- 6+
- 4.5 hours
Snorkel two of Kona’s best spots on one trip! On this 4 hour adventure you get to snorkel the beautiful marine sanctuary at Cook’s Monument in Kealakekua Bay and the Place of Refuge.
Quick Details
THIS NIGHTTIME MANTA RAY SNORKEL TOUR IN KONA MAY BE THE MOST EXCITING JOURNEY YOU WILL EVER EXPERIENCE!
Gently slip into the ocean, relax and let our knowledgeable crew guide you to the areas to view the magnificent Kona Manta Rays. If you only have time for one snorkel trip while visiting the Big Island this is the one to choose. You will have about 45 minutes in the water with the amazing and graceful manta rays, which will surely leave you with lasting memories. This Big Island Manta Ray, night snorkeling adventure, is considered the most exciting, most memorable and best value out of any of the island’s numerous snorkel trips.
How You’ll Swim with Manta Rays in Kona
When out on the water you will be floating and under the watchful eye and guidance of one of our trained, expert crew members who will be stationed in the water alongside you. We will be at the water’s surface alongside our light source, whose purpose is to attract zooplankton (Manta Ray’s favorite food) to the top of the water. The Manta Rays from there will be attracted to the food and therefore that light source and start swimming under and beside you in the water.
However, even with their food being next to where you will be in the water, there is nothing to fear! Manta Rays do not have teeth or stingers unlike other large sea creatures. The zooplankton that they eat are a filter through sets of gill rakers.
We will encourage you however to make sure that you hold onto the flotation device that we provide and work to keep your legs and body horizontal along the water’s surface.
About Manta Ray Village, Hawaii
Manta Ray Village is one of the most popular snorkel spots on the entirety of the Big Island– solely because it is home to the large Manta Ray population. Therefore, this is where we will be embarking on our night time snorkel adventure with these gentle giants!
The Village is the oldest spot to go snorkeling with Manta Rays on the Big Island, Hawaii. Since 1974 the lights of the nearby resort have drawn in the Manta Rays night after night to feed on the abundance of zooplankton.Nightly, the zooplankton makes the largest animal migration in the world. They rise from the depths of the ocean under the cover of darkness to the surface to feed on their favorite food, phytoplankton. While the Manta Rays are the star, many other fish also join in on the banquet of zooplankton.
How Manta Rays Will Interact With You While Snorkeling
Despite popular belief, Manta Rays not only look dissimilar to Sting Rays, they have a completely different demeanor, and pose no threat to you while snorkeling. Sting Rays are usually a fraction of the size of the large Manta Rays who have an average 12 foot wingspan and have barbed “stinger” on their tail, whereas Manta Rays DO NOT.
The most common thing you will see Manta Rays do on this night time snorkel trip is the “barrel roll”. This is where the mantas will do a large flip, of sorts, skimming the water right under where you will be at. The Mantas do this as a way to feed off of the plankton that has gathered at the surface. If you are lucky during our night time snorkel adventure you may even be gently grazed by one of these magnificent animals.
There is nothing to fear and everything to be excited for when it comes to snorkeling with Manta Rays during your Big Island trip! Put your trust in our wonderful captain and crew and be prepared for the experience of a lifetime.
- Small personal groups 16 max.
- Wet suit tops, warm beverage and snorkel gear are provided
- Please bring a towel and warm cover-up for after snorkeling
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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We meet at a different location for our manta tours than our day tours. On the day of your tour, you’ll receive a text message with the check-in location. Following directions to our location.We have a mobile check-in. Please look for our large white work van parked along Kaleiopapa Street just before the OUTRIGGER HOTEL turn off (If you have passed the Outrigger Hotel or are at the boat ramp area, you have gone too far, turn around and go back towards the Outrigger Hotel.). Our van is marked with Dolphin Discoveries on the side and we have a sign-out. It is dark out, so please look out for us. Please plan to allow about 5 minutes to find parking and to locate our check-in location.
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You should not arrive any earlier that 10 minutes before your check-in time. Your check-in time is located on your booking confirmation email.
If you reserved the 5:30pm time slot (offered seasonally), check-in starts promptly at 5:30pm.
If you reserved the 6:30pm time slot, check-in starts promptly at 6:30pm.
