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Manta Magic - Night Manta Ray Snorkel At Manta Village, Kona, Hawaii

Manta Magic - Night Manta Ray Snorkel At Manta Village, Kona, Hawaii

Overview

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.

City: Big Island of Hawaii

Thu 03 Oct

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $125.00

Make a reservation

Thu 03 Oct

Starting at $125.00

Make a reservation

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What's Included

Professional guide

Wetsuit (optional)

Use of Snorkelling equipment

Local taxes

Beverages

Additional Info

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.
Not recommended for travelers with neck problems.
Snorkel equipment is sanitized between uses.

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews (858)

Brian_H

Jul 2021

This is a must do experience during your visit to Kona. It is however, not exclusive and there are several operators that offer identical longer trips. It was a pretty short trip. You only go out a couple hunderd yards max. You can get this for about $70 and stay out for 2 hours. We paid $129 and were in the water 25 minutes. I know this because I started filming with my underwater camera when we started to get out of the boat. Shop around. It is right off the shore from the Sheraton and people go there to see the mantas come up for the plankton. This trip says approximately an hour, we were back in less than 50 minutes max. An extra 10 minutes would have been nice. We saw about 5 mantas, all female we were told. They come up and brush against you but it is illegal to touch them. A little scary at first but really exciting and as I said, a must do. The workers were super nice all the way around but I would still shop around. I overpaid $118 and you should book early, before you get here.

Response from Host

Aug 2021

Thank you for the feedback. Regarding the 2 hour tour for $70, there are a few major differences between that tour and our tour. 1) Boats that run 2-hour tours are leaving from a different harbor that has a longer boat ride. Boats running from Honokohau Harbor have a 25-minute boat ride to the manta ray site at Garden Eel Cove. Our boat leaves from Keauhou Harbor and has a 5-minute boat ride to Manta Village. The 5-minute boat ride is preferable for anyone who gets motion sickness, and for anyone who wants to be home earlier in the evening. 2) The time in the water on that tour is the same or less than our tour. They also target 30-45 minutes in the water, depeding on conditions. 3) We offer a small-group experience with a max of 12 passengers, where the $70 2-hour tour is a "cattle boat" that carries dozens of passengers. Larger groups are less mobile and can not easily move into the best manta ray viewing zones, where our swim guides tow our small groups into the best manta ray viewing zones. If you prefer a small-group experience and a shorter boat ride, we think it's worth spending the extra money for Hawaii Oceanic. If your goal is to go on the cheapest tour possible, and you're interested in a longer boat ride with a larger group, the $70 tour is a great option. Mahalo

Cathy_L

Jul 2021

I couldn’t believe how close the mantas came to us, absolutely amazing!! Great experience! I would definitely do again!! Our guides Kokio and Allia were fantastic! Patient, professional, and knowledgeable. They should warn about the parking though. They should give instruction ahead of time and tell you to allow extra time to find parking.

Response from Host

Aug 2021

We're glad you had a great time with the manta rays, Keoki, and Ali'i. Thank you for the wonderful feedback! Regarding parking, it can be a little tough to find parking at the harbor, and some guests need to park up the street and walk a few minutes to our meeting location. Because of that, we request that all customers arrive 30 minutes before the time of departure, allowing ample time to get checked in and fitted for a wetsuit (optional) before the time of departure. Mahalo

Rebecca_A

Jul 2021

Great crew, very knowledgeable. Very safe boat and an absolutely magical time seeing the mantas in the water.

Response from Host

Aug 2021

We're glad to hear you had a magical experience with Manta Magic. Thanks for the feedback! Mahalo