Bioluminescent Bay Puerto Rico Complete 2023 Guide

Bioluminescent bays are one of the most unique natural phenomenon in the world. The waters in the bioluminescent bay glow because of microscopic organisms called dinoflagellates. The organisms make the water glow blue and green whenever there is any movement. Dinoflagellates can be found all over the ocean but they are only found in high enough concentrations to make waters glow in five places in the world. Fortunately, Puerto Rico is home to three out of five of the locations. Bioluminescent bays of Puerto Rico are one of the top places to visit on the island. Puerto Rico has three bioluminescent bays in Vieques, Fajardo and Lajas. The brightest of all three of these are Mosquito Bay in Vieques.

Bioluminescent Bays in Puerto Rico

The best bioluminescent bays in Puerto Rico are visited by thousands of tourists every year. The dinoflagellates are gathered in high enough concentration for these waters to beautifully glow in these bays. This article has all the information you need to have a great trip to one of these bays. The article will tell you the location, best tours to take, and the best time to go to one of the bioluminescent bay. There are no beaches in Puerto Rico that glow, only mangrove forests and lagoons. As you get on the tour, you will be taken down to the bioluminescent bay and then be put on a kayak or a boat which is the only way to access these waters. You will then go out into the waters where the water will begin to glow as the sun goes down. A tour of bioluminescent bay of Puerto Rico is one of the best things to do in Puerto Rico. For some cool tours check out the tours on Viator.com.

Mosquito Bay, Vieques Island

Mosquito Bay was awarded the brightest bioluminescent bay in the world by the Guiness World Records in 2006. Mosquito Bay is the brightest because of the incredibly high concentration of dinoflagellates in the waters. These waters became even more saturated with these microorganisms after Hurricane Maria and grew from around 1 million per gallon of water to 2.1 million. Mosquito Bay is located on the island of Vieques. You can only take a tour if you are already on the island. To get to Vieques you will have to either take a ferry from Ceiba terminal or a plane to the island. It is inside the Vieques Nature Reserve which is an extremely pristine and untouched natural environment. Mosquito Bay is also protected from the light pollution and surrounded by mangrove swamps that protect the waters. This makes this one of the most beautiful bioluminescent bays in Puerto Rico.

Laguna Grande Bioluminescent Bay, Fajardo

In the small town of Fajardo you can book a tour to Laguna Grande. Part of the Cabeza de San Juan Nature Reserve, it is another beautiful bioluminescent bay in Puerto Rico. The drive is around 45 minutes from San Juan and 30 minutes from Rio Grande. The lagoon has a mangrove forest which you need to kayak through to get to the glowing waters. It is the closest bioluminescent bay to San Juan and very easy to get too. You can rent a car from San Juan and drive to Fajardo and be back the same night after the tour. There are also plenty of taxis that will take you there and back.

La Parguera Bioluminescent Bay, Lajas

The bioluminescent bay in Lajas is 2 hours from San Juan on the west coast. This is the best trip to do if you are on the west coast and want to visit one of the bioluminescent bays in Puerto Rico. Since a lot less people come here than the other bays, it is a more intimate experience. This is also the only bay where you are allowed to swim the waters. The tours come in small boats and let you get in the water and swim. You can also take a glass bottom boat if you prefer not to get in the water. To get to Lajas you will have to rent a car from San Juan and then drive to Lajas. You can also take a flight from San Juan airport to Mercedita International Airport in Ponce. You can also take a plane to Mayaguez airport. From either of these cities you can rent a car and then drive to Lajas. If you take a taxi, it will cost you $150 per way.

Best time of the month to visit

The best time of the month to visit is during a new moon when the moonlight doesnt dim the light coming from the dinoflagellates. The worst time to go see a bioluminescent bay is during full moon.

Tips before you go

The less light the better – The best time to visit a bioluminescent bay is during new moon when there is no light pollution. If this is not possible then try to go during the moon phase with the least light.
Tides and water temp affect brightness – Ask your tour guides what the brightness has been in the recent days before going so you aren’t badly surprised.
Wear clothes for kayaking – You will need to wear clothes are you can get wet in if the water splashes. Even then bring extra clothes that you can change into after the tour for the ride back home. You should also bring a towel with you.
Avoid hand creams that will hurt the organisms – Make sure you only use DEET free repellant and avoid any other hand creams or mosquito repellants. Most of these repellants have chemicals that alter the chemical composition of the water and harm the organisms.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the 3 bioluminescent bays in Puerto Rico?

The three bioluminescent bays in Puerto Rico are in Lajas, Fajardo and Vieques. Mosquito Bay is the brightest out of the three. La Parguera in Lajas is the only bioluminescent bay that you can swim in. Laguna Grande in Fajardo is the easiest to do a tour at because its closest to San Juan.

What time of the year can you see bioluminescence in Puerto Rico?

You can see bioluminescence any time of the year in Puerto Rico.

Where is the best bioluminescent bay in Puerto Rico?

The best bioluminescent bay in Puerto Rico is in Vieques. The island of Vieques has Mosquito Bay which was awarded the brightest bioluminescent bay in the world by Guiness.

Is bioluminescent bay worth it in Puerto Rico?

Yes. The bioluminescent bays in Puerto Rico are some of the most amazing natural phenomenon in the world. Mosquito Bay is the brightest bioluminescent bay in the world.