If you reserved the 7:30pm time slot, check-in starts promptly at 7:30pm.
If you reserved the 8:30pm time slot, check-in starts promptly at 8:30pm.
If you reserved the 9:30pm time slot (offered seasonally), check-in starts promptly at 9:30pm -
You should sign your waiver as soon as you receive your booking confirmation email. There is a link on the email for our online waiver. Each adult needs to sign their own waiver. Only one adult needs to sign for each minor.
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During this night time manta ray snorkel in Kona, the water can be between 35-40ft in depth. Our brightly lit boards allow us to see all the way to the coral bottom.
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During this manta ray encounter in Kona, you will be in the water however it is not possible to do “free snorkeling” with the manta rays in Hawaii because your snorkel and fins can hurt the manta rays. Additionally, touching them can remove their protective skin coating which can leave them susceptible to infection. Manta rays may come as close as arm’s length during your viewing session, however; if touched the Manta ray will most likely leave the viewing area. Absolutely no touching is allowed.
Manta rays are not dangerous. They are considered harmless and are mostly very curious and swim around divers.
By following the proper guidelines, you will have the best manta night snorkel in Kona.
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We recommend when you join us on the best manta ray night snorkel in Kona that you arrive in swim attire and light cover up and bring a towel to use after your trip. Our boats do have a small dry box aboard for a personal bag. Please try to use a small bag so all guests have room to store their belongings.
If you choose to bring your own snorkel equipment, please leave fins behind. Bring your mask and snorkel only.
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Masks, snorkels, short sleeve wetsuit tops and pool noodles are provided.
Life jackets available upon request. However, guests must know how to swim.
At the end of the tour, hot tea will be served!
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All guests that are planning to snorkel, must know how to swim. There will be a short swim from the boat to our floating board. Once holding onto the board, guests will need to lay flat and float on the surface of the water. Pool noodles are provided to assist with keeping flat.
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Our minimum age to participate with in water activity is 6 years old. Due to the nature of this tour, it is difficult for younger children to understand our safety briefing and often times become frightened. Because of this reason, there are no exceptions to our minimum age requirement.
We do allow younger children to attend as a “ride-along” however a parent or guardian will be required to remain on the vessel at all times. Ride along tickets are a full price ticket, as it is a reserved seat on our small passenger vessel. Additionally, because of the timing of this tour and because our guides are actively swimming for the duration of the tour, we cannot allow “trade offs” of parents.
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If you have a family member that does not want to snorkel, they can most definitely remain on the boat. Because it is a reserved seat on our small passenger vessels, a ticket must be reserved.
Children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at all times.
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We specialize in small group settings. We take a maximum of 16 guests.
When we have 16 guests, there will be two “in water” guides and two separate floating boards. There will be 8 guests per floating board.
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We are fortunate to launch out of Keauhou Bay near Manta Ray Village. Our boat ride is only 5 minutes to our snorkel location.
We schedule 1.5 hour time slots. A portion of the time is spent making sure that your gear is issued and fitted properly and time for our safety briefing. Once in the water, we snorkel for approximately 45 minutes.
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Many manta rays on Big Island can be found at Manta Ray Village all year round. The depth of the water near Manta Ray Village goes from very deep to very shallow quickly creating a short swim for zooplankton to rise to the surface. This creates a rich feeding ground for manta rays in Kona. Additionally, the reef around Manta Ray Village is beautiful reef which is home to a variety of wrasse which remove parasites and dead skin cells from the manta rays at natural cleaning stations. When you swim with manta rays on Big Island, we create an artificial light source through our state of the art “Light Boards” which draws in an abundance of zooplankton, which in return draws in manta rays. During your manta ray night swim on Big Island you’ll see the natural food chain from the smallest of animals to some of the largest.
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Please keep in mind that our manta ray night snorkel on Big Island is a wild and free adventure. There is no guarantee when it comes to wild animals.
If for any reason we are unable to view a Manta Ray on the day and time you have joined us, we will gladly offer you an opportunity to go out a second time at no additional charge on a space available basis. Therefore, we recommend you plan your manta ray night snorkel on Big Island early during your visit so that, if necessary, we can reschedule your tour without running into conflicts with the rest of your itinerary. If for some reason we do not have space available or you are unable to reschedule, there are no refunds.
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