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Home » Destinations » Mexico » Puerto Escondido » Swimming in Puerto Escondido’s Bioluminescent Manialtepec Lagoon at Night

Swimming in Puerto Escondido’s Bioluminescent Manialtepec Lagoon at Night

Posted April 27, 2017, Updated January 17, 2023 //  by Michele Peterson 20 Comments

We may earn income from links in this post. Please read this Disclosure for details.

Thatched roof bungalow and phosphorescent water in Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, Mexico.
Blue plankton in the sea with text overlay of Bioluminescent Lagoon Tour in Puerto Escondido, Mexico for Pinterest.

Looking for a night tour of Puerto Escondido’s bioluminescent lagoon? You should be!

A Phosphorescence Tour of Manialtepec Lagoon is one of the top things to do on a visit to Puerto Escondido as it’s one of few places in the world where you can actually swim with incredible glow-in-the-dark bioluminescent plankton.

Here’s what you need to know about experiencing the unique Manialtepec Lagoon bioluminescence natural phenomenon.

Dock at Manialtepec Lagoon near Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, Mexico.
Depart from this dock on Manialtepec Lagoon at sunset. 

What is the Manialtepec Lagoon Bioluminescence?  

On Mexico’s Pacific Coast, five major lagoons, including Chacahua, line the shores of the Pacific Ocean from Acapulco to Puerto Escondido.

In Oaxaca, they’re home to Afro-Mexican communities and important to the biodiversity of the coastal eco-system.

Although each of the lagoons are unique in their own way, the Laguna de Manialtepec (Manialtepec Lagoon) is extra special because it’s home to a unique bioluminescent phenomenon.

And at certain times of the year it’s possible to swim with these glowing organisms during a Puerto Escondido Bioluminescence Tour offered by local community members.  

Taking a Bioluminescent Lagoon Boat Tour and Swim at night is definitely one of the most unforgettable experiences in  Puerto Escondido. 

It’s one of the top tours and one you should not do independently. Manialtepec Lagoon is located 30 minutes north of Puerto Escondido which means it isn’t close to the popular beach zones.

You’ll need transportation to get there and return.   

Check prices and availability of a Bioluminescent Lagoon Boat Tour and Swim (including hotel pickup and drop off).

What is It Like to Swim with Glowing Plankton?

My own experience began while we floated quietly in a small boat in the middle of a lagoon under an ink-black night sky.

Then, I heard a large splash. Someone in our group had jumped into the water.

Man swimming bioluminescence at Manialtepec Lagoon near Puerto Escondido #Oaxaca
Man overboard! Swimming at Manialtepec Lagoon near Puerto Escondido

Soon everyone else followed! 

We were participating in a Fosforescencia or Phosphorescence Excursion a bioluminescence experience offered in Puerto Escondido at special times of the year.

When the conditions are right, a unique alchemy of ocean currents and water temperature draw dinoflagellate plankton into Manialtepec Lagoon, the deep lagoon located 20 minutes outside Puerto Escondido.

Much like fireflies of the north, the half-plant half-animal organisms glow with a bluish white light creating an eerie shimmer to the water.

Local History of Puerto Escondido Bioluminescence 

“Ancients believed bathing in phosphorescence gave them special energy and made them more youthful,” explained Ebarardo, our guide.

His family has lived at Las Negras on the lagoon for generations, one of 150 families who  earn a living by fishing and now, by offering bioluminesence tours of the mangrove swamp.

If you’re taking a tour of the mangrove, booking a tour with them will help support local families.

Fishermen on a canoe at Manialtepec Lagoon in Puerto Escondido by day
Fishermen using traditional dugout boats on Manialtepec Lagoon during the day.

Is it Safe to Swim in Manialtepec Lagoon?

The first thing you need to consider is that crocodiles do live in this lagoon.

Check out this report of a metre and a half long crocodile that was found roaming a neighbouring farm and was safely returned to the lagoon. 

That crocodile is likely swimming around in the water somewhere!

And crocodiles do attack people. A young British woman was seriously injured by a crocodile near here.

It’s important to note however that she was swimming in the river (not Manialtepec Lagoon) and in an area where local guides recommend you don’t swim. 

So if you’re taking a tour of Manialtepec Lagoon (during the day or night), be sure to follow the advice of the local, government-licensed guides about safety. 

Check prices and availability of a Bioluminescent Lagoon Boat Tour and Swim (including hotel pickup and drop off).

If you’re an intrepid adventurer and if seeing glowing bioluminescence on a Laguna de Manialtepec tour is on your bucket list, it could be one of the highlights of visiting Puerto Escondido.

