Bioluminescent

You can see this creepy, cool natural occurrence in many different places. My first experience with it was in the bay of Islands in the North Island of New Zealand. I went out on a boat tour with the Rock Adventure Cruise crew and had a great time. They brought us out in kayaks in groups and told the first to go not to tell those still waiting, then they turned off all the lights on the boat to let us see the bioluminescence around us and the boat, we even got to take the plunge into the water and see how our motion caused the water to glow brighter. Unfortunately, most cameras are not strong enough to capture the glow, and the one’s you’ve probably already seen online are vast exaggerations of what you would really see. It’s still an incredible sight and a favourite memory of mine in New Zealand.

Manta Ray dive

I’ve dived in 5 different countries and snorkeled in countless others and doing a dive at night with Manta Rays is the one thing I really regret not being able to do when I visited Hawaii. With a width of up to 7m (23 feet) these gentle giants are an awe-inspiring sight and something many divers dream to see. Sadly, due to pollution, harvesting for Chinese medicine, entanglement in fishing nets and a slow reproductive cycle these beautiful creatures are a listed vulnerable species and due to their size, most aquariums are not able to hold any rays meaning any potential reproductive efforts may be difficult to achieve.

Glow worms

A lot of people are freaked out by bugs. I’m not sure why, but they are. So, while you might think this one is freaky, most people forget the little twinkles on the celling are tiny bugs that in a high enough volume can make a room glow. You can find them in Waitomo, New Zealand and there are only two real options as I write this. Another place I got to see glow worms (in a natural setting) in New Zealand is Doubtful sound (which had incredible weather for the 2 days I was there, which is rare based on what I’ve been told) Staying up and taking a small walk from our accommodation up a little hill to see a wall glowing, covered with the tiny worms. The worms can be found a few other places, including Australia, but I didn’t get to witness them there unfortunately.

Auroras (Borealis/ Australis)

Growing up in Canada, I heard about the Northern lights often. I camped a lot and had the pleasure of having Scout leaders that wanted us to know the history of the land and the beliefs of the people who first settled here. I was told stories form the Algonquin, Iroquois, Mi’kmaq and Mohawk people among other first nations groups that existed around Quebec (which is from the Algonquin word ‘Kébec’ meaning ‘Where the river Narrows’) Canada (which comes from the Iroquois word ‘Kanada’ which means village). One of the stories that remains in my mind is a story from the Cree nation, in which they believe that the lights are the spirits of loved ones and friends who have passed but use the lights to try to communicate with those they left behind in death.

Be forewarned, the actual viewing of the auroras can be underwhelming, while in Australia I tried to see it in Tasmania but while it had been clear and sunny all day, a few clouds rolled in at night and blocked what little we might have seen, though I saw a tiny flash of green and counted that as a win. The stunning photos we see are long exposure of the sky, that may or may not be visible to the naked eye. The best time to see the auroras varies based on the location, but it’s best to see them in the darkest time of year which is winter, with some places not seeing any sun for 24 hours (and seeing sun all day in the summer).

A night Hike to see lava flows glow

Lava is a dangerous but beautiful part of nature that fascinates many. This is one time I urge you to take a guided tour if you want to do this. Lava and volcanoes can be unpredictable, and a good guide can ensure you’re safer than just pulling over and taking a hike into the unknown. Even while on tours people have been hurt when the unpredictable happens, a woman on a boat tour suffered “Major leg Trauma” after being hit in the leg with lave that flew onto the boat injuring an additional 13 people, and another man who “had his leg shattered” after flying lava hit him below the shin as he sat on his balcony.

Full moon party

Full moon parties started in 1988 and have been going strong ever since. Having a party just about one time every month, the only thing that has ever really cancelled a party was out of respect for the cremation of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who was and still is much loved by the people of Thailand. Lights, music, Fireworks, and thousands of people are standards at these parties now, which according to at least one site charges 100 baht

Night Safari

Night safaris of all kinds can be found in many locations, with Singapore being one of the top destinations. Many animals that we go looking for are nocturnal so we all get photos of them sleeping or otherwise relaxing during the day, but at night they and other creatures that may have been hiding come to life and we get to see them in all their majesty. Keep in mind, many places that have night tours ban flash photography and flashlights (so don’t be that person who goes around with your flash on!). Most places that have tours of zoos or that take you into the wilderness to find the creatures start after sun down which can be anywhere from 5pm to 9 or 10 pm depending on the location and time of year.

Night Snowshoeing

This probably has a few people scratching their heads but snowshoeing at night is an incredible experience. My recommendation is to do it far out in the country when there are trees but where you’re able to be in a clearing and look up and see the stars (and maybe a few planets!) Taking a walk at night in the winter is different especially when there’s as much snow as what I grew up with. For those who haven’t grown up with snow, it acts as a natural insulator and that can make it eerily quiet and still when you stand still. For those not convinced, you can always hike with a good pair of boots and leave the snowshoes at home, but I’ve found that people seem to have more fun when they stay on top of the snow, rather than sinking into it.

Ghost tours

I know, I know. So many people put these on lists and they’re usually full of it. But ghost tours are available in just about every city and even if you don’t have any encounters of the dead kind you can see a city in a unique way. Many guides with night/ghost tours will tell you the dark parts of a buildings history that a daytime, more family-oriented tour might leave out. You also get to see buildings that normally are crowded by tourists and can likely get a photo of them almost as clearly as you would during the day, as many buildings are lit up at night to accentuate their features, and who knows, maybe you really will run into a few ghosts.

Light festivals

Light festivals can take many shapes. In Sydney they have Vivid, where they light up the opera house, Montreal has an official light festival that occurs in the coldest part of winter, but my preference is one that makes you look around the city for different videos at historic places. Most festivals I know of are free, but all of them are ready to dazzle you with tiny and not so tiny lights. Be prepared, many of these events have been around for years so that means many locals and visitors are going to be ready to start the party as soon as they open the flood gates (yes, even in the middle of our frigid Canadian winters), so make sure you dress accordingly because there’s a chance there will be line ups at some point during your visit.