The manta rays were amazing. However, avoid this operator at all costs. We were left waiting to start for over one hour, without any explanation or any apology when the experience began. Moreover, unlike the floatation gear for the feet provided by other operators to keep one flat, they just handed over a noodle, which was insufficient to keep one flat and made the whole experience tiring than it needed to be.
And no snacks or anything were offered unlike what was mentioned in the description.
Response from Host
Jul 2022
Aloha Gaurav,
Thank you for sharing your experience. I'm glad to to hear that you enjoyed snorkeling with the mantas but troubled to learn that you would recommend avoiding us at all costs to others...ouch.
I would be happy to provide a bit of an explanation as to why you may have felt that you were waiting longer than what you should have been and address a few other details regarding your tour.
For guests who book at 9:40pm, this is considered the "start time" or time when they need to arrive by to start getting ready and prepped to go out on our boat. It usually takes between 30-40 minutes to get everyone fitted with snorkel gear, put on the right size wetsuit, finish signing any waivers and then receive a manta briefing/boat safety instructions before getting on the boat. This information can be found under the "What to Expect" description on our TripAdvisor and Viator listing. We also mention it in our confirmation email that "one of our staff will help get you fitted with a wetsuit, snorkel gear and provide instructions before going out on our boat to see Kona's friendly mantas."
The boat is scheduled to take the 9:40 guests out at 10:20pm and bring them back to the dock by 11:00pm. I confirmed with our captain who was running slightly behind schedule that evening as the manta action had been slow and he had been giving the guests on other tours a little bit longer in the water to try and see them. I know that finishing the preparation stage early and then waiting for the previous group to finish up can feel like you are waiting for a long period of time. Please know that we were giving each group the best possible chance to see the rays and do apologize for the wait.
There are only a few companies (and when I say a few I mean 3 out of the 30 that I know of) that use ankle floats. The majority of other operators use noodles, floaty belts or nothing at all. We have looked into this option but find the ankle floats are more costly, and deteriorate quickly over time. For us, noodles have proven to be more durable, less costly and just as efficient. We understand that everyone has their own preferences and certain styles do and do not work well for others. I'm sorry that we did not have ankle floats available for you and that floating with a pool noodle made the experience more tiring.
We do provide complimentary drinks and snacks on our tours. This was available upon arrival but our check-in attendant got a little ahead of herself and accidentally put the drinks and snacks away before you had finished your tour. We have discussed keeping all snacks and drinks out with our staff until every tour has finished for the night. Again my apologies for the inconvenience this may have caused.
I hope this helps explains things a bit better and that we might have the opportunity to have you back out with us again. If you have any questions or if I can be of further assistance please feel to reach out via email or call our reservation line.
Sincerely,
Ashlie