If it is a clear night the magic continues as the stars come out and the cloudy appearance of the milky-way fills the sky. Take ample time to enjoy the magical moments inside the small caves before returning along your course in the dark. Once its dark, discover your adventurous side as your guide leads you inside incredible small hidden caves home to galaxies of glow worms. Explore the shoreline and embrace the weather conditions of the evening as you follow your guide around the lake edge as night sets in. Your guide will then run through safety and detailed paddle board instruction before you take the helm on the water. Soak in the evening light as you gear-up and prepare for an epic night out with all necessary equipment provided. Appreciate the convenience of a pick up and return transfer from town as your friendly guide takes you past the iconic Redwood forest before you arrive at our base on the shorelines of Lake Okareka.

Only a 15 minute drive from Rotorua central city this paddle board adventure allows you to see glow worms in Rotorua without needing to drive a long distance to Waitomo Caves.

The adult life is very short which is why reproduction is essential,once the female mates and lays her eggs she dies.The Paddle Board Rotorua Glow Worm Tour is simply one of the best experiences to do in Rotorua in the evening. These are great to have around the garden as during the larvae stage they eat slugs and snails and even have poison to kill them. I also took a quick video of her glowing, followed by a shot with the phone light on her. The brighter the light the more chance of a male selecting her.Īrmed with just my mobile phone, here is a photo of her, I returned her to her spot and she lit back up again.

Using bioluminescence, they sit still with their light glowing pointing upwards to attract the male. Only the males take the form of beetles and have the ability to fly, the females remain in almost larvae form. The European Glow-worm is a species of Firefly which are actually Beetles. Tonight, a female was proudly displaying her lights to attract a male. The European Glow-worm (Lampyris noctiluca) is fairly common here in the hills, we see many of the males as they are sometimes attracted by artificial lights.

Download glowing glow worm