Congaree swamp’s famous synchronous fireflies off limits this year due to coronavirus
Coronavirus can’t stop Congaree National Park’s famous synchronous fireflies from their flashy annual ritual — but it will keep you from witnessing the spectacle.
The park is canceling its 2020 Firefly Festival due to ongoing concerns about the spread of COVID-19, the potentially dangerous illness caused by the coronavirus.
“The park team enjoys introducing visitors to this awesome natural phenomenon, and we know that people love the fireflies, but safety is our number one priority,” park superintendent K. Lynn Berry said in a news release Tuesday. “There are still uncertainties about where South Carolina will be along the ‘curve’ in mid-May, but there is a need for continued vigilance.”
Last year, more than 12,000 people visited the national park, located just outside of Columbia in Hopkins, to witness the rare synchronized flashing of fireflies in the swamp.
For about two weeks each spring, usually in mid- to late-May or early June, hordes of fireflies light up in unison, rather than twinkle individually as they would at other times of the year. Congaree swamp is one of only a handful of places in the world where this phenomenon, thought to be an annual mating ritual for a particular lightning bug species, can be seen by humans.
The 2020 Firefly Festival was scheduled for May 11-24.
The crowds that would be expected for the firefly viewing would make social distancing, which is recommended to reduce the spread of the coronavirus, nearly impossible. In addition to social distancing, the park chose to cancel the event because it lost time for recruiting and training volunteers and staff that would be needed to organize the nightly viewings.
The national park is currently closed to all visitors until further notice due to the pandemic.
Regardless of whether the park reopens by the time the synchronized firefly flashing begins, the park gates will be closed nightly for the duration of firefly season. This is to protect the sensitive firefly habit, which could be put at risk by crowds without a structured viewing event and safety measures for visitors.
The park’s staff is “exploring possible opportunities for virutal experiences of this natural phenomenon,” according to the news release.
