This trip was fun and scary af. It's pitch black all around. No phones, no flash or cameras. Its hard to see the bioluminescent algae against light. We drive out on the boat about 15 minutes all black surrounding us. We get somewhere towards the middle and the guide is all like okay go. The wave of awkward silence gripped us. Because, Go? Go where? Certainly not in this pitch black ocean/sea/bay/river or wherever we were lol. It took the 8 of us a minute to trust it. Life jackets required and stay no further then 5 feet from the boat. A guy went first and we watched. Then my daughter. Then me cuz well, my daughter lol. It was a great and fun experience waving around watching the plankton glow with our movements. Waving water over our limbs they lit up like ethereal glitter. We all swam on top of one another remarking Primo/Prima (cousins) because we were all too scared to go out further or spread too wide. It's a pitch black water experience and you don't know what's in the water or around you. The stars were absolutely beautiful with the lack of light in the area. They too refused to be filmed. Divas. I respect it. It forced us to live in the moment instead. Forced us to store the excitement, joy and experience in our minds and hearts. He let us swim 20 minutes. After the first 10 we were too overjoyed to be scared. There were after all, 8 of us in the water at that point. We swam close and near the boat and did weird movements to catch the plankton in a good glow. The guide was experienced over 30 years and very cool and relaxed. He was trustworthy and I say worth every penny. Even if you can't get photos you get the experience. It was one of my favorite experiences of all. Absolutely worth it. read more

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This was the coolest experience ever! The moon was very bright, but you could still see. This company went the extra mile to creat shade with boats and umbrellas. They stop in the boats and let you jump out and swim! The boats are about 20 people per boat. They do take reservations if you call ahead, but they will also will take walk ups until the boat is filled. Bring a change of clothes. The parking is a public area and you have to walk a little bit, but it's not bad! It's about $10 per person, but worth every penny! Go on a darker night for sure!!! This is a must if you are visiting the south side of the island. read more

Excellent bio bay trip. All you need is a boat to get to the bioluminescent bay, and this is a boat. It does the trick. As for the jellyfish, suck it up and jump in at your own risk. If you get stung, rinse with salt water and then run a credit card along your skin to remove the nematocysts. Worth it. read more

Johnny's Boats - it's really hard to capture the bioluminescence on a camera phone, but this glow is actually of me swimming in the water! - Tours Near Me - Lajas, Puerto Rico

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We had a great experience renting a small boat for 6 people to visit Caracoles key. The reason why I give this place a 4 star is because they could use some organization. But the boat work perfectly and the prices are very reasonable. I will definitely consider renting a boat with them again. read more

We used Johnny's for a tour of the bioluminescent bay in Lajos. Forewarning, this is the worst bio bay in PR. Still cooler than no bio bay at all, but not great. However it was only $8 and they said we could even jump in to activate the dinoflagellates and swim with them. DO NOT SWIM. We weren't warned of any potential danger and the friend I was with is a local and thought it'd be safe. First, the boat driver said it was 10 feet deep and we couldn't wear the life jackets while we swim - oh well. So 3 of us jump in and pretty quickly my arm starts to sting, I swim to the back of the boat as we all realize we're being stung by jellyfish. The boat driver acted like it was no big deal, said there are tons of jellyfish there and the pain would subside within 30 min. Meanwhile strangers are sympathetic and offering to pee on us. We each got stung on at least one arm and leg, so there was more than one jelly. Then to top it off the boat driver made us sit out there while he passed around a bucket of water for people to look at the dinoflagellates. If we had had an allergic reaction we were at least 10-15 minutes from shore and another 30-40 minutes to a hospital. So basically we payed $8 a piece to be sent into water full of jellyfish. And for the record these aren't ordinary stings. 24 hours later my arm still hurts and I have track marks/tentacle impressions in my skin. If you'd like to pay $8 for a crappy boat tour in which the company is completely irresponsible with your health and your life, Johnny's is the place! read more

Johnny's Boats - Jellyfish tentacle marks after a few hours. The swelling and inflammation which had previously covered my arm had subsided. - Tours Near Me - Lajas, Puerto Rico

