Bioluminescent Tours

Grand Cayman

There are only a few places in the world where you can experience the bioluminescence. Bio Bay, located in Grand Cayman of the Cayman Islands, is one of these places. You may be wondering what exactly is bioluminescence. Bioluminescent plankton consists of organisms that emit light when moved and mixed with air. This movement causes oxidation which releases the glow you will see in the water. Each organism stores energy from the sun all day just to release this glow just once per night. This makes for an awesome activity during your stay in Grand Cayman.

Here you can see the glowing Bioluminescence getting stirred up by the propellers as we make our way into Bio Bay. No, we do not have lights under our boat.

This was a picture taken of one of our charter guests snorkeling through the Bioluminescence and the light emitting around his movement. Pretty neat!

With your own private charter to view the bioluminescent, you are able to get into the water, setting off your own light reaction as you swim through the Bio Bay. We highly recommend putting on a mask and snorkel during your visit here for a whole new experience. To look under the water as you move your arms through the bioluminescence, watching the tiny, green glowing plankton bounce away from your hands, is truly a magical experience. This bioluminescence is only visible during certain times of each month due to the different moon phases. Please check below to see if the bioluminescence will be visible during your visit to Grand Cayman.

Bioluminescent Visibility Schedule

Below you can view which dates the bioluminescence will be visible during each month and the tour options available.

January 5th – 23rd (2026)
February 4th – 22nd (2026)
March 6th – 23rd (2026)
April 5th – 21st (2026)
May 4th – 21st (2026)
June 3rd – 19th (2026)
July 3rd – 18th (2026)
August 1st – 17th (2026)
August 31st – September 15th (2026)
September 29th – October 15th (2026)
October 29th – November 14th (2026)
November 27th – December 14th (2026)
December 26th (2026) – January 13th (2027)
January 25th – February 11th (2027)

This private charter to Bio Bay is available on our boat, Hatchling, only. Although the Bioluminescence is a customizable stop option, due to this option needing to be viewed at a time that is very dark, there are set times below. Please contact us directly to customize a start time for full day, 6 & 8 hour charters. Other tour time options are as follows:

2-hour Private Charter to Visit Just Bio Bay: This Private tour is $550 USD, beginning at 7pm – 9pm.
3-hour Private Charter to Visit Bio Bay Plus 1 Customizable Stop: This private tour is $750 USD, beginning at 6pm – 9pm.
4-hour Private Charter to Visit Bio Bay Plus 2 Customizable Stops: This private tour is $900 USD, beginning at 5pm – 9pm.

A few customizable stop options available are Stingray City, Starfish Point, various Snorkel locations, a tubing stop option and a stop for dinner at a beachside restaurant. Click here to view all of our stop options available.