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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

Tue 17 Sep

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $125.00

Make a reservation

Tue 17 Sep

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)

dnegel

Jul 2015

My boyfriend and I went out with Hawaii Oceanic last night for the night time manta ray dive. There was only four in our group (up to 6 are taken per tour on this particular package) and the whole afternoon/night we were all well looked after! The tour crew Jason and Dusty looked after us so well, answering all our questions (including my persistent "will we get eaten by sharks" one), reassuring us that the whole experience was very peaceful. They also made sure we always had a drink and snack to keep us going. We arrived at the site about 1 hour before sunset and were lucky enough to snorkel with a large manta ray before the other boats arrived and the sun had gone down. It was great! Then, the sun went down (very pretty to watch - an added bonus) and the show began! We were in the water for about 45 minutes, but it felt like 5. The manta ray show was magical, they came so close to you but were never frightening (and I am a wimp!), and danced around doing flips while eating the plankton. The experience was unforgettable. I am so glad we booked through Hawaii Oceanic as the other tours seemed to have a lot of people, spent less time at the site taking in the surroundings before the sun went down, and I feel like our experience was more personal. An added bonus was that the crew take professional photos throughout the entire experience, so there is no need to bring an underwater camera. I cannot wait to see the pictures that Dusty took :) :)

Laura C

Jan 2015

Absolutely fantastic! Our group of four went on the Manta Magic Night Snorkel specifically because we wanted to experience these amazing creatures in a small group setting. Our guides, Jason and Phae, were both very informative and personable, and their snorkel gear was very clean, comfortable, and of professional quality. Phae was so kind as to offer two members of our group a sea-sick remedy while we were watching the sun go down; she is a wonderful host! Jason gave us all the information we needed to keep our group safe, and threw in the occasional joke as well. Although we only spent about one hour in the water with the rays, the entire trip took roughly three hours in order for us to get a "good parking spot" in the area where the rays congregate, but you do see a lovely sunset from the water while you wait, and are offered a light snack. We were REALLY surprised to see two huge rays immediately upon entering the water! There were many other groups in the same area, but since there were only 5 of us in our group, we were able to move around easily to get the best views. The most memorable part was definitely being able to see the rays swim under us while scuba divers lit up the water from below. We saw manta rays almost constantly throughout our time in the water, with some of them gracefully swooping up within a few inches of us! Truly magical! You don't have to be a great swimmer to go on this trip, you hold onto a floating board the whole time, so anyone who isn't afraid of dark water would certainly enjoy this adventure! Worth every penny! I will definitely go back to enjoy the magic again!

Tourwell

Dec 2014

Jason and Phae are knowledgeable, safety-conscious, and lots of fun. Manta Magic was a great opportunity to see the many rays with a company that specializes in giving high quality attention to a much smaller group (max 6). That said, the environment of the somewhat noisy crowd at the manta site was a bit disconcerting in contrast with the gentleness and wonder of experiencing the rays themselves. Phae did her best to navigate our vantage point so we still had a wonderful time. The night we went out was very rough and Jason handled the boat very well through the chop. Something to know ahead is that as an observing snorkeler one is not really allowed to move enough to stay warm, so it's about an hour in the 'Superman position' holding on to the light board that attracts the plankton. It gets cold--even in a wetsuit-- and can be difficult in rough water.