We take a boat to the bioluminescent bay (20 minute boat ride).

Once at the Bio Bay, you have the option to snorkel with the bioluminescence.

The visibility of the bioluminescence is 10x better in the water with a mask.

The mask allows you to see thousands of bright sparkles underwater. If you stay on the boat, you will see exactly what is seen on a kayak, it's just significantly better in the water with a mask. The bioluminescence is caused by millions of single-celled plankton called dinoflagellates that give off light when disturbed in the water at night.

• Water where we snorkel is only 4 feet deep.
• The water is not cold.
• There are NO sharks; there has never been a shark attack in Cayman.
• Bio Bay is calm with no currents or waves.
• Jellyfish are not a problem because we have full body wet suits, dive gloves and dive shoes. There are few jellyfish in the winter months, but in the summer months, there are more jellyfish due to warmer waters. Even if you were stung by one of these jellyfish, it doesn't hurt and the itchiness only lasts for 5 minutes.

This tour typically departs 15 minutes after the sun sets. It operates year-round, but only for about 2 weeks each month, due to the moon cycle. It is primarily the moon rise/set times that impact bio visibility, not the moon phase.

The Bio Bay (Bioluminescent Bay) is a man-made bay which was dredged out nearly 30 years ago.

The Bio Bay was created as part of a real estate project; there are private villas on the shore of the bay.

The physical features of the Bio Bay trap the dinoflagellate plankton, which is why there is such a high concentration of these plankton in the bay.

There is a myth that boats and/or snorkeling are bad for the dinoflagellate plankton in the Bio Bay.

There is no evidence to suggest this is the case; there have been boats in the Bio Bay since its inception; all of the homes on the Bio Bay have docks and boats.

The visibility of the bioluminescence is always fluctuating. The factors that determine the visibility of the bioluminescence is the tide level and weather.

Our bioluminescence boat/snorkel tour departs from the Cayman Islands Yacht Club. This is on the west side of Grand Cayman, near Seven Mile Beach. This is NOT the George Town Yacht Club.

We recommend that guests book this tour as early in their vacation as possible; there is a relatively high risk of cancellation due to weather; if you make the reservation at the beginning of your vacation, and the tour is cancelled, then you have more potential to reschedule. Click here to view our cancellation & refund policy.

We aren't able to accommodate cruise ship passengers on this tour because this is a night-time activity, and the cruise ships leave before it gets dark.