Kayaking on Kochi’s bioluminescent backwaters

Experience the magical bioluminescence phenomenon in Kochi's backwaters with guided kayak tours under the night sky.

It is that time of the year in Kochi, when the shrimp farms along the backwaters are sparkling in blue shimmer. ‘Kavaru’ or bioluminescence, the environmental phenomenon that gives the waters an electric blue backlight, is now a looked-forward to event on the tourist’s calendar. People from various parts of Kochi and outside visit the fishing villages of Kumbalangi and Chellanam where it is most visible. 

Travel and adventure sports companies have curated packages around the phenomenon that usually occurs during the March-April months in these regions.

Kayakify, a canoe and kayak tour agency based in Kumbalangi in Kochi, has been offering tours that let tourists enjoy bioluminescent waters at night. These one-hour sessions take tourists into the shrimp farms in Chellanam on kayaks and canoes.

Edwin Joseph, the founder of Kayakify, says kayaking is a relatively sustainable and safe way to enjoy the beauty of the phenomenon. “Bioluminescence occurs only when there is movement on the water’s surface, so visitors tend to throw stones and sticks into the water or sometimes even jump into it to see bioluminescence, which could adversely affect the fish ecosystem. With kayaking, the paddles trigger luminescent ripples, which don’t harm the delicate ecosystem,” says Edwin.

The Kumbalangi-based company had organised bioluminescent kayaking tours last year too on a small scale. The kayaks are two-seaters, there are single seaters as well. Country boats are used as canoes. The tourists would be accompanied by trained instructors and they would be made to wear safety jackets as well. “Since we are doing this on a farm, the waters are not deep. It is safe even for very young children,” says Edwin.

The phenomenon is only visible at night, so the tours typically start from 8pm and go on till 1am.

Arthi Dharmaraj’s travel company Out in Dreams, based in Coimbatore, has already organised two group trips to Kumbalangi in March. “A large part of the popularity of bioluminesence in Kochi can be attributed to Instagram. We usually get a mixed crowd for these group tours and we get questions about the phenomenon, too,” says Arthi. “Bioluminescence is usually more common in oceans and people are curious to understand how it happens in the backwaters,” says Arthi.