WTF?!?! The spotlight was on us from under the ocean!

[Latimeria]

I'll type up a (non) report later on our quest for bluefin yesterday, but I could honestly say that I was a little nervous for the first time on the ocean because I couldn't explain something.  As we were heading out of Mission Bay, it was dark as dark could be.  No moon, no light what so ever.  It was a bit bumpy from the small period swells, so it was kidney busting most of the way.  When we got into 150 feet of water, all of a sudden it looked like someone turned on a huge white spotlight under the boat!  Not bio-luminescent blue or green, but like a bright white spotlight that was about 100 feet in diameter!  It looked like a ton of micro bubbles coming up in the white light giving it a milky white appearance.

It happend over a dozen time on the way out and appeared to follow us as we would see light off the starboard bow and appear to race towards the boat and glow right under us!  I was thinking sub at first since the light was so intense, but I have no friggand idea what was going on.  All I can say is I was friggand glad when it finally stopped as we got to the ledge of the canyon. 

Once again, if it's bio-luminescence, I usually encounter it as the motor or boat hits the water and disturbs them.  This was happening in the distance and moving towards us or just glowing in such huge areas around the boat with an even brightness and never turned off.  I could see the light behind the boat as we passed it.
Like I said earlier, the light was milky white or bright white with lots of micro bubbles in it. (Not blue or blue/green light like we are used to seeing from red tide) Neither one of us wanted to stop and investigate since we originally thought it might be a sub or military divers with huge spotlights or something of that nature... 

I don't know.  I'm going to do a little investigating, but it was right up there with one of the freakiest things I've ever seen on the water. 

[xjchad]

That definitely sounds spooky!! 

[FISH86R]

Haha.. It probably was military just messing with you guys.. I've been on party boats where those fools rev up up whole freaken battleships strait at us and bank a few yards away throwing A HUGE wake.. Everyone on deck about craps there freaken pants.. Definitely some intimidating $#!+...!!

[vdisney]

This would have been me!!!!!!!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=248rUF8ubyc

[skrilla]

Narco sub. You were the rendezvous. That or a shark with a freakin' laser beam on it's head. Knowing you most likely the latter.

[Pinoyfisher]

No pics?

[Latimeria]

No pics?

We just were underway and everything was stored in the console to keep dry on the 3 hour trip out.  I wasn't expecting to see anything out there.

My preliminary search has come up with two possibilities so far.

Vibrio Harveyi - A bacteria that in great numbers causes a white bio-luminescence.

Navy training excercise.  I have a few Navy guys at my work that openly admit messing with civilians during training a few times.

More to come if I actually find anything more out.

[Chris]

Out of SD you never know. How fast were you going? Doesn't really sounds like anything the navy would be using.

[Eric H]

Underwater Aliens

[WheresMyBeer]

Creepiest story I've heard in a while. Dude wtf. If it was military, why give away position with a spotlight. You'd think stealth would be key. Anyway, would love to hear what else you can find out.