bio bay tours vieques

The Pirate Bio Bay Tours 

787-436-6082

Vieques Puerto Rico

Locally owned and operated tour guide company.

We know Vieques better!

Allow us to introduce you to the magical sight of our bioluminescent bay in our clear kayaks, and with our knowledgable and fun tour guides 

A once in a lifetime  experience

Vieques has the brightest bio bay in the world! Our clear kayaks make your time in the bay just magical. 

We limit our tours, which makes it more open for conversation and enjoyment.

Bio Bay Kayak Tour

Experience our nighttime  Bioluminescent Bay tour in our clear kayaks, with our educational and super fun guides.

Surround yourself with the magic!

to book your chosen date and time for the Bio Bay Tour, click the link below

Snorkel tour.

Guided Snorkel Tours to the best spots in  Vieques . Imagine  the possibility of marking that

"swim with  turtles" off of your bucket list! 

for more information on our Snorkel Tours, click the link below, or contact us at 787-671-3862

[email protected]

Read here for information regarding our COVID-19 response

ABE'S SNORKELING & BIOBAY TOURS

Tours on vieques island in puerto rico, experience vieques island with abe's, biobay tours, snorkeling tours.

• Most Popular!
• Key Hole All experience levels
• Hour Glass 2 hours

Biobay Tour

Discover the beauty and science of bioluminescence, along with the life of the Pyrodinium Bahamense, the single-celled organism responsible for this amazing glow. Hop in your kayak and let’s go!

• Featured tour!
• Key Hole Intermediate/Advanced
• Hour Glass 3.5 hours

Tres Palmitas Snorkeling Tour

Take a paddle around a mangrove forest, kayak to a completely remote beach and snorkel from the shore, then head into the Caribbean Sea and paddle near sea caves on this four-hour elite journey.

Paddle With The Pirate!

Once you get to Vieques, you need to paddle with the pirate! A local islander raised in St. Croix, Abe grew up on the water. He made it his mission to teach people about the biobay and our local Vieques ecology while having a great time. Abe has been doing tours in Vieques for 20 years – longer than any other tour company in Vieques!

The Most Recommended Tour Company in Vieques!

I recommend taking the BioBay Tour with Abe's, everything was perfect, they answered all our questions and it was a very safe Tour. Our guide Serina was very friendly and was always aware of the group. It was an unforgettable experience.

First time we visited the bioluminescent bay in Vieques! We had a great time with our guide David and his assistant Charlene. They offered us a lot of interesting information about the marine life in the Mosquito Bay and we had no problems in seeing the dinoflagellates, even though there was a full moon.

The tour guide was fantastic! We thoroughly enjoyed his commentary and guide through the bio bay! We met Abe and he is great! His store is awesome too. It has everything you need and may have left behind!

It was a magical experience, something you'll never forget. Our tour guide, Steve, was very friendly, humorous and entertaining, who made the tour full of fun. I have even played guitar and sang two songs while we were exploring the bay on our own. Strongly recommended Abe's.

This was the highlight of our trip to San Juan, Culebra and Vieques! Our guide Cally was knowledgeable, entertaining and very cool. We did the all day tour with kayaking, snorkeling and then the bio bay. It was worth every penny.

Abe went step by step in getting us the information we needed. He did great with recognizing our abilities and tailored his approaches to my wife and I. He went at our pace and gave us the fundamental we needed to enjoy our week in the ocean. I would recommend him to anyone who has never snorkeled before.

My family has been coming to the island for 6 years and we have been on a number of bio bay tours. Abe's is the best by far. Their guides are knowledgeable, professional, and very helpful. Abe's also has great snorkeling and kayaking trips.

I have been all over the world and have been in luminescent waters before but nothing like this. Truly amazing!! Our guide really explained so much about the bay itself, what has been done, what is being done to conserve it going forward. It is amazing and totally recommend this tour.

Why is it Important to Snorkel with One of our Guides?

Guides help keep you safe by avoiding natural hazards

Guides keep the coral reefs and sea life safe from accidental harm

Guides educate you on the natural species you may find while snorkeling

Guides are there to help you identify sea life you may not notice without a guide

Guides teach you important techniques for using all the equipment

It’s more fun, educational, and safe to go with Abe’s guides!

Experience the Magic of Mosquito Bay…The Brightest Bioluminescent Bay in the World

Puerto Mosquito   (Mosquito Bay) is located on the southern shore of the island of Vieques, one of the islands of Puerto Rico.  This bay is often referred to as “magical”, those blessed with the opportunity to experience it always agree.  The bioluminescent bay in Vieques was officially declared the brightest in the world by Guinness Book of World Records in 2008.  Hurricane Maria caused much destruction on the island, it sadly disrupted the delicate balance of the bay, the beloved Mosquito Bay went dark.  To everyone’s surprise the bioluminescent bay not only recovered, but it is also brighter than it ever was in the past.

Don’t leave Isla de Vieques without   taking a tour   of this magnificent and magical natural wonder. It will be a magical, priceless memory to remember for a lifetime.    The bio bay is best experienced during a “New Moon” phase, so we’ve included an interactive moon phase calendar below to help you plan your trip accordingly.   In the waters of   Mosquito Bay , there are organisms named   Pyrodinium bahamense ,   Dinoflagellates   (dinos).  These “dinos” are responsible for this amazing natural phenomenon.  When the “dinos” come into contact with another organism or shaken they produce a bright burst of blue light.

Bioluminescent Bay Tours

Vieques, puerto rico, bioluminescent bay tours – updated september 2019.

