night diving for ostracods on Kauai?

[song]

a couple of years ago our B&B owner on Bonaire told us about the spawning ostracods (sea fireflies), best seen 3 days after the full moon 40 minutes or so after sunset just past the reef drop off; turn *off* all dive lights and watch the beauty of tiny little sparkles rising from the reef like pixie dust. Such a beautiful & magical experience!! (There was mention of ostracod spawning in the latest edition of Alert Diver).

we're heading to Kauai towards the end of this month. Has anyone ever seen this ostracod phenomenon in Hawaii? Is the optimal timing a few days past the full moon? Can anyone recommend a good & logistically easy night shore dive site to look for ostracod spawning? We'll be staying in Princeville but we know that there's a much bigger selection of shore dive spots in the south.

 

[friscuba]

From wikipedia:

"Some ostracods have a light organ in which they produce luminescent chemicals. Most use the light as predation defense, while some use the light for mating (only in the Caribbean). In Malaysia, these ostracods are called "blue sand" and glow blue in the dark at night."

Sounds like a Caribbean event.

 

[smellzlikefish]

...however the bioluminescence at night here can be spectacular. The other night I was walking out from Haleiwa Trench to put on my fins and could see my footprints glowing in the shallow bottom from above the water.