Bio bay which tour and which Bay?

[swsandy]

Currently booked on two tours of Bio Bay in Fajardo and Vieques. Separate nights. One on Vieques will be a long journey starting at around 3 and ending back at our hotel around 12midnight. One on the mainland and we would rent a car. In any of your experinces which would you choose. Also nights would be 2 nights after new moon. Very dark and almost perfect for viewing. Both are with electric boat tours. Thanks and look forward to responses.

[RayInPR]

Mosquito Bay on Vieques is technically brighter due to higher concentration of dinoflagellates (those are the things that glow) and less ambient light. But, if you've not seen ANY biobay in the past, then Laguna Grande in Fajardo will be bright enough for you (since you've nothing to compare it to).

Since they have banned swimming in Mosquito Bay, it's not really worth the extra time/effort/money (IMHO, as someone who lives in PR and has been to all the biobays in PR multiple times).

[swsandy]

Thank you for such an honest opinion. I do not have anything to compare and was concerned of all the transportation modes. I am always concerned about the weather whenever I book excursions so far out, and having a ferry ride for that long on the open sea is making me have hives. Don't get me wrong, if I knew we would be there for the night and stay over I would go. I knew it would be a long day, or night in this case, and it think I have my answer.

Could I ask you another question. I have a tour booked and I get to pick where I go. It's 6 hours of island sights. Can you give me some suggestions? We will be going to the rainforest on our own before we head to the bio bay, so we don't have to have that included in the tour. Love to try different foods, cultural sights, etc. thanks and look forward to hearing from you.

[OttoCal]

I wouldn't want to do the drive back to San Juan at night on unfamiliar roads. Does the Fajardo tour have an option for a shuttle/transfer?

 

If you are able, I recommend a kayak tour over the electric boat tour. You don't need kayak or swimming skills, but you have to be prepared to paddlepaddlepaddle!

[RayInPR]

Some of the biobay kayak companies in Fajardo offer transportation as an option from the San Juan area. Check their web sites for details.

[swsandy]

Thanks all. I have booked the electric boat in Faljardo. I have rented a car, but if I can find shuttle service I will use that. Thanks all for the responses.

[swatson98]

Thanks all. I have booked the electric boat in Faljardo. I have rented a car, but if I can find shuttle service I will use that. Thanks all for the responses.

Were you able to find a shuttle service from San Juan? I will be doing the same tour in February and would be interest in your comments.

[swsandy]

No shuttle service so far but will keep you posted.

[travelingmom37]

Would you do a bio bay tour 4 days after a full moon. The moon could still be very bright.

Also we are on a cruise that sails at 10 pm so transportation and timing to and from the port are also questions.

 

Thanks.

[4serenity]

We've done bio-bay on Vieques, but we stayed on the island so we did not have to commute to and from the Island late at night. We also did a tour with Moses and we were in kayaks. It was amazing and I'd have to agree with previous comments that no matter which you do it will be awesome. We were able to swim in the water which was crazy as you actually saw the fish - some large - glowing as the swam around / past you. Definitely a great experience. Good Luck

 

 

Pay It Forward. Be kind.

[Dirkgun]

We did the Kayak tour in Fajardo last December and it was awesome. I think the Electric boat will be great as well. As far as the driving back and forth goes it is really not that hard.... especially if you either bring a GPS unit or rent one with the car. They make it very convenient to find your way back to the hotel. Puerto Rico is better to drive on than you think. It gets a bad rep from taxi rides but you don't have to drive like the taxis do....:eek: :D

[swsandy]

Thanks everybody! Good advise and looking forward to this

[TrqoisWtrs]

Also we are on a cruise that sails at 10 pm so transportation and timing to and from the port are also questions.

 

I don't think I would try this. We took the later bay tour out of Fajardo and didn't get back to OSJ until midnight. Even booking the earlier tour I would think would be cutting it close; I think you have to be back on board at 9:30.

 

And just in general - good luck on getting transportation if you need it from OSJ to the bay. I had a heck of a time and then everything seemed to be sold out, except booking it through the concierge at our hotel. What a complete rip off. Most tours were charging $45 and then $20-25 for shuttle. We ended up paying $99 per person just because we really wanted to do it and we were limited to just the one night precruise. We used Los Tortugas. Never again. (See my review on that other site.)

 

But the bay itself was definitely amazing - once you reach the bioluminescent water, and dip your hand, I had pearls of light running down my arm. Even the small pools of water in our kayak was glowing. Definitely a do not miss.

 

Ray - are the tours running again? I thought I read something in the last few weeks about tours being cancelled because the bays were not glowing and they couldn't figure out why.

[rainforestgirl]

Fajardo BioBay is back to normal- tours are running as usual. Enjoy!