HarborLAB organized a public paddle to circumnavigate Manhattan at night. We launched from our GreenLaunch and picked up registered participants at Gantry Plaza State Park at nightfall. We returned before 7AM. Public participants agreed to volunteer for six hours for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention in exchange for this beautiful experience.

We had glassy conditions with favorable currents carrying us along. We didn’t see bioluminescence, perhaps because of this summer’s cooler waters, but there was a glow in our hearts. We saw night herons, city lights trailing across rippling blackness, neighborhood barbecues along quiet stretches of waterfront, great barges and ships, and a glorious sunrise.  

We even stopped for pizza and other snacks at 230AM on Broadway! Hey, it’s URBAN kayaking!  🙂