We lucked into a combination of two extraordinary snorkeling adventures when we set off with Coral Reef Snorkeling Adventures... both on the same day. Our first trip in the morning was the "swim with dolfins excursion." Captain Ron and crew member & snorkel guide Erin took us to several out of the way places, far away from any other nearby tour boats. Our boat was fantastically clean, well appointed and extremely well run. We saw three pods of dolfins, perhaps more than one hundred passing beside us while we were in the water as they moved from north to south along the western coastline. We also saw a manta ray while we while on the boat, cruising between snorkel spots! And all the other, usual snorkeling suspects too! Fabulous event all around. As exceptional as our morning was, we literally had the ' experience of a lifetime' that night when we went out for "night time manta ray snorkeling excursion.' Same boat as the morning, but this time Captain Carl and crew member & snorkel guide Natalie hosted us for this incredible adventure. We head out before dark and get positioned. There must have been eight to ten other tourboat moored beside us. Huge spotlights are sunk to the bottom of the reef, pointing upward to attract the manta rays. Long story short, as it gets pitch black after sunset, the glow from all the multitude of all the many lights, the scuba divers below, all the snorkels on the surface... the overall effect is pure science fiction! Then the manta ray shows up and 'flies' through the lights to get at the plankton! If, for some bizarre reason you only get to do one thing on the Big Island... do the night time manta ray trip with Coral Reef Snorkel Adventures! You will remember this unusual encounter all of the rest of your life... it's that amazing! Thanks Coral Reef Adventures!