On our tour we just jumped right in. Soon we were floating, making snow angels in the water, our arms glowing wings of shimmering white. 

Mangroves at night on Manialtepec Lagoon Puerto Escondido Oaxaca
Is it just me or are mangroves slightly creepy at night?

Surrounded by tendrils of black mangroves with the lagoon itself wafting a rather funky smell, this lagoon didn’t bear any resemblance to The Blue Lagoon of Brooke Shield’s 1980’s movie fame.

We could see schools of tiny fish, glowing like radioactive Nemo’s beneath the surface of the water.

They scattered in all directions as the swimmers surfaced, their heads bathed in a sparkling sheath of white droplets.

Bioluminescent Plankton Locations Around the World

Bioluminescence in a lagoon at night.
The whitish blue glow of bioluminescence is created when the water is agitated.

“There are lots of bioluminescent beaches (such as Auckland, New Zealand, Halong Bay in Vietnam, Cocoa Beach in Florida and Golfo Dulce in Costa Rica to name a few) but only two bioluminescent lagoons in the world,” said Ebarardo.

“One here in Oaxaca and another in Puerto Rico. The best viewing times are at the New Moon when the sky is at its darkest.”

I dipped my hand in the water and droplets of sparkly stars poured from my hands.

“It’s like swimming with stars, ” said the woman in the water as she gazed up at the night sky which wrapped around us.

Milky Way
Legends say the Milky Way was road between life and death Credit: ESO/ Schoedel

Above me was a dome of constellations, planets and the Milky Way, which to the ancients represented the birth canal of the Cosmic Mother and the starting point of all life.

The path led to the Underworld and represented man’s journey on earth.

The night sky was a sight  I’d forgotten from my childhood growing up in Canada’s north, far from city lights. 

I scooped up a handful of water and realized I didn’t have to drink from the Fountain of Youth, I could hold it in my hands.

Laguna Manialtepec Bioluminescence Travel Tips

Best Bioluminescent Tours in Puerto Escondido 

Best Laguna de Manialtepec Phosphorescence Tour: The Lalo Ecotours 3 hour excursion includes pick-up at 8:00 pm and drop-off at your hotel in Puerto Escondido at 10:30 PM.

It also includes a traditional Oaxacan snack  of pescadilla (tuna-stuffed empanadas), the boat tour of the lagoon and guide.

Lalo Ecotours: Contact them by phone at 954 588-9164 or 954 123-4005 or email at laloecotours@hotmail.com

Laguna Manialtepec Bioluminescence Reservations: You can also book online. 

Check prices and availability of a Bioluminescent Lagoon Boat Tour and Swim (including hotel pickup and drop off).

When to Go

The best time to take a bioluminescence tour is during the New Moon. That’s when the night sky is at its darkest and the bioluminescence will be its brightest. 

What to Pack 

  • Wear a long-sleeved shirt and long sleeved pants to avoid insect bites.
  • Be sure to bring a bathing suit and towel if you plan to swim.
  • Insect repellent is also a must.
  • A flashlight is handy. 

Other Popular Puerto Escondido Tours 

How to Get from Huatulco to Puerto Escondido 

Riding Horseback to Atotonilco Hot Springs 

Day Trip to Roca Blanca Beach 

Save to Pinterest! 

Blue plankton in the sea with text overlay of Bioluminescent Lagoon Tour in Puerto Escondido, Mexico for Pinterest.

 

For more ideas on what to do in Puerto Escondido, check out these posts for ideas on adventure, excursions, restaurants and day trips:

 

Best Restaurants to Try in Puerto Escondido, Mexico

Michele Peterson
Michele Peterson

Dividing her time between Canada, Guatemala and Mexico (or the nearest tropical beach), Michele Peterson is the founder of A Taste for Travel. Her award-winning travel and food writing has appeared in Lonely Planet’s cookbook Mexico: From the Source, National Geographic Traveler, Fodor’s and 100+ other publications.

Read more about Michele Peterson.

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About Michele Peterson

Dividing her time between Canada, Guatemala and Mexico (or the nearest tropical beach), Michele Peterson is the founder of A Taste for Travel. Her award-winning travel and food writing has appeared in Lonely Planet’s cookbook Mexico: From the Source, National Geographic Traveler, Fodor’s and 100+ other publications.

Read more about Michele Peterson.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Marta

    May 13, 2016 at 12:04 pm

    This looks amazing!!! I was near Oaxaca years ago but had no idea this place existed or I would have gone for sure. Really magical!

