What was supposed to be an hour and a half tour of an incredible Biobay was a less than 10min…read more description of the organisms that create the bioluminescence and pointing out a few constellations. We were then told to 'go explore' and be back in 12min. We were on the water for maybe 35-40 minutes total. A very disappointing experience.

I've been hearing about the biobay for such a long time before my trip and was really excited to…read moresee it. My boyfriend and I wanted to go with a company where you can kayak in the water but by the time we got there, all of the seats were taken. Biobay Tours was the only company with a boat tour that had extra seats left. Since we had driven all the way from San Juan to see the bay, we said why not. Boy, did we get lucky not taking the kayaks. Yes, the kayaks would have been a great bonding activity for my boyfriend and I but knowing how paranoid I get about nature, especially in the dark, I'm really glad we took the Biobay tours. When you're in the kayaks, they don't have a light to show you the way so you can't see the environment you're in and since the kayaks do not go that far out into the bay (for safety purposes), you see the plankton light up less than with Biobay Tours. With Biobay tours, you sit in the boat which was perfect for my boyfriend since he was pretty reluctant about doing the work kayaking (haha). The boat has a light so you could clearly see through the mangrove channel we had to go through before getting to the bay. This was pretty cool because I've never seen trees like them and our tour guides pointed out giant iguanas and termite nests hidden in the trees. Since we were in a motorized boat, we were able to go farther into the bay and the farther into the bay you go, brighter the plankton were. Also, since we were in a motorized boat, we saw the plankton light trail behind us (so pretty). On the boat, they gave us sticks to put in the water to agitate the plankton to see them light up. If you were lucky, you got to hit jellyfish which also lit up because of the plankton! Our head tour guide was Mario who was super informative and really funny. We learned about the science and history of the mangroves and the bay and legends about the reserve. I had a couple of questions about the bay and he was able to answer my questions with no problem. It was also interesting getting to know him and the crew. The price for a tour was $52 per person, only a couple dollars more than the kayaks. They take card so don't worry about carrying a ton of cash with you. Overall, I highly recommend Biobay tours and would consider coming back again. Tips: ** Bring a DSLR camera if you can and if you can trust yourself with it. I was super disappointed that I didn't bring mine with me because phone cameras cannot capture the light of the plankton. I consider myself a pro-phone picture taker but you could BARELY see anything in the dark. ** Do not expect the plankton to be as blue as you see in the pictures. That's the magic of photoshop. ** Plan out when you go to the bay. If the moon is really bright, it is really hard to see the plankton. Also, throughout our trip it rained a lot so we were really lucky we went on a night it didn't rain.

What a unique experience marauding!!! We had 2 small kids 2 adults and 2 grandparents in our group…read more Captain Nate and crew treated us like family and took care of all of our various needs. Great rum punch, home made bread and jam, and "local water" (beer that's cheaper than water!!) sail and swim in a secluded mangrove bay, call Captain Nate!

We charted with Marauder while staying at the W for our honeymoon. The front desk recommended them,…read moreand so off we went. It was all rather hilarious. As it often happens in the Caribbean, the skies looked lovely and clear and off we went for a sail. The moment we anchored where we were to eat lunch with the crew it seemed like a hurricane came down on us. It was so ridiculous that we all just burst into laughter and jumped in the water to make jokes while the downpour went over us. All this to say that they just figured out a way to turn something which could have potentially been terrible into a funny adventure. We laughed so hard that our faces hurt when we came back to land. They were lovely, the food was amazing, and their attitudes awesome. I would highly recommend them for a nice morning sail, and if you have a good sense of humor, prepare to laugh HARD! We will definitely be calling on them for our next trip into Vieques.

