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Private: Bioluminescence Tour
Badge of ExcellenceGrand Cayman, Cayman Islands
From $599.00
per group (up to 6)
Select Date and Travelers
up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
- 2 hours
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
What's Included
- Bottled water
- Alcoholic Beverages
- Need Snorkel Gear? Select what you need through our Guest Sign-in portal. URL & login credentials included in operator confirmation email.
- Gratuity not included.
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting points
Select a meeting point
Type to search
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.What To Expect
Bioluminescent Bay
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
- Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Ciara_C
Stunning experience, and Mark was a kind and knowledgeable captain!
The ability to view the bioluminescence is based on how bright (or rather, how dim) the moonlight is. Before booking, I checked the lunar schedule and opted for a night as far from the full moon (as close to the new moon) as I could during our time in Grand Cayman. Definitely paid off, Highly recommend this experience!
Reviews
5.0
28 reviews
Josh_S, Apr 2024
Nice boat
Nice captain 🧑✈️
One should never underestimate the mystery that nature holds for you. Show this to your children
Mike_H, Mar 2024
It was such a fun experience! Mark was a great captain and I would recommend it to anyone visiting Grand Cayman.
Ciara_C, Mar 2024
Stunning experience, and Mark was a kind and knowledgeable captain!
The ability to view the bioluminescence is based on how bright (or rather, how dim) the moonlight is. Before booking, I checked the lunar schedule and opted for a night as far from the full moon (as close to the new moon) as I could during our time in Grand Cayman. Definitely paid off, Highly recommend this experience!
Melissa_G, Feb 2024
Cody was very responsive to my messages via e-mail on Viator. Mark was a phenomenal boat captain and Bio Bay guide. Give that guy a raise, Cody!
Trent_J, Jan 2024
Wonderful trip that checks all of the boxes and more. Cody was so accommodating and fun to spend the afternoon with. Our kids had a blast. Bio bay was like nothing we’ve ever seen before!
karina_p, Jan 2024
Absolutely magical. Great experience
For kids and adults alike. Convenient pickup location and, great excursion and the experience that was simply out of this world.
KARIN_D, Jan 2024
Wonderful tour. Captain Cody was very personable, shared lots of information, made sure the whole group had a great time. Highly recommend this tour!
Mitchell_K, Jan 2024
We booked this experience for our family, liking the fact that we could have the boat to ourselves which was more personal. Cody showed up on time and with good communication. The pickup point was very easy to find. We got on the boat quickly and left right away. He has a great playlist that we listened to on our way. We were able to customize what we did so we chose to go to Stingray City and see the bioluminescent bay. To have our own boat with only our family on, was amazing! At Stingray City, there were a few larger boats with groups of people on them. We got our very own guide (Cody) just for us, which was very personal and so fun. We each got time to hold and pet the stingrays without having to wait for others and be in a large group. One of our daughters was afraid of the ocean and didn't feel like participating and because of Cody's chill-ness, she asked to pet a stingray and he made her very comfortable. We weren't rushed at all and we were literally in the middle of the ocean watching the sunset while enjoying our favorite experience of the entire trip. When we were done, it wasn't quite dark enough yet to go to the bay so Cody suggested going to Starfish point which was a great in-between while waiting for the sky to get dark. Cody was friendly, low-key, relaxed, and really added to our enjoyment of this special day. I would suggest bringing your own towels as there aren't any provided, and if you want a snack, bring that too. Otherwise, we highly recommend booking this if you are looking for a unique and super special way to see some amazing places, especially with a smaller group of people. Thanks for everything Cody!
Jenna_M, Nov 2023
Cody was very personable. He had a lot of knowledge about the island since he was born and raised here.
Clinton_E, Jul 2023
This was my family’s third time to ‘experience’ the bioluminescent organisms in Grand Cayman. The previous two tours were taken with Cayman Kayaks. We enjoyed those very much, but the fact that we had to travel to and from Rum Point by taxi (1 hour, 15 min or so, each way) for those tours was a significant draw back. Thus, I was thrilled to find the private boat option, which departed from Camana. Bay. For full disclosure, we had learned on previous tours that the organisms’ appearance does ebb and flow with the tides and phase of the moon. To this end, I noted that some other vendors were not offering bookings for this excursion during the end of June and beginning of July 2023. Against my better judgement, I went ahead and booked this tour for June 30.
Unfortunately, not until arriving at the cove where we were expecting to experience the bioluminescence, were we told somewhat awkwardly that “the tide has done something” and that the organisms might be difficult to see. We were told that we would have to get into the water with a mask and that we might see some with a wave of our hands. My wife and kids (ages 20 and 17) did enter the water. I knew we’d been a bit duped at this point - I did not get in. They reported perhaps a “slight” appearance of faint green, but it was so light that they could not tell if they were seeing plain bubbles or bioluminescence. It was NOTHING like what we had seen before and was nothing like the photos on this vendor’s webpage.
I need to be fair here. I regret that I should have known better than to book this tour on these dates. The fact that other operators weren’t offering bookings also should have told me so. A work colleague tried to book this tour through a different vendor on the same night, but was told “I’d be ripping you off if I took you out there during this phase of the moon.”
Fortunately, my kids were lucky to experience the bioluminescence in full force on the two previous trips out to Rum Point with Cayman Kayaks (who also do not book the tour on certain dates). I only feel compelled to warn future customers, because I do not want someone who has never truly seen this phenomenon to be mislead or fooled by this tour operator. The dates DO matter. This tour should not be offered every night.
I would like to say that the boat was very nice. Cody, our host, was cordial and professional. I am not sure if he is responsible or not for the decision to book guests when the bioluminescent activity is likely to be so low, or absent. He did note that he is from the Cayman Islands, so I do believe that he had to know a bit more of what we were going to see than he initially let on. I would recommend that each guest be offered a life jacket before departure. I did see them at the back of the boat, but I was a bit uncomfortable moving across the bay in darkness without at least a hand on a life jacket. The boat is not large.
In the end, we reconciled that the tour still represented a fair memory, due to the boat ride itself, stargazing, and a nice view of Camana Bay from the water. But, we were in the boat for about 1 hour total and did not come close to experiencing the bioluminescence as advertised.
For future customers of this tour, PLEASE ask the operator directly about what you will expect to see in the water on particular dates. Unfortunately, despite their professionalism and nice equipment, I am afraid that they are not being completely truthful with this tour as it is currently represented on their webpage.
I would use this company again, but only if I research and ask more direct questions about what to expect for my $600 (plus $100 tip for Cody - i did that b/c i was unsure if the decision to allow booking was his or not).
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Private: Bioluminescence Tour
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