Another First Time Experience...

This story may inspire you to travel to an exotic locale, you have been warned. Beauty awaits those who are adventurous enough to seek it.

Let's discuss last night

I have wanted to see the bioluminescence phenomena in person for a few years now. Finally I can mark it off of my list after visiting Laguna Grande in Fajardo, PR. Although I may have to go back and see it again, continue reading to see why.

I left last night from my Airbnb just outside of Rio Grande, PR. From there headed towards Fajardo on the northeastern edge of the island. The exact spot where the Caribbean Sea meets the Atlantic ocean.

On the way, I stopped in Luquillo and ate dinner at Lolita's Mexican Food for my daily feast which included : two meat tacos, one tostada of the same kind, two massive bean burritos, Spanish rice, and more beans.
Let's just say I had plenty of fuel for the journey that ensued.

My arrival

I got to this quaint little beach town on the outskirts of Fajardo around 7:45pm. I was early as usual, my scheduled time was 8:15pm. It would be a 2 hour endeavor. So I spent 30 minutes listening to the sound of the waves crashing, and watching other people arrive in groups full of excitement/fear. Some had never been on a kayak before, others could not swim, and there were also a few people who couldn't even speak English. Good thing we were going with a well-known tour company, Kayaking Puerto Rico. There were resolutions to all of those problems. We were instructed on the use of a kayak and paddle. There were life jackets provided, and most areas were only 3-4 feet deep anyway. Also there were two guides who gave all of the info in Spanish to those that were restricted to that language, along with the 2 English speaking guides.

There were only two people who arrived without being apart of a group, I was one of them. The other person spoke great Spanish, but broken English. Since communication is vital, they put the man who was by himself in a kayak with one of the Spanish speaking guides. Me on the other-hand, I was encouraged to go alone. I am not one to run away from a challenge, so of course I quickly accepted the offer. I did this, despite the fact that I had never even been inside of a kayak in my life. The closest thing I have ever done in the past was when I went white water rafting back home in West Virginia a few times, on the New River. Kayaking solo was a great challenge, but one that I am happy I took on. Do you think that I made it all the way?

The adventure begins here

The Fajardo Bio Bay Kayak Tour began at Las Croabas. Once everyone was in their kayaks we wasted no time going across the beginning area where there were some boats anchored. There were some waves here, but nothing too major. During this time I got a feel for how to properly maneuver my kayak, and how to remain balanced inside. It was pretty similar to controlling a raft on white water except this time it was all me, not a group effort.

It wasn't the most comfortable seat, sitting straight up with a tight core helped. Also periodically adjusting your footing, very carefully, is vital. This also required some serious use of my upper body strength. Luckily, my arms' muscle memory isn't too bad, so I was able to get dialed in rather quickly.

I was blown away at just how difficult kayaking 2.4 miles would be. I guess I really didn't think about it much, that is, until I was actually doing it. I am thankful to be in pretty decent physical condition, or else this would have been a miserable trip, since I had nobody but myself to paddle. I did not ever get stuck or have issues at any point, I cannot say the same for everyone else on the journey.

Entering the Bioluminescent Bay

The entrance of the Fajardo Bio Bay is a red mangrove channel. The mangrove forest is inside Las Cabezas de San Juan Nature Reserve. Along the way, you see its protected flora and fauna. Since I went after the sun had set, and during a new moon, it was impossible to see anything besides the dim lights on either side of each kayak. That was until we got out of the narrow channel and Laguna Grande (big lagoon) opened up. At that point everything changed, the thousands of stars above our head provided enough light to see the faces of those around us. Then there was the bioluminescent water that glowed blue when it was disturbed of its stillness.

What is Bioluminescence

At every stroke of your paddle, lots of sparkles appear in the water, All the kayaks create a swirl of light. The fish glow in the darkness of the water, the place turns magical. The intensity of the glow will depend on the phase of the moon. Little moonlight, brightest glow. No matter how bright, it glows every day. While I was there, the visibility was at just 40%, and even then I was still able to notice obviously. I would love to see it at 100% though, this is why I desire to visit again...

If you would like to know more about the scientific explanation of bioluminescence, then follow this link.

Paddling Back to Land

While we were in the lagoon, we were schooled on the habitat of theses glowing microscopic creatures, plus much more. Then given about 15 minutes to relax before the most difficult task we were to encounter. This objective that I speak of is paddling against the current to get back through the channel in which we entered Laguna Grande from. I made sure this time to get towards the front of the group so that I did not get stuck behind any of the meanderers. I was able to become the 4th kayak out of about 20 to get going towards the landing.

During this excursion, I was continually talking out loud to myself. I did this for a few reasons. One, because I am a self-motivator. Secondly, because screaming out loud enabled me to muster the strength needed to continue forth. About 33% of the way back we stopped on the edges of the mangroves to wait for the rest of the group to catch up. This didn't last very long, as soon as we took off again, the same people who were ahead before were yet again in front.

Once I finally could see the lights on the land again, it felt as though I was injected with epinephrine. My adrenaline peaked to all time highs as I voyaged across the sea towards the sand. Row by row I grew closer and closer, at the same time my arms grew weaker and weaker. There was no stopping for this fellow, I knew that I had to accomplish what I set out to do. Giving up literally was not an option.

At last I was back, but we still had to wait on everybody else to arrive before we could exit our kayaks. I got lucky to line up on the far right end of the row of kayaks, and they started letting people out starting from the right. I was the second person released. I ran up, picked my keys up from the storage bin, then the rest is history. Never to be forgotten.

Recapping with the Captain

The thing I am most proud of from this whole scenario was the fact that I successfully made my way across waters unknown to me. In a vessel that was also new. In a beautiful land that was yet again, foreign to me. All of this, and not at one moment did I think to myself, "What if I can't do this". I believe my way of thinking is what allowed me to succeed. Yet another lesson that has allowed myself to expand even further, breaking through another layer of the chains of fear that lock each and every one of down at times.

When something amazing comes your way, go towards it. Standing still or running away may lead to you missing out on a life-changing opportunity. I am so happy that I went through with this and saw one of the most spectacular wonders that our world has to offer. For all we know, the next hurricane could completely obliterate that place forever. Thankfully it has recovered since Maria last year, still not back to 100% though.

My review of Kayaking Puerto Rico

This was the first company that appeared on Google when I searched for Bio Bay tours in Fajardo. I made my reservation online with ease. It cost $56, however while I was writing this blog they called to tell me that they were refunding $5 due to the visibility only being at 40% while I was there the previous night. Not much money, but I still think it was great business. I would highly recommend this tour company. There was another company coming back as we were heading out, they were quite comical/unprofessional. All of their guests were crashing into each other, even into parts of our group.