Manta Magic: Small-Group Manta Ray Night Snorkel in Kailua Kona
Description
Avoid the crowds of the other "cattle boats" in Kona, and enjoy a small-group manta ray snorkeling experience with a maximum of 12 passengers. This tour departs from Keahou Harbor in South Kona and enjoys a short 5-minute boat ride to our snorkeling site, Manta Village. Your Captain and snorkel guide will educate you on Kona's famous manta rays and will discuss our safe and humane approach to engaging with the gentle giants. After entering the water, you'll hold onto our lightboard, with your feet propped up by floatation devices, as the manta rays perform a graceful ballet beneath you. The manta rays filter feed on plankton that naturally gathers at the surface just before sunset, then accumulates underneath our lights. This is an opportunity to enjoy an evening on the water and watch in amazement as the manta rays glide around and dance for you. We are proud to be a Green Listed company, and we take an environmentally cautious approach to our interactions with the manta rays.
Tour Options
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Must be able to swim without the assistance of a floatation device.
- A ticket is required for all passengers, regardless of age or whether they are entering the water.
- Maximum weight of 280 pounds per traveler.
- For safety purposes, if you can not comfortably swim 25 yards in the ocean, we ask that you purchase a ticket to ride along on the boat, but not enter the water.
- Children 7 and older are welcome on the tour if they can comfortably swim 25 yards in the ocean.
- Our boat is certified by the US Coast Guard for 12 passengers, and we can not exceed this limit.
- Not recommended for travelers with neck problems.
Reviews(1,176)
First trip no mantas, second trip 3 mantas
This was our favorite adventure of the trip (and we did a lot of adventures). It seemed like a once in a lifetime experience and the whole time in the water was an exciting 30 minutes. We saw lot of manta rays and felt safe the whole time. We were in the hands of an all women crew and they did amazing. They were knowledgeable, funny and caring. Highly recommend this experience with this outfitter. I can't comment on the cost because I have literally nothing to compare it to. Such a unique experience. 10/10 highly recommend.
We had an amazing time going out with Hawaiian Oceanic for the Manta ray snorkel. Christine was amazing before the trip, sending clear instructions on what to bring and where to meet. Our crew, captain Kelley, Eric and Caleigh were great during the trip. Small boat, great experience. Highly recommend. I have done other tours with Hawaiian Oceanic and they are always high quality
We were excited about this excursion but it turned out to be a terrible experience. There were no mantas, which sounds like it happens more than you’re led to believe. We wasted a good part of the evening floating uncomfortably in choppy water and saw nothing but a few fish. WARNING: the small print says there are no refunds. We were offered to rebook another night (we couldn’t, and why bother wasting another night) or a gift card for a future visit (we aren’t likely to come back for many years). Very disappointing - don’t take the risk and do something else instead
Aloha, thank you for sharing your feedback. We're truly sorry your tour didn't include the manta ray encounter you were hoping for. Manta rays are wild animals, and while sightings are very consistent in Kona, no operator can guarantee they will appear every night. We understand how disappointing it is when nature doesn't cooperate, especially if you're visiting on your final night and don't have the opportunity to return. We always recommend booking the tour early in your stay on The Big Island. Because we want every guest to experience the magic of swimming with manta rays, we offer a complimentary return tour for guests who don't see mantas. As you mentioned, we also keep that credit available for a future visit if you're unable to rebook during your current stay. While we realize that isn't the same as seeing mantas on the night you booked, it's our way of standing behind the experience while recognizing that wildlife sightings can never be guaranteed. We appreciate your feedback regarding the water conditions as well. Ocean conditions vary from night to night, and when conditions are unsafe, we do not operate. We regret that the choppier conditions made the experience less enjoyable for you. Mahalo for giving us the opportunity to take you out, and we hope you'll have the chance to return to Kona for the manta experience you were looking forward to.
We went on the snorkel tour in the morning, and had such a great time, we decided to do the manta tour that evening. As amazing as the snorkel tour, the manta tour was even better. We met at the bay and got our wet suits, and I was glad I had mine. The water felt much colder at night than it had in the day time snorkel. We got the overview of what to expect and the rules. You will put on ankle floaties and hold onto a raft with lights. You'll look like superman floating on the surface, and the mantas will swim below you. Since we booked last minute, we had to get a later tour (10:20 PM), but the timing was in our favor. There were more mantas feeding than usual. And there was a pod of dolphins followed by several sandbar sharks swimming nearby. It was a lot of wildlife, but the mantas were the highlight. The mantas will come up to feed and may even come close enough to touch you. You can even get a quick glimpse into their eyes. My only regret was not having a Go Pro. I had to use my phone in a pouch, which wasn't nearly as good for images, but it still captured the moment. This tour was truly incredible and like no other experience I've ever had. I highly recommend this tour.
This trip exceeded our expectations! I can’t speak highly enough of the experience, in particular the crew. Christine made it all super easy to book & was on top of logistics, Kelly was a great captain - warm, fun & very efficient, Carmelle was similarly friendly & kept things moving smoothly. Sara was the star of the trip - she kept is entertained and hauled us all aging to guarantee the best manta viewing. Don’t think twice, book this snorkel!
An amazing once in a lifetime experience. Our friendly and professional crew of 3 made sure we were safe and well taken care of so I felt at ease to just relax and enjoy the experience.
Great crew - Sage, Eric, Josh and Giovanna! We did the 7 pm trip and saw quite a few manta rays. Eric was knowledgeable and helpful while we observed these gentle giants gliding beneath us. Highly recommend this group!
My teenage daughter really wanted to do this night snorkel with the mantas and her older brother was willing to go, but unsure about getting in the water, and I am a giant water weenie, so it was not happening for me lol. From start to finish, communication was awesome, instructions on meetup and safety were on point. My son, who hadn't snorkeled before felt comfortable enough to get in and was so glad that he did! They had an excellent experience with the mantas and felt very safe. Their crew had a lifeguard, a snorkel guide and the captain, which made this mama feel safe sending her teens out without her! Shout out to our crew Christine, Justin, Sara, & Carmelle for making this a memory to look back on for our family. Do yourself a favor and book a smaller boat for a more personal experience, it's worth the money!
What a unique experience! It’s hard to explain what it feels like to have the manta rays rolling right under you! The staff was great and easy to communicate with before and during the activity. I especially appreciated how safe they made us all feel on a night with some pretty big swells. I would recommend this company to anyone who comes to the big island!
