Bio Bay @ Fajardo, Sun 5/13?

[polodad]

We were sceduled for the Bio Bay on a previous cruise and it was cancelled. so we are staying an extra night in SJ on 5/13. Wondering if anyone else might be joining us on 5/13.

[karenandcc]

Hi Polodad,

 

I am not on your cruise but am cruising out of PR on 7/1 returning 7/8. We are staying an extra night to do Bio Bay as well and I am looking for a tour company who can help us. Who are you using

[polodad]

We are planning on using Ecoaction tours. The feedback here seems very positive, they have been responsive via emails and I think they are the only game in town on a Sunday. Not sure why, but they want us to meet them at a square in old SJ, which should be convenient since we will be staying at El Convento.

[canovanas]

Please be advised that DNR which is the Dept of Natural Resources has just issued the new permits to tour operators providing the biobay tours in Fajardo. The new permits specifically state that NO OPERATOR IS TO CONDUCT TOURS ON SUNDAYS ONLY MONDAY THRU SATURDAY!!!! So any tour operator i.e. Eco Action Tours will be entering into the biobay illegally subject to fines and revokation of their permit. So if you have a tour booked with them to go in on a Sunday you will need to change your plans and if they tell you otherwise then they are not obeying the law. This new permit also indicates that NO OPERATOR WILL ALLOW THEIR GUESTS TO SWIM UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES!!! For some of you this may be a bummer but look at it this way your children and their children will be able to see the bioluminescence as well because the concentration will not decline due to all the people that were swimming in the biobay to begin with. This information is correct and just the facts any wishing to validate this can call the Dept of Natural Resources here in Puerto Rico.

[YogiDog]

I just contacted East Island Excursions who take people to Vieques biobay and they have not heard anything about not being able to swim in the biobay at Vieques or in Fajardo (both run by the DNR). They just had people out last night. So maybe the rules are not in effect yet (?).

[polodad]

Call me skeptical but I'm not entirely certain that our good friend Canovanas is entirely objective about Bio Bay tours. He or she seems to recommend certain providers and (steer) people away from others. I wonder why $$?

[toonjie]

Call me skeptical but I'm not entirely certain that our good friend Canovanas is entirely objective about Bio Bay tours. He or she seems to recommend certain providers and (steer) people away from others. I wonder why $$?

 

Yes, it looks like all he posts about is the biobay tours, so he is either afilliated with one of the tour agencies or a middleman or both. I have heard from many sources that Sunday tours are fine and how could they enforce no swimming when kayaks tip over all the time. We are talking about night tours as well so that rule would be a nightmare to enforce!

[polodad]

Well, we took the plunge & guaranteed with credit card with Ecoaction in phone call for Sun 5/13. I'll post review when we get back.

[kbahamas7]

there was the same talk on trip advisor about not being able to swim in the bay in Fajardo. I looked up the website DNR for the Caribbean and could find no mention of any ban in place. I have a bio bay tour reserved for June2 and I e-mailed the company and he told me that yes, we would be able to swim. If something happens in the meantime to change the rules, then I think the kayak just might magically tip over and I will end up in the water anyways!!

[canovanas]

For all those that are non-believers you can call the Dept of Natural Resources yourself and find out the information. Their number is 787 999-2000 ext. 5155. Why I am I going to waste my time giving you information that is not true. My so called "steering" is to companies that hopefully will not be asking you to break the law. You should always ask anyway and find out if they are responsible and will not condone the swimming now that it is the law as per the permits given to the tour operators. Those that allow the swimming again are not responsible and not eco conscious due to the fragile nature of the bioluminescence. The bioluminescence right now has decreased in the past couple of weeks (its not anything what it should be for this time of the year) and maybe thats why the Dept. has banned the swimming.

[love&livetocruise]

Cool Cruiser...tell me if we would enjoy Bio Bay with a half moon...should we hope for clouds? Will be in San Juan on a ship on Monday June 25th

[canovanas]

Well on that date the moon will be more than 1/2 so it depends on cloudy conditions for that night which can't be guaranteed and also what the kayak company does to get you into an area where you can see it either close to the tree line or in the dark shaded areas of the channel that leads you into the lagoon. Even in the full moon cycle its a beautiful tour because you get to see the ecology of the place if you are into that sort of stuff.

[javier]

Yes, the DRNA allowed more companies to offer the kayak tours, BUT they have limited the number of participants per trip. At the same time, they have not established at what hour each company should depart, so, expect must of the companies offering the tours at the same time period.

 

Hope this helps!

[polodad]

Well, no BIO Bay tour again. Last time the ship was late getting to San Juan & cancelled the tour. This time I referred 6 shipmates from our M&M group on Critic (AOS 5/6) to Ecoaction & they did the tour on the Sat before the cruise. Our thanks from Ecoaction was no notice that they decided to cancel our tour on the Fri before the 5/13. We paid for an expensive post night hotel at El Convento & used an extra day of vacation in order to see the Bio Bay.

We will return to San Juan next year for another cruise, will think twice about the Bio Bay, will NOT use Ecoaction. They did not return repeated emails & phone calls on that Sun when we got off the ship.