    Reply
  2. Chasing The Goose

    May 13, 2016 at 10:09 am

    That looks and sounds great! Must be fantastic to experience it.

    Reply
  3. Sumti Bhadani

    May 13, 2016 at 9:50 am

    Amazing Hope you had great magical experience

    Reply
  4. alison @GreenWithRenvy

    September 05, 2014 at 11:27 am

    Looks like such a magical experience. I hope I can use your app for travel to the area sometime soon!

    Reply
  5. Carole Terwilliger Meyers

    September 03, 2014 at 5:37 pm

    Sounds lovely! BTW, Brooke Shield’s Blue Lagoon is in Fiji.

    Reply
  6. Sue Reddel

    September 02, 2014 at 12:59 pm

    Almost had the bioluminescent experience in Puerto Rico but it ended up storming and we couldn’t go. Looks like an amazing experience. Can’t wait to try it myself. Thanks for sharing your story.

    Reply
  7. The Gypsynesters

    September 02, 2014 at 8:59 am

    How cool is that? We’ve seen a little bit of it in the Caribbean, but never swam in it. Great stuff!

    Reply
  8. Travel with Kevin and Ruth

    September 02, 2014 at 12:49 am

    We have camped right beside this lagoon back in February of 2012 and have driven by it a number of times and never knew that it was a bioluminescent lagoon. We will be back in Puerto Escondido in November so maybe we will check it out. We have seen a bioluminescent beach this year in South Africa and it was really cool to see.

    Ruth

    Reply
  9. Juergen

    September 01, 2014 at 10:28 pm

    There, there! I’ve leaned something new – and am annoyed that we missed it on our trip south through Mexico. But I guess there could be more that I don’t know about 😉

    Reply
  10. Irene S. Levine

    September 01, 2014 at 8:45 pm

    What an incredible experience. BTW, did they guy have swim trunks on?:-)

    Reply
    • Michele Peterson

      September 02, 2014 at 8:51 am

      All I can say Irene is that he had swim trunks on when he jumped into the water. Whether he whipped them off in order to experience the luminescence more “fully” I can only guess at 🙂

  11. Betsy Wuebker | PassingThru

    September 01, 2014 at 5:00 pm

    I want to make a glowing water angel! What an experience! I don’t find mangroves creepy like you do. Here on Kauai, I love when the light hits the root structures a certain way; such geometry. Great post.

    Reply
  12. noel

    September 01, 2014 at 2:10 pm

    One of these days, i’ll get to experience this for the first time, thanks for sharing this amazing experience.

    Reply
  13. Anne Woodyard

    September 01, 2014 at 10:12 am

    This is fascinating – what a marvelous experience!

    Reply
  14. Guia Puerto Escondido

    October 16, 2013 at 11:02 am

    HOLA
    very Usefull Info
    Thanks for Writtin about ..
    we want to share your infos, specially when they talk about the enviroment arond puerto

    our web site will be back gain this weekend
    thanks your sharing your passion ..

    enrikecastillo

    Reply
  15. Colleen Friesen

    April 02, 2012 at 11:42 pm

    Beautiful Michele. Loved the ‘snow angel’ description.
    We get that phosphorence up here in the summer in BC, where water dripping off a canoe paddle looks like miniature falling stars.
    Sounds like you’re having a fine time there.
    Are you ever going back to Toronto??

    Reply
  16. Carol Perehudoff

    March 30, 2012 at 10:03 pm

    Beautiful writing, Michele. it wasn’t nearly as poetic when I kayaked with the sparkles in Puerto Rico and in Thailand on Koh Chang. Then again, I didn’t swim and I certainly didn’t drink the cute little phosphorescent microorganisms.

    Reply
  17. Jaclynne

    March 28, 2012 at 3:40 pm

    I am so looking forward to being there again and experiencing all these wonderful things you’ve discovered! Great writing!

    Reply
  18. Camille

    March 28, 2012 at 2:23 pm

    Thank you for sharing. I visited Puerto Escondido and Oaxaca in the early 1990s. It was a great vacation. Now I want to go back!

    Reply
  19. P.C.

    March 28, 2012 at 12:53 am

    That is too cool! What a great experience – you’d expect it to cost a lot more

    Reply

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Michele Peterson in Tuscany Italy Credit Insight Vacations.

Hi, I'm Michele! Welcome to A Taste for Travel, one of the world’s top culinary travel blogs, welcoming over 1.5 million readers annually! 

Along with a team of expert travel writers, enthusiastic eaters and skilled photographers, we help readers plan incredible adventures and make delicious global recipes at home.

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