Captain Judi, and our experience with Sea Vieques, were really nothing short of amazing! I have…read morebeen snorkeling countless times and my boyfriend has only been a handful of times. He is totally hooked now after taking this excursion! I really appreciated the personalized service both before, during and after our tour with Sea Vieques. Captain Judi was very clear and personal with her communications before our tour date. She made contact with me via e-mail at least 3 times before we even got to Vieques. This made me feel so at ease so we didn't feel like we were going to meet some stranger and go out on their boat. During our boat ride, she and Katie were so friendly and personable. Judi gave a very in-depth and enthusiastic overview of all the fish and wildlife we were going to see on our snorkel. I really appreciated this, knowing what to expect and look out for. Of course, we had a couple bonuses that she pointed out during our snorkel including a lion fish and a gigantic puffer fish! She continuously checked to make sure that all members of our snorkeling party were accounted for, comfortable and having a good experience. It's the little things that matter when taking a trip like this. We were never without a drink whether it was water, juice, soda or a fantastic and tasty pina colada! They even served these drinks in high quality cups with tops and straws so you didn't have to worry about spilling (alcohol abuse!). You can definitely tell that Captain Judi takes a lot of pride in what she does and is totally professional and fun. She has a great passion for the reef and the wildlife that is contagious! We went home and did research on some of the fish we saw this day and on other days. There was SO MUCH to see! Lunch was served after our snorkel and was delicious. I've never been on a snorkel that served food and I have to say it was such a great touch. After swimming around in the water, we were definitely hungry! On the way back, we took advantage of the ride on the front of the catamaran on the "trampoline" up front and had a BLAST! Overall, totally great experience. We couldn't have asked for a better day out on the boat with such a great tour company and host!

We had such an amazing time on this trip! Captain Judy (and her mate) were wonderful hosts and she…read moreis the best person I could ask for to take us out. She's very passionate about snorkeling and accompanied us the whole way through, guiding us to the best spots and providing a ton of education about the reefs and all of the creatures that live within them. She kept an eye on all of us (small group only 4!) and was super-vigilant about making sure our masks were on right and weren't fogging. She also carries a whistle that you can hear underwater and would call us over for any particularly cool fish she spotted. We saw 2 huge (HUGE) puffer fish amongst a ton of other good stuff. Lunch was delicious and so were the home made pina coladas. I would go again in a heartbeat.

Louis was a fantastic tour guide! We were a group of 3 and wanted to go snorkeling in Culebra…read more Luckily I stumbled upon Louis Cayo Norte and immediately called him asking for availability. He was very responsive and answered all our questions clearly and honestly. The tour itself was fantastic; we learned more about Louis, Puerto Rican ppl, and the Puerto Rican culture! We felt like we were on a private island at Culebritas (literally were since we were almost the only ppl there) and loved that it was a very intimate experience. Louis gave us time to explore the other beaches on the island (almost felt like a mini hike) - including one of the most beautiful beaches in the world (more beautiful than Flamenco!). He gave us plenty of time to snorkel among the coral reefs nearby. Highly recommend thank you again for the experience! - Sirene, Jon, & Athena

What an amazing tour !!! We spent the day on a hike around Culebrita. We saw the baths and tortuga…read morebeach. We watched the sun set on the way back. Louis provides lots of water and snorkel gear. The ride was nice and smooth. The beaches are great/ untouched and even more beautiful than Flamenco. You have ur own private island for the day. We only use Cato Norte Water Taxi when we come to Culebra !!!!

We had a great day with Jason! Super customizable, friendly guide, great communication beforehand…read more(and prompt!) and comfy vehicle. Highly recommend!

This tour was awesome! So happy our friend found him. It was just us two families in our private…read moreair conditioned van. David took us to all the best spots and overlooks to capture the islands beauty. His knowledge of the history of his island was top notch. He was also great at engaging the kids in our group. Took us to a local food spot for lunch which was so good. Would definitely recommend him.

