Is Swimming in a Puerto Rico Bio Bay Worth It?
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Let me tell you why swimming in a Puerto Rico Bio Bay is totally worth it!
You may or may not know that I am a lover of outdoor adventures as much as I love big city travels. Honestly, I’m up for anything, any time, and pretty much anywhere! So, when we decided on a trip to Puerto Rico, I didn’t know that much about the island, nor about the Bioluminescent Bays in Puerto Rico.
Lucky I’m a quick study and it doesn’t take me any time to agree to a new and unusual experience!
We spent a week traveling in PR and one of the biggest highlights was swimming in a bioluminescent bay. Picture it – Under the moon and the stars. Surrounded by mangroves. With my favorite people!
Listen up while I share a bit about what bio bays are, and how to add one to your Puerto Rico Itinerary.
What is a Bioluminescent Bay?
Bodies of water, like oceans and bays, have microscopic organisms growing in them just as part of their natural environment. When certain conditions create a larger than usual concentration of these dinoflagellates, then humans can observe their bioluminescence. They literally glow in the dark and light up with a turquoise sparkle.
This phenomenon occurs when the microorganisms are stimulated and moved around. A chemical, luciferin, combined with oxygen, makes for a light show. So that means if you splash around or move through the water in a boat, then you can see the magic for yourself.
I have seen this exciting magic in fireflies while growing up on the east coast, and in a glow worm cave in New Zealand, but never before had I gone swimming in a star studded bay.
Here’s the info if you want to try it for yourself.
Where are the Puerto Rico Bio Bays?
I’ve learned that there are many bioluminescent bays around the world but a limited number of ecosystems that support their occurrence. From California to Taiwan, and Mexico to Australia, and Vietnam to Japan, if you look, you can find these hidden gems.
Puerto Rico is a special island with three bio bays!
Mosquito Bay
The most famous of the three bio bays in PR is Mosquito Bay in Vieques. Vieques is near Ceiba on the east coast of Puerto Rico. This bay is surrounded by mangrove swamps that supply the plankton or dinoflagellates with their food. Mosquito Bay is known for its unusually high concentration of dinoflagellates which actually doubled after Hurricane Maria. It’s estimated that there are an average of 1,000,000 to 2,100,000 dinoflagellates per gallon of water in Mosquito Bay. Also, the Bay is set within a Natural Reserve which has very little light pollution, making the night viewing of the bioluminescence extra bright.
To get to Mosquito Bay you need to take a 45 minute ferry boat from Cieba. There are a few tours companies which operate out of Mosquito Bay. You are only allowed to access the bay in kayaks and are not allowed to swim in the bay.
Laguna Grande
The most popular of the three bio bays in PR is Laguna Grande. It is the most visited because it is so close to San Juan in the town of Fajardo, just over an hour from San Juan. This bio bay is more of a canal than a bay. In the lagoon, you will experience bioluminescence in kayaks. No swimming is allowed in Laguna Grande.
La Parguera
The only bio bay in PR that allows swimming is La Parguera in Lajas. Lajas is about two hours and 15 minutes from San Juan on the west coast of Puerto Rico. It’s also about one hour south of Rincon, which is a west coast town known for its spectacular beaches and surfing culture.
I can tell you all about La Parguera because it’s the bay we swam in! We were spending a few days in Ricon and had a transport drive us one evening to Lajas for our bio bay tour and then drove us back to Rincon when we were done. This was the perfect excursion and I highly recommend this plan.
(There are full day tours from San Juan to La Parguera as well.)
A few permitted motor boat tours are allowed into the mangrove swamps surrounding the bay, and people on these tours are allowed to swim in the bay and make the plankton move around and light up. It’s difficult to describe how special and exciting it is to be splashing around in fluorescent water under a warm and dark night sky.
A Puerto Rico Bio Bay – Tips For Success
Pay online ahead of time to complete the waiver forms and to select the type of empanadillas you want on the boat.
https://www.paradisescubasnorkelingpr.com/snorkeling-trips/bio-bay-tour/
Plan on a 2 hour excursion plus drive time on either end (one hour each way from Rincon).
Paradise Scuba $60 p/person + tax
What To Bring
- Bring a bathing suit, a towel (borrowed from the hotel), and a warm jacket or sweatshirt for when the sun sets.
- Wear comfortable clothes, shoes that can get wet, and your bathing suit under your warmer clothes.
- A camera/phone that the crew can use to take photos of you while you are in the water.
What to Expect on your Puerto Rico Bio Bay Tour
- Empanadillas and a selection of beer and non-alcoholic beverages are provided on the boat.
- Meet your driver in front of the Paradise office and head back to your Rincon hotel.
- Life vests and snorkels are provided.
- You’ll arrive in a busy town of Lajas that is filled with partying tourists and locals.
- You’ll check in at the Paradise Scuba office at 5:30 PM, the tour begins at 6PM.
- There are restrooms at the office to use before boarding the boat.
- The tour guide will pick you up and walk you to the boat dock. There were 8 adults and 2 children on our boat, plus the two guides.
- Our guides, one the captain and a guide, were awesome, very knowledgeable and helpful.
- The boat departs at 6PM and cruises to a shallow bay where you are allowed to wade in the warm water and enjoy your empanadillas and a drink while waiting for the sun to go down.
- As the sun sets, the boat drives through the mangroves as you learn about the history of the area and the science of bioluminescence.
- Once in the bio bay, the sun completely sets.
- You put on a life vest and a snorkel mask and jump in the water!
- You will stay close to the boat and splash around squealing and marveling at the sight of the fluorescent water.
- After 30 minutes of fun in the water, you’ll climb aboard the boat and will be taken back to the dock.
- Prepare to leave a tip for the crew (they take Venmo).
- Find the public bathrooms close by the dock to change out of your wet clothes. The Paradise office will be closed.
Is swimming in this Puerto Rico Bio Bay safe?
Yes, this is a very safe activity. I was surprised how many people commented that I must be brave to do this, or that it looked scary. Quite the opposite! This is a very low-key adventure. The boat ride is slow and short, the water is very warm, and you are wearing a life vest as you doggy paddle close to the boat with two highly trained professional tour boat operators.
Apparently there are some places in the world in which bioluminescence is caused by a red tide or more toxic and is potentially harmful to humans. This is not one of those! La Parguera is completely safe to swim in.
Now you can put a Bioluminescent Bay in
Puerto Rico on your bucket list!
In a nutshell…
Visiting La Parguera’s bioluminescent bay is a magical experience that left me in awe of nature’s wonders. This activity will absolutely exceed your expectations! The combination of the gentle warm water, illuminated by a world of microscopic organisms, is an otherworldly scene.
This phenomenon is a must-see if you’re interested in checking off a bucket list item. They say that La Parguera isn’t just a destination; it’s a journey into the extraordinary!
And if you’re fascinated by natural wonders, don’t miss our guide on the 10 Best Things To Do In Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica.
xx,
Carrie
