Bioluminescent Bay Kayaking Tours in Puerto Rico

See the Glow-in-the-Dark Phenomenon with Enchanted Island Eco-Tours

Apr 23, 2009

Vacationing in Puerto Rico? Don't miss the otherworldly experience of kayaking through Laguna Grande to view glowing organisms.

In a bay on the northeast corner of Puerto Rico live microscope dinoflagellate (plankton) that "light up" when they are agitated. Visitors to this Caribbean island can glimpse this natural wonder up close and personal on a kayaking tour of the "bioluminescent bay" with longtime operator Enchanted Island Eco Tours.

Before booking a bio bay tour, check out this moon phase calendar. The best viewing of this fascinating glow-in-the-dark phenomenon takes place when the moonlight is minimal. Puerto Rico vacationers who are on the island when the moon is full may want to forego this adventure. However, there is a "Full Moon Eco Kayak Tour" that offers a different kind of evening experience.

Laguna Grande Bio Bay Kayaking Tour

Book a bioluminescent bay nighttime kayaking adventure (at 6:15 or 8:15 p.m.) with Enchanted Island Eco Tours directly through the website to save money over purchasing it from a hotel's tour desk, which marks up the price. Kayakers can also arrange for transportation to the kayaking spot from a San Juan hotel, if you don't have a rental car (or don't want to drive in the horrible traffic in and out of the city). The ride from San Juan to Fajardo is about 90 minutes, depending on traffic. Tip: Consider booking the 6:15 p.m. tour, so you are sure to begin your adventure while it's still light out. In the fall through spring, participants might be beginning their tour in the dark at 8:15 p.m.

Once participants arrive by shuttle van to the kayaking meeting spot (technically in the fishing village of Las Croabas), they fill out and sign a waiver, get outfitted with personal flotation devices and receive thorough safety instruction. Guides point out that it's highly unlikely anyone will need to know how to get back into the two-person kayaks after falling out, but they'll show everyone how to do it anyway!

Kayaking through Mangroves to Bio Bay

Then kayakers set off in a single-file line toward a tunnel of mangroves. Typically, there's a guide leading the pack, one in the middle, and one taking up the rear to help out stragglers or anyone who's having trouble paddling in a straight line. (Participants do not need kayaking experience, but it certainly helps. If anyone is new to the sport, they should simply follow the guides' instruction. Guides will tow paddlers if they are really having trouble.)

The channel through the mangroves is a bit twisty, and kayaks have to navigate carefully to avoid running into branches. But it's not unusually for wayward kayaks to bump into the mangroves or bump into other kayaks. It's all part of the adventure, so don't worry about it!

Seeing the Bioluminescent Bay

After paddlers exit the mangroves and reach the center of the lagoon, the guides give instruction n how to form a sort of floating raft; participants hold onto one another's paddles so no one floats away. A lead guide explains the science and ecology of the area, and all the factors that come together to create the perfect habitat to support the bioluminescent creatures.

Once the sun fully sets, and participants wave their hands in the water, they can see what happens when the organisms "light up." When it's time to head back toward the mangroves, every stroke of the paddle agitates the dinoflagellates for an amazing sight in the water. Swimming fish also leave a trail of neon behind them.

The return trip to the mangroves is in the dark, but each paddler is outfitted with a little light, and the kayaks have lights on them as well. Negotiating the mangrove channel is a little tricky in the dark, but thoroughly manageable, even for kayaking novices. However, participants feel a wonderful sense of accomplishment when they are finished with this tour. After all, kayaking on this two-hour adventure does involve some moderate to strenuous paddling, but it's oh-so worth it for the once-in-a-lifetime adventure.

The copyright of the article Bioluminescent Bay Kayaking Tours in Puerto Rico in Puerto Rico Travel is owned by Kara Williams. Permission to republish Bioluminescent Bay Kayaking Tours in Puerto Rico in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.