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You get your money's worth if they actually let you swim or stay longer than 2 mins. Now I have 20 dollars worth of tourist towels 20 per rider 20 on water socks None of it is "priceless" = RIPOFF read more

I loved it!!!!! The day tour was breath taking, loved the clear blue water. Our Boat Captain Justin was very informative and friendly , he speaks English which is great. After the tour we were left on one of the mangroves to swim and enjoy the water and weather We also used them to go see the Bioluminescent Bay at night , there was a half moon, so it was too bright to see it in all its splendor , but the night boat ride was also enjoyable as you can see all the boat houses light up , very serene. The town is small and tucked away but its all part it's charm! I highly recommend Johnny's Boats when u stop by make sure you say "Hi!" to Gina and her captains. read more

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The admission to this 45-minute boat ride was $5 so what do we have to lose right? Well the drivers were supposed to show up at 7:30, and they didn't show up until 8:10 or so. After that, we were simply disappointed with the ride. We went out a few miles and some divers jumped in the water where the water "glowed", but we were there for like 3 minutes, and it wasn't that captivating. However, when you go up to the second level of the boat, the stars in the sky were amazing. At the end of the boat ride, we realized we just wasted a couple hours waiting basically. That was it. read more

Johnny's Boats - Tours Near Me - Lajas, Puerto Rico

I'm sorry to say but this is a waste of money unless you don't mind watching some guy swimming with glow sticks in his hands. I see why your not allowed to take any pictures or have any flash photos. read more

Johnny's Boats - I'm sorry to say but this is a waste of money - Tours Near Me - Lajas, Puerto Rico

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Went on a weekday with my gf that speaks Spanish fluently. These 2 old farts were sitting in a chair drinking away and smoking. They rudely told us to wait an hour to get more people. After an hour no one came so they cancelled on us. I was so angry. I understand they need a full capacity to justify to go out. What I was upset about was they did not tell us they wouldn't go out if more people don't show up. I could've saved one night of my vacation. I was also amazed these idiots were drinking away. I highly recommend paying more and going to another company. We went with Ishmael and he was amazing. A marine biologist and knows where is the brightest bio luminescence location in the bay. Do not use Johnny's! read more

We drove hella out of the way to get to this mythical maritime town. It was kind of like Netanya in Israel. My uncle said all this looks like is a flashlight under the water. He was sadly right. I was eaten alive by mosquitos. Went out on this boat and simply we were disappointed. Maybe if i swam in it, I would have been moved. Even the swimmers only had less than 5 minutes to partake. It was interesting to see the town -- their version of New England -- but I would not recommend. Camuy is way cooler! read more

This was a no frills boat rental. I did not get a guided tour, nor bio bay tour. In fact, I wasn't even aware this part of the island had a bio bay. I'd highly recommend Vieques for that. It was fairly budget friendly and surprisingly low key and hands-off. A couple quick instructions on how to steer the boat and we were off to explore some islands and mangroves for snorkeling. I can't say the snorkeling spots we found were very great, mostly seagrass, but the mangroves were a cool experience to explore. These guys were pretty laid back, so I can see how some people might have had a different experience with the service, but for the purposes of our boat rental, it wasn't a pain at all. read more

This was a great tour for the price. Mind you, it is a little short, but it is very cool. The swimmer does a great job of making the lights visible. Even though the lights in this area are more dull because of pollution, Johnny still does a great job of making everything visible. You can also swim, but there are jellyfish that you may want to watch out for. Overall, this was wonderful and is worth the money. read more

We had a great experience on this boat tour. The ride is 8 bucks, you might wait a little, the trip isn't very long, and yes there are jelly fish in the water. If you're a pampered tourist, this might not be the tour for you. My friends and I however thought it was definitely worth it, one of my friends and another guy on the boat even jumped in despite the jellyfish warning, both got stung, and both still thought it was worth it. The bio bay itself was pretty spectacular. I haven't seen the other PR bio bay which is supposedly better, but we were still pretty much in awe. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone looking for an authentic local tour. read more

