Cluster

The publication collects the work of the photojournalist Ana García on the phenomenon of bioluminescence on the beaches of the area.

The Dolmen of Dombate Archaeological Centre today hosted the presentation of the book Mar de ardora , in which the photojournalist Ana García Suárez compiles spectacular images of this bioluminescent phenomenon on different beaches of the Costa da Morte. Galicia is one of the little more than 200 places in the world where the sea of ardora (milky sea) can be observed, the bright blue nocturnal glow caused by the accumulation of the micro-organism Noctiluca scillantis in the sea water.

In the presentation of the book, organized by the Galicia Tourism Cluster with the collaboration of the Xunta, through the Galicia Tourism Agency, the City Council of Cabana de Bergantiños and the Provincial Council of A Coruña, participated the president of the Cluster, Cesáreo Pardal; the mayor of Bergantiños, José Muíño; and the delegate of the Xunta in A Coruña, Gonzalo Trenor, together with the professor of Physics and scientific popularizer Jorge Mira.

With this book, the Tourism Cluster makes the phenomenon of the sea of ardora available to the public, which according to its president “is another gift of this magical Galicia with a nature that never ceases to surprise us and provide us with opportunities to enjoy”.

Cesáreo Pardal pointed out that Ana García’s book “gives us the privilege of visiting the sea of ardora in the Costa da Morte whenever we want” without losing the opportunity to see it live. Pardal stressed that the challenge of seeing this phenomenon is already an attraction for those who visit us and another attraction for Galicia, specifically for sea tourism “always under the premises of sustainable development, supported by digital transformation and hand in hand with the communities in which our activities are carried out”.

These principles govern the Destination Sustainability Plans promoted by the Xunta, which with more than 30 million euros of Next Generation funds contemplate up to 13 projects to promote the coast as a tourist attraction.

In this sense, the president of the Galicia Tourism Cluster stressed that “sustainability is the axis of the tourism strategy that we share from the public and private sector. It is the only one possible now and in the future, if we want a future for tourism.

For her part, the author, Ana García, said that the book presented today is “my portrait of the Costa da Morte for everyone to love, feel and enjoy. It is unique and unrepeatable”. García stated that “putting the camera at the service of the unique spectacle of the ardora sea was a privilege” and that the “ardora sea is also a reflection of my concerns and my desire to tell the world what few of us can see”.

From legend to reality

Since ancient times, the ardora sea has been a legend, a myth passed on by word of mouth by sailors who told of having seen burning, luminous or phosphorescent seas on their voyages.

Jules Verne popularised the myth when he first mentioned its existence in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea at the end of the 19th century. And the legend began to give way to science when, from 1915 onwards, scientists began to record the phenomenon. But it was not until 90 years later that the first photographs of the ardora sea in the Indian Ocean were published.

Since then, more than 200 ardora seas have been documented in the Indian Ocean, in Indonesia, Africa, south of Portugal, in Puerto Rico and also here in Galicia, in different points of the Costa da Morte, the Atlantic Islands and the Rías Baixas.