The manta rays are truly magnificent creatures, and I hope y’all will book a manta tour. We chose Hawaii Island and Ocean Tours, because it offered a special price through Trip Advisor (and also Groupon) that was much less than most other tour operators. All of the boats leave from the same harbor, go to the same location, and use the same rafts, so it may not matter much which operator you choose. The best thing about Hawaii Island and Ocean Tours was the expertise of our boat captain, who could talk knowledgeably about the rays, the site, and the experience. The worst thing about our trip was the guide in the water with us, who seemed bored by doing many trips and spent much of our time chatting with other guides, rather than talking to us about the magnificent creatures. Or simply being quiet and allowing the magic to happen. The other bad thing was that I felt myself get stung on my arm and then my leg, and I told the guide, who just shrugged it off, saying, yeah, there are jellyfish-like things that sting. As a result of the stings, I left the water early. I wish I had talked to the captain, because on my way home the pain increased, and it did not subside for several hours, til after soaking in hot water.