Private: Bioluminescence Tour

Posted By : Mitchell_K
We booked this experience for our family, liking the fact that we could have the boat to ourselves which was more personal. Cody showed up on time and with good communication. The pickup point was very easy to find. We got on the boat quickly and left right away. He has a great playlist that we listened to on our way. We were able to customize what we did so we chose to go to Stingray City and see the bioluminescent bay. To have our own boat with only our family on, was amazing! At Stingray City, there were a few larger boats with groups of people on them. We got our very own guide (Cody) just for us, which was very personal and so fun. We each got time to hold and pet the stingrays without having to wait for others and be in a large group. One of our daughters was afraid of the ocean and didn't feel like participating and because of Cody's chill-ness, she asked to pet a stingray and he made her very comfortable. We weren't rushed at all and we were literally in the middle of the ocean watching the sunset while enjoying our favorite experience of the entire trip. When we were done, it wasn't quite dark enough yet to go to the bay so Cody suggested going to Starfish point which was a great in-between while waiting for the sky to get dark. Cody was friendly, low-key, relaxed, and really added to our enjoyment of this special day. I would suggest bringing your own towels as there aren't any provided, and if you want a snack, bring that too. Otherwise, we highly recommend booking this if you are looking for a unique and super special way to see some amazing places, especially with a smaller group of people. Thanks for everything Cody!
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Posted On : 2024-01-06 18:36:37

Posted By : Jenna_M
Cody was very personable. He had a lot of knowledge about the island since he was born and raised here.
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Posted On : 2023-11-25 14:31:52

Posted By : Glynn M
Did not know what to expect and was totally blown away by it. Highly recommended for everyone. Cody was an excellent guide.
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Posted On : 2023-08-17 14:07:36

Posted By : lolawalter
Cody with Island Charters runs his own small company and was great. He is super nice, knowledgeable and helped everyone know what to do and what not to do so nobody would get stung by jellyfish. His boat is nice and very clean. It was beautiful riding on the boat in the moonlight. The bay was not glowing like it used to but you could see it glow down under water if you snorkel.
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Posted On : 2023-08-01 10:35:42

Posted By : Happiness56461896719
Cody gave us the BEST bioluminescent tour! His boat was a perfect accommodation for our group of 5, comfortable and clean with great speakers and music. Seeing the bright stars in the night sky as we drove to the bioluminescent bay was incomparable. Seeing the bioluminescent organisms requires getting into the water with float noodles, mask goggles and snorkel and Cody guides you through each step. You NEED to use goggles in the water to actually see the bioluminescent microorganisms glowing. You can't just see it from the boat. But when you do look under the water and see them as you move your hands through it around you, it's a truly magical experience!
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Posted On : 2023-07-10 16:17:48

Posted By : Ty C
Great atmosphere set by the guide. Comfortable attention to safety and assurance around how and what we would be doing. Great music and advice.
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Posted On : 2023-07-10 13:48:49

Posted By : Clinton_E
This was my family’s third time to ‘experience’ the bioluminescent organisms in Grand Cayman. The previous two tours were taken with Cayman Kayaks. We enjoyed those very much, but the fact that we had to travel to and from Rum Point by taxi (1 hour, 15 min or so, each way) for those tours was a significant draw back. Thus, I was thrilled to find the private boat option, which departed from Camana. Bay. For full disclosure, we had learned on previous tours that the organisms’ appearance does ebb and flow with the tides and phase of the moon. To this end, I noted that some other vendors were not offering bookings for this excursion during the end of June and beginning of July 2023. Against my better judgement, I went ahead and booked this tour for June 30.

Unfortunately, not until arriving at the cove where we were expecting to experience the bioluminescence, were we told somewhat awkwardly that “the tide has done something” and that the organisms might be difficult to see. We were told that we would have to get into the water with a mask and that we might see some with a wave of our hands. My wife and kids (ages 20 and 17) did enter the water. I knew we’d been a bit duped at this point - I did not get in. They reported perhaps a “slight” appearance of faint green, but it was so light that they could not tell if they were seeing plain bubbles or bioluminescence. It was NOTHING like what we had seen before and was nothing like the photos on this vendor’s webpage.

I need to be fair here. I regret that I should have known better than to book this tour on these dates. The fact that other operators weren’t offering bookings also should have told me so. A work colleague tried to book this tour through a different vendor on the same night, but was told “I’d be ripping you off if I took you out there during this phase of the moon.”

Fortunately, my kids were lucky to experience the bioluminescence in full force on the two previous trips out to Rum Point with Cayman Kayaks (who also do not book the tour on certain dates). I only feel compelled to warn future customers, because I do not want someone who has never truly seen this phenomenon to be mislead or fooled by this tour operator. The dates DO matter. This tour should not be offered every night.

I would like to say that the boat was very nice. Cody, our host, was cordial and professional. I am not sure if he is responsible or not for the decision to book guests when the bioluminescent activity is likely to be so low, or absent. He did note that he is from the Cayman Islands, so I do believe that he had to know a bit more of what we were going to see than he initially let on. I would recommend that each guest be offered a life jacket before departure. I did see them at the back of the boat, but I was a bit uncomfortable moving across the bay in darkness without at least a hand on a life jacket. The boat is not large.

In the end, we reconciled that the tour still represented a fair memory, due to the boat ride itself, stargazing, and a nice view of Camana Bay from the water. But, we were in the boat for about 1 hour total and did not come close to experiencing the bioluminescence as advertised.

For future customers of this tour, PLEASE ask the operator directly about what you will expect to see in the water on particular dates. Unfortunately, despite their professionalism and nice equipment, I am afraid that they are not being completely truthful with this tour as it is currently represented on their webpage.

I would use this company again, but only if I research and ask more direct questions about what to expect for my $600 (plus $100 tip for Cody - i did that b/c i was unsure if the decision to allow booking was his or not).
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Posted On : 2023-07-03 14:38:12

Posted By : tabithamayo771
Our guide was great! We had a wonderful trip. Would definitely book again with this company. Everyone had such a fun time and made great memories!
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Posted On : 2023-07-03 11:53:34

Posted By : Mary E
Cody did a GREAT job. It was just the three of us, safe personal and an amazing experience all as advertised.
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Posted On : 2023-06-25 14:58:44

Posted By : mirela_g
The boat was clean and in great shape, and playing our own music during the trip was an unexpected boon. Cody was friendly, professional and imminently competent. When one of us got stung by a jellyfish, he knew exactly what to do to immediately adress the problem, and by the next morning the condition had almost completely resolved.
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Posted On : 2023-06-22 11:29:14