Puerto Rico Bio Bay Tours LLC. — Local services in Fajardo

My experience: Beginnner, I have never been kayaking before and I am not physically strong with a thin build.

Instructions: The guide gave a 20 minute that went over how to steer the kayak, how to paddle/slow down/turn, how to get in/out of the kayak, the game plan for the evening, tips on seat placement (2 seat kayaks), and expectations. He demonstrated everything which was perfect for myself as I am a visual learner.

Guides: 1 guide at the front to lead, 2 guides floating between the groups to help whenever needed, and 1 guide at the very back to ensure no one gets left behind -- very organized. Each guide has a bright red light. Each participant gets a light attached to their life jacket to know which group you are from and each life jacket also has a whistle in case of emergencies. If a boat is struggling very badly, they will "tow" you and the kayak to the bay -- they do expect you to still help paddle if getting towed which makes sense...don't be lazy and try to get purposefully towed to cause extra work for the guides as they then won't be able to help others as easily!

Kayaks: sturdy, heavier/more experience person sits in the back, light in both the front and back of the kayak

Bioluminescence: we went during a full moon at 8pm. Although a full moon, we were able to see the water glow a magical blue color when our paddles went through the water or as we waved our hands in it. The whole bay does not glow blue. It takes about 20 minutes to kayak to the lagoon (1.5 miles to area and 1.5 miles back = total 3 miles). We stayed in the lagoon with the bioluminescence after the lecture on how it glowa for ~5 minutes and then headed back.

Snacks provided: granola bars, trail mix, water

Bathroom: there is a 2 person public bathroom near the site (walkable). It does not stock toilet paper though, but the guides are able to give you a roll if needed. Separate stalls for male/female.

Smell: the area near the site smells heavily fishy, but once in the water, either I got used to the smell or it dissipated and I was not bothered whatsoever

Tips: wear bug repellant, wear sandles, wear shorts (as you need to wade for ~15 seconds in water that reached my hips [I'm 5'3] to get into the kayak

Overall experience: Excellent, would do this again! I was a bit nervous as it was pretty windy and the waves were moderately hitting the coast where I had no experience with kayaks and am not physically strong with a

Review for Bio bay tour in Farjado: We took a biobay kayaking tour on Dec 29th 2015 at 5:30-8:30 pm with Enchanted island eco tours.

In brief: the tour was fantastic. It was very well organized and orchestrated. Our lead guide Angel was very informative and provided numerous interesting details regarding the bio bay: ie its history, and the biology behind bio-luminescence. The kayaks and gear were also very nice. They even take pictures that they send to you afterwards so that you really dont need to bring things to distract you with.

regarding the bio-luminescence: read about this first. understand how it works and how to schedule your tour based on the moon cycle. Understand the current state of the lagoon and why you man not see the "glow." Even with the conditions we had( moon/ clouds), there were pockets of glow and the "sparks" were noticeable in the channel when the water was disturbed.

regarding the kayaking: they provide sufficient instructions to kayak but you should really know how to kayak to make this most enjoyable. There were ppl who were towed, but i think this reduces the experience. the kayaking was not overly strenuous but you should be somewhat fit.

other notes: they offer transportation from san juan, the trip is about 45 minutes- 1 hr . There is some food in the area but I would suggest eating beforehand. Bring a change of socks/ shoes as your feet will absolutely get wet. The bathrooms (public) are quite dirty so be prepared for that. THey also have snacks at the end with water which is very helpful.

One thing that can be frustrating during the tour is the other big boats that cross the channel (everyone no matter what tour has to cross this channel, there is only one way into the lagoon). They have people who maybe loud and the lights are very bright. This is unfortunate as it reduces visibility. There needs to be policy regarding motorized boats and the use of large flashlights as it is not fair to all those who enter the channel.

best part of the tour outside of the glow: The kayak around bird island. We got to see the nesting area for white herons. The lights slightly disturbed them allowing us to see them in flight which was...

PR Bio tours offer two timings 5:30 and 7:30. we chose the 7:30 tour. There are a lot of tours next to each other so give your self time to find your tour company. (BTW I was told they are all called bio bay tours). The Tour operators are friendly, informative and helpful. They offer mosquito repellant, snacks and water. They take a picture of you in the kayak which is offered free to all in its tour. There area has ample parking, a few food vendor carts and restaurants. The bay can be stinky on account of the sulphur released into the air by the grass. But it is possible to get past that. Our tour began with instructions from our tour operators, along with a list of do and don'ts. How to avoid tipping the kayak and how to get back in (Only one kayak tipped over in our group.) Once this is done we tread the marsh or grass.... (its actually not too bad) and board our kayak, are pulled over to the photographer and then assemble to one side and wait for our group. We had a guide at the front of our group, one in the middle and one at the end. We start by kayaking across the bay to the grove, and this is where we could see the bioluminescence. Look closely as often our expectations are too high and or we could mistake the effect for bubbles as my kids did. Keep in mind that they are best viewed on a no moon night and are more saturated in the summer. Most pictures or adverts are edited to enhance its effect. In reality the effect is mild more like twinkling lights which disappear quickly, but with the right expectation are magical taking all factors into consideration. The lagoon is beautiful, relaxing, calming. In all I enjoyed myself. It was a good workout, and if you enjoy being outdoors you will appreciate...