We were disappointed with this outfit. Yes, we did see a few manta rays, but seeing the other operators' boats nearby on the same night made us realize this was probably a second-rate operation by comparison. For one thing, the Eka Canoe website pictures a great-looking traditional Hawaiian boat. But don't expect to enjoy being on that beautiful-looking sailboat because at night it's just like any other little nondescript boat, but with uncomfortable seats. After a short, uninteresting ride out to the manta-watching area, you are told to jump off the boat (so don't be afraid of jumping into dark water at night). Then you have to hold onto a crappy little board (surfboard size) along with 5 other people. You better have strong fingers - which they don't tell you ahead of time - because you are going to have to hold on for a long time as the lead guy drags the board with all in tow bumping into each other. If you are lucky, after maybe 20 or 30 minutes of holding on by your fingertips, you might have seen a manta ray or three. (There's no guarantee that you will). After all that time in the water at night, don't be surprised if you start getting cold because they only supply a partial wetsuit, a vest that is more like a life jacket which provides no warmth on the crucial part of your back. You are then dragged back to the boat and you plunk down wet on the uncomfortable seat. After some time shivering, they offer to get the towel they tell you to bring.
This WAS a unique experience. Am I glad I did it? Kind of, but that's because of the manta rays. Was it worth the price? No. And would I advise anyone to choose this particular operator? No, but I don't know if the other outfits are any better. So before you book a night snorkeling with manta rays, I suggest you phone around and ask them about all the things I mentioned to see if they do it better.