Friendly and knowledgeable tour guides await to give you an unforgettable experience at the Bio Bay, you can explore it on a kayak tour or an electrically powered   boat .

• Abe’s Snorkeling & Bio Bay Tours    –  (787) 741-2134 or (939) 224-2095
• Bieque Eco Trips   – (787) 922-2701
• Black Beard Sports   – (787) 300-0155 or (787) 966-7540
• Blue Waters Caribbean Adventures – (844) 210-2922
• Din Din’s Bio Bay Tours – (787) 448-5931
• Fun Brothers   (787) 435-9372 or (787) 741-0151
• JAK Water Sports   – (787) 644-7112
• Melaya’s Tours   – (787) 222-7055
• Taino Aqua Adventures   – (787) 349-6964
• Travesias Isleñas – (787) 447-4104
• Vieques Kayaks – (787) 905-6782

What the World says of Bioluminescent Bay

"brightest bio bay in the world" by guinness world records, brightest bio bay in the world.

August 4, 2008 / Guinness Book of World Records 2008 –   Living Light

“The Mosquito Bioluminscent Bay on the Island of Vieques, Puerto Rico is the most bioluminescent in the World.  It contains up to 160,000 microscopic dinoflagelates per liter of water.

When agitated, these microscopic organisms (Pyrodinium bahamense or swirling fire) reacts emitting a blue-green light for about a decimal of a second. There are other bioluminescent bays around the island, but the Mosquito Bio Bay is the one that shines with the most intensity, its shallow and small entrance from the sea impedes the waves from washing away the dinoflagellates; and the mangrove trees, with their decomposition process, provides abundant food for the micro-organisms.”

One of the most 50 Most Romantic Places on Earth

One of the most 50 most romantic places on earth .

by Travel & Leisure

“Illuminated Vieques A guided tour on a motorboat isn’t the way most romantic evenings begin, but once you slip your body into Mosquito Bay, a bioluminescent lagoon off the island of Vieques, you’ll have forgotten the exhaust fumes. Millions of “stars” (actually, they’re microscopic organisms in the water) light up with a stunning blue-white glow, and scatter with every splash you make. Spielberg couldn’t ask for better special effects.”

Go With the Glow!! Is it Magic? by   National Geographic   (new window)

No, it’s not magic. With each paddle stroke, the girls stir up millions of tiny dinoflagellates (dy-no-FLAH-juh-luhts). When stirred at night, these plantlike life-forms glow beautifully. Each gallon of Mosquito Bay water holds some 750,000 dinoflagellates. Their combined light creates spectacular evening shows.

On the island of Vieques off the coast of Puerto Rico, Mosquito Bay’s dinoflagellates give off their bioluminescent (by-oh-loo-mih-NESS-ent) light from dusk until dawn. “In other parts of the world, bioluminescence is seasonal,” explains Sharon Grasso, a tour guide on Vieques. “But here, the water glows brightly year-round.”

Each night Grasso shows off the natural beauty of the bay. Passengers stare in awe as the tour boat leaves a glittering trail. They dip their hands in the water, leaving greenish-blue trails of their own.

Mosquito Bay’s displays are threatened, however. Bright artificial light from nearby developments can outshine the natural glow. Pollution, destruction of mangrove trees, dredging, land development, and overuse of the bay’s water can kill the fragile dinoflagellates. “We can’t let the lights go out,” says Grasso. “The magic of Mosquito Bay should live on forever.” 

Planning your Visit to the Bio Bay

What you can do to helps us preserve the bioluminescent bay.

Every one of us can do a little to ensure that our children and the next generations can enjoy this natural wonder.

• Do not swim in the bio bay.  It is against the law, responsible tour guides will not allow you to swim.  Any chemicals you apply to your skin such as bug repellent, lotions, etc. could cause harm to the delicate balance of the bio bay.
• Only book tours with licensed tour operators.  Tour guides that allow you to swim are breaking the law and not showing respect or love for the island.  If you’re on a kayak, you can touch the water to see the “starry lights” come to life against your skin.
• Please refrain from throwing any type of objects, food or trash on the water during your tour.  The smallest object, can or piece of trash can kill thousands of the precious little “dinos” that create the night show.

Interactive Moon Phase Calendar

Below you can see the current moon phases for this month. To best plan your trip to the bio bay, try to book a tour around new moon phases, when it is darkest at night, so you can maximize your bioluminescent bay experience. Click the calendar image to link the  full moon calendar  to see what the moon phases will be around your trip dates.

Bioluminescent Bay Videos

Following are a few videos to give you an idea of the phenomenon…but you have to be here to experience it, it is magic! It is truly hard to capture on a camera and to see it first hand is an experience like no other.

Puerto Rico   was blessed with 3 bioluminescent bays, the brightest is in Vieques.  Commonly known as Mosquito Bay by tourists, its formal is   Caño Hondo , commonly known as   Puerto Mosquito .  The Vieques Bio Bay is the perfect environment for these dinos to thrive and multiply, it is shallow and the mouth of the bay is small, so the bright tiny organisms are trapped and protected in the bay, making it very, very bright.  The mangroves surrounding the bay provide the perfect nutrition for the Pyrodinium bahamense.  Any changes in the delicate ecosystem can diminish the healthy balance of the bay.

The second brightest is   Laguna Grande   in   Fajardo , and the least bright is in   La Parguera in the town of Lajas   due to tourist exploitation and poor conservation efforts.  If you make it to Porta del Sol (west coast), we do encourage you to visit   La Parguera’s   Bio Bay, but instead of taking the boat trip, book a kayaking trip, they will take you to spots where boats can reach and the bioluminescence is brighter.