Don't get the negative reviews. This is a no frills bio bay boat ride....they ride you out there and allow you to hop in the water if you wish (seeing someone swimming is the only way to see the bioluminescence b/c it has degenerated over the years from pollution ironically, from having too many boats and people swimming in the area). Depending on the weather will determine how much you see during the tour....we did not see all that much but for the cost its worth a shot (8 bucks). Compared to other bio bay tour companies this one is a steal. And remember, if you don't see the bioluminescence there are no refunds so its up to you if you want to pay b/w 75-100 bucks with other companies. read more

Was not impressed by the bioluminescent bay... I was expecting the water to be glowing with any movement, but there were only a couple big flakes that glowed when the boat driver swam between the boats. Not a huge loss since it was very cheap, but still a disappointment. Also, the guides only spoke in English briefly in the beginning to te ll us about safety precautions. Swimming was promised, but they left too quickly to actually let us jump in. I suppose that's what you get for trying to save some $! read more

Don't give your money to these people, they are extremely rude, really unorganized, you don't even know where to buy tickets. We had to wait two hours to get on a boat since the other boat companies were closed. And they charge full price for kids (3 years old). Completely rip off!!!! Give your money to another company not these retarded people!!!! read more

How would I describe Johnny's Boats! Fantastic! The staff are very polite, knowledgeable, speak clear english which is great for the tourist, and clean. The boats are very safe and with life vest for all ages and sizes. The tickets are very well priced. The illuminescent bay was really beautiful to see and it was my first time, so one of the crews members jumped into the water and moved about so that it could glow. That was appreciated by all on the boat. Johnny's Boats Owner Gina was so nice and everyday she was available for questions and there was a boat avilable anytime we needed one which was convienent. I want to thank the staff for being so helpful and knowledgable, the made our trip much easier. I would highly recommend Johnny's Boats. read more

Boat drivers showed up late for us too. They said it wasn't dark enough. That's what sunset tables are for. We weren't allowed to take pictures. They said the flash would kill the critters. They must hide when the sun is out. Our son enjoyed swimming in the water which did glow when you swished it around. It was not what i expected. Was it worth $7 and the tips they asked for? Well, I wouldn't do it again. The town was rather dirty and there were no bathrooms. Oh yeah, our drivers didn't attempt to speak English except for "Watch your hands." The other passengers translated for us. read more

First off, the guy who wrote the first review was talking about the DonQ "Crystal" glass bottomed Catamaran. Johnny's Boats only operates small 20-person boats. And we live about 2 hours' drive from Lajas, PR, and we always take visitors to see the bioluminescent bay in La Parguera (Lajas). But you need to make certain you go on a moonless night! It makes all the difference. Also, if you can, try to go during the drier season, or at least on a day when it hasn't been raining. Fresh water makes the bioluminescence not nearly as bright. I've seen it on a dark night as bright or brighter than the stars above your head, which is incredibly bright on a boat away from the lights on shore. And Johhny's boats are the best way to see it. In smaller boats you're much closer to the water, and they will let you swim if you wish (which I HIGHLY recommend!) But remember most of the patrons are Puerto Rican, and the tours are given in Spanish. Johnny does speak some english and will try if you ask. read more

Whoa the OP is in Carbondale too!!! wow what a small world... Anyways i went to Johnny's Boats not too long ago, and I guess it was just a different night.. Although we did wait a bit (not as long as you did) for Johnny.. to get there but the temperature was pretty cool, and the sky was really clear. We got out to the lagoon and were only allowed to jump in for like 5 min... I didn't go in but my brother did and i took a pic where you can really see it. As cool as it was, this was seriously hardly the best part of La Parguera. During the day you can rent the little motor boats that fit about 5-6 people and island hop on all the little islands out there. The water is crystal clear, and the sand is full of Conch shells. also you should try some of the shaved ice, and the shark "Pincho's" they had there in the little kiosks. This place is slowly becoming a tourist trap, but it's still for the most part relatively affordable. But seriously, if you didn't rent a boat and go island hopping for as cheap as it was... you missed the best part of the town. read more