WITHOUT A PADDLE…read more Kayaking during the day proving too easy?  How about kayaking at night...through a mangrove forest. As my wife and I planned our second trip to Puerto Rico, we agreed that a bio bay kayak tour should be on the list.  Only 5 biobays exist in the world, 3 of which are in PR (in Vieques, La Parguera, and here on the far northeast corner of the island).  There's a few kayaking tour companies in the area, each offering a similar bioluminescent excursion. Hang on, biolu-what?  I'll skip the TED talk--all you need to know is that a certain kind of marine plankton makes the water in extra salty lagoons glow blue.  It's the same science that gives jellyfish, fireflies, and deep-sea anglerfish their special ability to produce light. When we arrived around 8pm, tour guides gave our group of 15-20 life vests and provided instructions, like what to do if your ass falls out of the kayak.  Our goal was Laguna Grande (literally "big lagoon"), roughly 1 mile from our starting point on the shores of Fajardo. So......getting to Laguna Grande is not easy.  Along with a partner, you'll paddle your way through a narrow channel surrounded on all sides by thick mangroves, including an overhead canopy.  This is tricky during daylight hours, but at night the difficulty ramps up.  Keep in mind that visibility in these thick mangrove patches drops to near-zero at times. You might (probably will) have to avoid other kayak groups and (possibly) motorboats as you make your way to the lagoon, all while trying not to crash into the person in front of you, fall too far behind, or be knocked unconscious/impaled by low branches.  The outbound trip was not super chill, thankfully coming back was less stressful. Having an experienced partner is CRUCIAL. Bio bay tours are very much like whale watching, in that your visit is based almost entirely on luck.  A lot needs to go right in order to see magic stuff in the water, like the moon being in its 'new' phase (full moon casts too bright of a reflection) and no recent rainfall (rain comes down as fresh water, decreasing the lagoon's salinity). Under ideal circumstances, the microorganisms appear as florescent blue swirls when you move your hand/paddle through the water.  What we saw were closer to electrical 'sparks', still cool but not vibrant.  Capturing what little bio-presence we saw on camera would've been impossible, so we smartly kept our phones in the car. Oddly enough, mosquitos weren't a problem. * TL;DR * For me, this was more about the journey than the destination. If I'd hung all of my hopes on seeing tons of bioluminescent activity, I would've been disappointed.  I was focused more on trying not to capsize while also listening to the symphony of 'coqui' (the local island tree frog). It can be romantic with a spouse/partner, assuming they're not yelling at you the whole time. Wear comfy clothes (swim trunks aren't a bad idea) and be aware that parts of your outfit will be crunchy the next day, due to the lagoon water being twice as salty as the ocean. Mangroves play a critical role in the tropical ecosystem, but they stink! Would definitely recommend this to anyone over the age of 18; it's an awesome late-night adventure and one of the most unique things you can do while in Puerto Rico.

What a beautiful experience. Had great guides during our Bio Bay tour. Our guide told us all about…read morethe science and history of the bay. Very cool, don't miss this magic!

Rented the zodiac style inflatable motor boat for 90 minutes with my son. They require a guide in a…read moreseparate zodiac who was a cool guy and a good idea as this area has some boat traffic including cruise ships and large yachts including Amazon Boss, Jeff Bezos. We enjoyed the zip around San Juan harbor and stop to swim. $165 for 90 minutes. Boats are in pretty good shape. They have organized departure times in this Sunday we're 10:30am 1pm and 3:30pm.

The plan was to visit Culebra…read more We had a great 40 minute bus ride from Condado to the Fajardo Safe Harbor for a pleasure boat ride for 20 post wedding guests. We arrived on time and we were warmly greeted by the captain and 2 crew. After a basic safety briefing we charted out towards Culebra in overcast weather. Instead of Culebra we settled on the uninhabited beach of Caya Luis Pena before Culebra with crystal clear waters in about 20 minutes. The waters were translucent clear turquoise and beach sand was pristine. Water temp was around 79-80F. Weather was overcast and comfortably cool. They laid out a simple light sandwich buffet for lunch with beers and tropical cocktails. Snorkeling, swimming and relaxing for a few hours, we spotted small schools of fish and a very cool bachelor Stingray circling looking for scraps. Crew was incredibly friendly and helpful and everyone enjoyed the short beach visit. The return trip was much smoother and after jumping back on the bus we were able to stop by a bbq joint for coconuts and fried stuffed empanadas.

