planet 13, the superstore cannabis dispensary in Santa Ana, was so popular with members that it was offered again this fall. Horn and Sybersma recalled OLLI members receiving curious looks from younger customers when they showed up with extensive shopping lists and detailed questions for the ‘budtenders’ behind the counters.”
SPORTS
— USC football redshirt freshman Mason Murphy, out of Orange County’s JSerra High School, is gaining attention by the team’s veteran linemen, according to this story by L.A. Times staff writer Ryan Kartje. When Murphy made his first start as USC’s right tackle Saturday against Arizona, teammates Justin Dedich and redshirt junior lineman Jonah Monheim both referred to Murphy as the Trojans’ “most talented” player up front.
CALENDAR THIS
— British cookbook author, food writer and cooking show host Nigella Lawson will appear at the Irvine Barclay Theatre at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 26., in a program about her book “Cook, Eat, Repeat.” The event will be moderated by KCRW’s Evan Kleiman. Tickets can be found at thebarclay.org.
— Noche de Altares, or Night of Altars, returns to the streets of downtown Santa Ana tomorrow for the 20th year to celebrate the Day of the Dead. Families, artists and businesses are invited to build their own altars to honor loved ones or highlight a cause or social issue. The event will take place from 1 to 10 p.m. at Flower Street and Civic Center in Santa Ana. For more information, visit nochedealtares.info.
KEEP IN TOUCH
If you have a memory or story about Orange County, I would love to read and share it in this space. Please try to keep your submission to 100 words or less and include your name and current city of residence.
I’d appreciate your help in making this the best newsletter it can be. Please send news tips, your memory of life in O.C. or comments to carol.cormaci@latimes.com.
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