Parties, jet skies, second homes: how tourism threatens one of the world’s only bioluminescent bays

In Lajas, Puerto Rico, wealthy newcomers drive up land prices and bring construction that reduces the bay’s oxygen levels

Every year, tourists from across the globe flock to the south-west corner of Puerto Rico to witness a phenomenon found in only a few select locations worldwide.

Here in the idyllic coastal region of La Parguera in Lajas, the main attraction is a bay by the same name: filled with microscopic plankton that can glow in the dark, the bay turns into a sparkly blue lagoon after sundown. This is one of the only bioluminescent bays in the world; nighttime visitors rush to see it up close, pushing off into the shimmering waters in kayaks.