Night snorkeling is a rare activity in the Caribbean. While it's thrilling, it's a pain in the ass. It's completely dark out, waivers need to be signed, etc. Furthermore, the water sports team wants to go home for dinner, and you can't swim without a guide, so begging is your best shot if there's a hotel that offers it. Fortunately, I was staying at St. Lucia's Jalousie Plantation, one of the few places in the Caribbean islands—and, as far as I know, the world—to offer night snorkeling.

At Jalousie, there's a natural reef that lines Petit Piton mountain, so sea creatures are abundant. The other big draw is the fact there's tons of glowing marine plankton underwater, similar to the bioluminescent Bay in Puerto Rico. It's unusually fascinating - the plankton glows when it feels like it's being attacked, so as you sway your arms under water, your whole body seems to radiate like a star or, as I liked to think, a superhero (provided it's pitch dark - best with no moonlight).

My guide, Joseph, went in with a wetsuit, but the calm sea was like bath water. We waited until after sunset, then donned snorkel masks and flippers. We were also equipped with underwater LED flashlights. Below the surface, everything is obviously dark, save the path of the beam of the flashlight. It was also, I have to admit, a little scary. Maybe it had something to do with my friend Justin, who came face-to-face with a barracuda earlier that day. Who knew what would emerge from the dark?

We snorkeled the length of the mountain, almost a quarter of a mile, discovering all sorts of sea creatures in their nocturnal habitats, mostly darting octopi, lazy trumpetfish, and the fearless needlefish, which are attracted to the light and swim after you. Kinda frightening, considering their threateningly sharp, pointy beaks. While we skirted these fuckers, we looked for the plankton to no avail.

But then, as we turned around, I took off my mask and floated on my back - and that's when I noticed the symphony of fireflies flickering against the mountainside. In the pitch dark, the orchestration was hypnotic, magnetic, undeniably the highlight of my excursion. It looked as if the stars in the black sky were winking. I watched this phenomenon until my legs tired from kicking. Yeah, it was that commanding. So even though we never found that glow under water, we thrived on the show before us above the surface. An incredible way to end the trip, and another unexpected surprise in St. Lucia.