Bioluminescent Bay Puerto Rico – A Must-See for Any Puerto Rico Tourist
Touring Bioluminescent Bay is one of the most amazing things to do in Puerto Rico because it is such a rare ecosystem.
There are many tourist attractions and activities on the island, but consider that touring a “bio bay,” as they are sometimes called, is unique to the island and an environment that you cannot find just anywhere.
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 background on why this is fairly unique, let’s cover some science first.
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 locations at different times of the year, but very few locations are ideal habitats year-round. The bioluminescent bays in Puerto Rico are such locations.
From Wikipedia.org
Bioluminescent dinoflagellate ecosystem bays are among the rarest and most fragile, with the most famous ones being the Bioluminescent Bay in La Parguera, Lajas, Puerto Rico and Mosquito Bay in Vieques, Puerto Rico, and Las cabezas de San Juan Reserva Natural Fajardo, Puerto Rico. There is a bioluminescent lagoon near Montego Bay, Jamaica.
So visiting the island and not visiting the “Bio Bays” is a little bit like going to Rome and missing the Colosseum. These are experiences to take advantage of while you are at your destination
The best way to enjoy this unique experience is by evening kayak tour. The main bio-bay on the island is called Laguna Granda, which you can reach from Fajardo by paddling through a narrow mangrove-lined channel. Usually, there are two tours and while the latter one offers a darker environment against which to see the bioluminescent plankton, the earlier tour offers enough light to see the mangroves and enjoy the last light of the sunset. Please note that no swimming is allowed to preserve the delicate chemical balance of the bay.
Although this phenomenon is challenging to photograph and film, there is one video that represents the experience pretty accurately. It does cover the more popular kayak tour from Fajardo out to Laguna Grande, and you may watch it here: Fajardo Bio Bay Tour Video. (under five minutes)
If you are planning to go to Puerto Rico, participating in a bio bay tour is a rare chance to observe this delicate ecosystem and an unforgettable, rare experience.
