What it’s Actually Like to Explore a Bioluminescent Bay, St. Croix

St. Croix is home to two of the world’s bioluminescent bays, which are one of earth’s most magical natural wonders.  Bioluminescent bays are full of microorganisms that when agitated, produce light – think underwater fireflies. A nighttime guided kayak tour is the best way to visit these bays. I highly recommend booking with Sea Thru Kayaks VI. They take you to the Salt River Bay, and are the only tour group on the island that use completely transparent kayaks. Before going on the tour, I had a hard time finding out what to expect, since it’s extremely difficult to capture these lights in photographs or on video. This review covers what the experience is actually like so you know what to expect before you go.

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How to Prepare

Check the Lunar Calendar

The best time to visit a bioluminescent bay is during the new moon. This is when the night is the darkest and there is the least amount of light pollution caused by the moon. Sea Thru Kayaks VI offers tours during the week before and after the new moon, but the closer you can go to the exact date, the brighter the lights will be.

Take a Shower

One of the biggest dangers to bioluminescent bays is pollution. In fact, Puerto Rico recently had to temporarily shut down tours to one of its bays to let it heal from pollution damage. So before you go, rinse off and skip the lotions, perfume and bug spray.

Leave your Camera/Phone in the Car

I’m going to burst your bubble now and tell you now that this is not a place you’ll be able to get gram worthy content or other-worldly photos to show off to your family. If you have any kind of cell phone, or a digital camera without a multi-hundred-if not thousand dollar-lens, don’t even bother trying. For reference, I brought my SonyA6100 with a FE 50mm f/1.8 lens and wasn’t able to capture anything. However, the fact that it is so difficult to capture the lights on film adds to the mysterious allure of the bays. You’ll only truly know what it looks like if you paddle there yourself.

Prepare for Groups of Two

This is a generalized tip for any kayak tour. If you’re a solo traveler, prepare for all others on the tour to show up in even numbers. The downside of this happening is that you will have to keep up with a group of double kayaks, all of whom have twice the manpower. If you’re a strong paddler this is a non-issue, but if not, it’s something to keep in mind. I learned this the hard way on a kayak tour off the coast of Spain, but that’s a story for another time.

Bring Cash

Don’t forget to bring some cash to tip your guides. The guides here are great and really go the extra mile. You don’t have to tip, but it’s always a nice gesture if you enjoyed the tour.

Bioluminescent Bay Tour

Where to Meet

The meeting spot for this tour is at the Salt River Marina in Christiansted. It’s a lush and peaceful enclave that is protected from the open water by mangrove trees. There is also a restaurant called Flyers Bar and Grill at the Marina, which is located just to the right of the photo below. Flyers is an island-style sports bar that serves typical American bar food and locally brewed beer.

Once all participants have arrived, the guides will get you situated in your kayaks. Although commonly referred to as glass-bottom kayaks, the boats are actually made of clear plastic. This specific model is great because both the sides and the bottom are transparent. Besides their aesthetic, the design of these kayaks differs from traditional kayaks in two ways. First, they are designed so that the heavier person sits in the front. Secondly, the boats sit lower in the water. Because of this, they are easier to flip than traditional kayaks, but as long as you sit still and don’t make any sudden movements you’ll be fine.

How to Get to the Bay

After everyone is situated in the boats, you’ll head out to the bay as a group with one guide leading and one guide bringing up the rear. The ride from the marina to the bay is about three quarters of a mile and takes you across the open water. This was the part of the trip I was most worried about, since I chose to bring my camera along. However, on our ride we had ideal conditions – a light evening breeze and some gentle rolling waves.  Of course the sea is unpredictable, but the guides closely monitor the conditions.

One thing I do want to mention is that this ride takes place in darkness. I managed to grab the shot below on the way to the bay, which I’d say is a very accurate description of the surroundings. The two small green lights are on the back of other kayaks in the group, but besides those, the only other lights came sporadically from the shoreline and from the stars.

Exploring the Bioluminescent Bay

Once you arrive at the bay, the group gathers together before the guides let you split up to explore at your own pace. When we first arrived, I remember being a little worried that the bioluminescent bay looked the same as the ride over: black. However, the guides then explained that bioluminescence needs to be agitated in order to light up. The faster you paddle, the brighter the lights become. The lights were the most vibrant directly under the boat, which we would have never been able to see and enjoy if we were in a conventional kayak.

My favorite moment was when I put my hand in the water and wiggled my fingers. The water around them lit up like I was in a movie and suddenly had some kind of superpower. It was impossible to capture any of the experience on camera, but I found this picture of the stars, which is the closest image I could find of what the bioluminescent lights actually look like. It’s truly a surreal feeling when the only light around you comes from the sky above and the bioluminescence below. As we paddled around, searching for the brightest spots, it was almost like we were floating in space, peacefully surrounded by shooting stars.

After about 45 minutes the guides call you back together as a group to prepare to leave the bioluminescent bay. Once you return, if you’ve built up an appetite from the ride, stop by Flyers for some dinner. Most restaurants on the island close early, so it’s great to have a place nearby to get a hot meal.

Book your Tour

Ready to experience this adventure yourself? Book your tour here. 

I hope that someday you will get to see these lights with your own eyes and experience this little bit of magic, just waiting to be discovered. 

-Kira