Bioluminescence Tour

Learn about our Bioluminescence Tour

This tour is seasonal: January – May.

The Sittee River is the gateway to one of nature’s breathtaking phenomena – bioluminescent or “burning wata” as the Belizeans call it. This night tour is seasonal. Conditions have to be just perfect in the Anderson Lagoon and it usually occurs in the driest months like January-May.

Head out on the 5 minute boat ride to Anderson Lagoon on the Sittee River. The night sky is UNBELIEVABLE. Thick with stars all the way down to the tree line.

Go through a tiny cut to get to the lagoon and you will be surrounded by the giant mangroves and then shoot out into the lagoon. It’s pitch black, the guide’s flashlight beam cutting across the lagoon is the only light and then he turns it off. The boat picks up speed and the wake glows. A blue light. As the boat pick up more speed, the tiny algae, which settle in the lagoon during the dry season, get agitated and glow. It’s absolutely unbelievable.

Ready to book your tour?

Request a Reservation

Our Tour Pricing

2 PAX: $75.00 USD Per Person
3 PAX or more: $55.00 USD Per Person
R/T Transportation to departure site $7.50 USD per person

What to bring?

Camera, Dramamine Towels, Snacks, Insect repellant , and Water

Dress: Short or long pants and comfortable

What does the tour include?

Professional tour guide

Our tour duration:

Departs: 6:00 pm
Returns: 8:00 pm
Intensity: Easy

Recommended by many friends & families

Amelia Milam

00:11 22 Dec 22

My family and I wanted to catch Lobster and conch to eat and get to know Belize adventures was very quick to accommodate and provide us with exactly that! Medz and Jeff were great guides who are very positive and know a lot about the area. They even caught a lion fish and cleaned it for us to eat. They also care a lot about the area - on the way out we saw an injured sea turtle and they brought it back to shore and called the professionals to come help it. 10/10 would recommend!

Erin Louis

17:33 15 Dec 22

We had such an amazing experience on a full-day snorkel tour from Hopkins with Medz and Jeff! They are top notch guides and we had the best day snorkeling the reef and then ending the trip with an afternoon stop at Bread and Butter Caye. They cooked us up a yummy lunch that included fresh fish they caught that day. Jeff was extremely knowledgeable on the sea life and Medz was a great captain. They were friendly, welcoming and passionate about their jobs. We enjoyed everything about the day!! Thank you! - Mike and Erin

T DW

23:02 26 Mar 22

This will definitely be happening again! I was so happy to have found out this was not only a local family-owned company, but one of Garifuna heritage. We traveled with them for two tours while in Hopkins. All of our guides were incredibly personable and awesome!First, Josie was amazing in communicating and working with us. I was working to surprise my partner with family on the trip, but he insisted on paying for the excursions. Josie was amazing with working with me.Second, she texted me to let me know who or guides would be for the day and kept great communication on time and place to meet.Third, Medz & Jeff were our guides for half-day snorkeling. They were absolutely awesome with instruction and helping people of all swimming abilities (me being the weaker swimmer of the group and first time snorkeler). They gave us lots of great cultural information, we learned a lot about them. I sat out on the second half of of the tour and had a great conversation with Medz.Next, Dirk was our guide for the Caracol tour and was super cool. To say this tour was amazing is an understatement. We connected with another guide, Francisco, for this tour. We got so much culture and beauty from this tour and the food was amazing. Since Caracol isn't a popular tour (but one I highly encourage!) we got to see Dirk be a tourist in his own homeland and it was amazing.

Taryn Rivera

03:07 07 Feb 22

This is one of the best tour guide companies I have ever dealt with. The entire team was accommodating for the entire trip. Josie worked with us beforehand in planning and was so patient with changes we made before we even arrived. Dirk was our transportation to/from the airport and all adventures, he was hilarious and very knowledgeable! He had great local suggestions and checked in with us often to provide info on what was happening around town. He had stories about the region and could answer all of the questions we peppered him with. The tour adventures were a blast and we had no issues with any of them. We had the chance to enjoy the Bioluminescence tour, the Mayan Ruins, Cave tubing, Placencia day trip and fishing/snorkeling trip. Each and every tour was met with knowledgeable, entertaining guides who were all so kind and funny! When inclement weather changed our plans, Josie worked to reschedule trips and offer other options. Anything we asked for we received. She had lobsters and a grill delivered upon request. Arranged for onsite massage therapists. Provided suggestions on where to eat and where to go. Delivered a golf cart that we used throughout the week. Hopkins is an amazing place in itself but this company made our trip one of the best in the books! We can’t say enough about this amazing hospitality!

Nicholas Larsen

10:14 05 Dec 21

The trip was incredible! Don't even hesitate thinking about going, just book this! We did the 3/4 Day trip fishing and snorkeling. You will get into a skiff that Medz navigates through the Hopkins Bay with a lifetime of skill. We all caught a cooler full of fish, and I even got to try fishing with a hand line like the locals have been doing for hundreds of years. After fishing, we stopped at a private little island where they provided a delicious lunch. Then we headed out to the barrier reef for a snorkel filled with sea life. Jeff and Medz we're professional, kind, and very helpful. We would come back anytime and we 100% recommend this tour.

Photos of our Bioluminescence Tour

Our guide will stop the boat and you just stare into the water. Schools of fish or any marine life swimming through the lagoon create a phosphorescent trail which can look like a glowing cloud in the water. Hundreds of jelly fish pulsating in the water. They feed on the algae – it’s all along their edges and inside them.

Questions?

Frequently Asked Questions

Why don’t we have an automated booking system?

We have found through experience that the old-fashioned way of interacting and discussing specific adventures with each potential guest enables us to best deliver you the adventures of a lifetime! It is very difficult to implement an automated system that can navigate through all the variables, but our friendly staff will be happy to walk you through creating the best itinerary for you.