Touring a bioluminescent bay is one of the most incredible things that can be done in Puerto Rico because it is a very rare ecosystem.

There are many tourist attractions and activities on the island, but consider touring a “biobay,” as they are sometimes called, is something unique to the island and a setting you can’t find anywhere else.

For this reason, exploring the Bioluminescent Bay is consistently rated as one of the top tourist attractions on travel review sites. To give you a little insight into why this is quite unique, let’s first cover some science.

Bioluminescence occurs in many species, think of the common firefly. It also occurs in aquatic animals such as cuttlefish and squid. A bioluminescent bay is an ideal habitat for the flourishing of microscopic dinoflagellate plankton, most of which emit a bluish light as a defense mechanism when agitated. These habitats can occur in different places at different times of the year, but very few places are ideal year-round habitats. The bioluminescent bays in Puerto Rico are such places.

From Wikipedia.org

The bays of the bioluminescent dinoflagellate ecosystem are among the rarest and most fragile, the most famous being the Bioluminescent Bay in La Parguera, Lajas, Puerto Rico and the Mosquito Bay in Vieques, Puerto Rico, and Las Cabezas de San Juan Fajardo Nature Reserve. , Puerto Rico . There is a bioluminescent lagoon near Montego Bay, Jamaica.

So visiting the island and not visiting the “Bio Bays” is a bit like going to Rome and missing the Colosseum. These are experiences to take advantage of while you are in your destination

The best way to enjoy this unique experience is with a night kayak tour. The main biological bay on the island is called Laguna Granda, which can be reached from Fajardo by paddling through a narrow channel lined with mangroves. There are usually two tours and while the latter offers a darker environment against which to see the bioluminescent plankton, the former tour offers enough light to see the mangroves and enjoy the last light of sunset. Please note that swimming is not allowed to preserve the delicate chemical balance of the bay.

Although this phenomenon is a challenge to photograph and film, there is a video that represents the experience quite accurately. It covers the most popular kayak tour from Fajardo to Laguna Grande, and you can watch it here: Fajardo Bio Bay Tour Video. (less than five minutes)

If you are planning to go to Puerto Rico, participating in a biobay tour is a rare opportunity to observe this delicate ecosystem and a unique and unforgettable experience.