Bioluminescence Tours Are Here!

July 11, 2015

Peak summer season is upon us, and with it we have been experiencing warm sunny days perfect for firing up one of the island’s most spectacular night-time light shows. Starting this week we have been running our Bioluminescence Kayak Tours. This is not my first season guiding these tours but I must say, seeing the shimmering sparkles never gets old.

On a typical Bioluminescence tour, we meet our guests at our shop in town. We never take more than eight people out each evening as we believe the experience is much more spectacular without a large crowd. From the shop, we drive a short distance to Jackson’s Beach where we unload boats and hand out all the necessary gear. By the time we launch, twilight has set in. Each tour is a little bit different, but last night I took my group of four out to Dinner Island. We circled around to another side of Griffin Bay, enjoying the darkening hues of blue against the silhouettes of the surrounding islands. By the time we reached the shoreline, night had arrived. For the rest of the tour, each paddle stroke set off flurries of bluish glitter. As we roamed the contours of the bay, we floated through the occasional patch of especially dense bioluminescence, and everyone would lose themselves in a fit of hand splashing and exclamations of awe. Fish jetting underneath our kayaks set off trails of light, our own personal aquatic fireworks.

We will be running our Bioluminescence Tours during the darkest phases of the moon for the months of July and August. Some dates have already filled up, but there are still dates with availability. Kayaking through the bioluminescence on San Juan Island truly is an experience of a lifetime.

Questions or comments? Phone us at or send an email to [email protected]. You can also visit our contact page and submit an inquiry via our contact form.