WOW! This was one of my favorite lifetime experiences. It's worth the effort to get to Culebra to…read moreexperience the SEAVenture Tour with Culebra Island Adventures. Starting from the beginning: You need to take a ferry from Fajardo to Culebra to access the tour. CIA makes sure that your ferry tickets are reserved in advance. (When you arrive at the ferry terminal in Fajardo, you will quickly realize that this is CLUTCH. The ferry terminal is an absolutely disorganized hot mess.) I would recommend arriving at least an hour early. Even though you get to skip the very long line of people waiting to buy tickets, it's still a bit confusing to find the correct (shorter) line and get your tickets. Damian, one of our tour guides, was in touch with us consistently by text message to make sure we got our tickets and boarded the ferry. The ferry ride is about an hour long, and please prepare in advance if you get seasick, and bring your sunscreen and hat! It's a rough ride over to Culebra. The way back is far smoother. I would recommend getting a seat on the top and toward the middle, under the awning. That way you get a cool breeze and still enjoy the views without getting splashed by ocean water. That being said....all of this is more than worth it to experience the untouched beauty of Culebra. The waters are a clear, turquoise blue. Laura greeted us at the ferry terminal in Culebra and immediately took us on a brief walk to the van. We took a short ride to Tamarindo Beach, where the tour began. My husband and I appreciated the efficiency and the fact that NO time was wasted on the tour. It was extremely well-organized. We had a relatively small group of folks. Damian gave us a thorough explanation of the tour agenda (kayak, snorkel over one reef, return to shore for snack, more snorkeling, trip to Flamenco Beach.) This was the first time I have had a tour guide explain how to kayak in detail. Damian's tips were very helpful in ensuring a smooth and enjoyable kayak ride. We snorkeled over a beautiful coral reef for about 45 minutes and saw a puffer fish, eels, and vibrantly colored coral and fish. If you follow the guide (Laura) closely, you won't miss any of the wonderful marine life! We then returned to the shore by kayak for a delicious snack (homemade ham and cheese sandwiches, chips, apples, soda/water.) Then came the highlight of the tour--swimming with the sea turtles! We walked into the water directly from the beach this time. It wasn't long before we spotted several turtles, and they are a sight to behold. These gentle giants will allow you to swim directly over top of them and alongside them, making for excellent photo opportunities. This was one of the coolest experiences of my life. Speaking of photos, Laura chronicled our journey in detail using her underwater camera. Within days, she posted almost 400 pictures of our snorkeling tour on Facebook. We were able to download photos directly from Facebook for free. The pictures are AMAZING. This is one of the best perks of the tour! I love that they weren't trying to make us pay an extra $10 per picture, which they easily could have done. The last stop on our tour was the stunning and serene Flamenco Beach. Ahhhhhhh. The sand is white, the water is crystal blue, and it's not crowded. My husband loved body-surfing in the huge waves. We were able to purchase some beers at the refreshment area, and we sat on our towel and enjoyed the scenery. I would do this tour again and again if I could. It was so well-organized, the guides were knowledgeable, and the price is very reasonable. Make the effort to do this if you are in Puerto Rico! Thank you, Damian and Laura!

My husband and I recently went on a tour to with Natural Wonders to El Yunque, the rain forest, in…read morePuerto Rico. Fifty people from our community went on a cruise together and we used Natural Wonders for an excursion. The tour was excellent. They easily handled a large group. We had Alicia as our tour guide. She was extremely knowledgeable about the rain forest and Puerto Rico in general. We used 2 buses and the 2nd driver was equally as knowledgeable. The tour was punctual, very comfortable conditions and the price was reasonable. I would highly recommend using their services.

Absolutely FANTASTIC!!! We were on limited time and had a custom designed tour. We wanted to…read moreexperience Old San Juan and the rain forest. Took a route from our hotel along the coast. Raul was very knowledgeable and funny. He let us explore on our schedule and pace. We just had to call him to pick us up when we were done. Would highly recommend! Another plus is he was able to pick us up at our hotel which was WAY out of town. Do a tour, you will have a blast!