Manta Ray Experience: Small Group, Big Lights

Experience an intimate encounter with gentle giants on the Keauhou Manta Ray Night Snorkel in Kailua-Kona. Avoid the crowds and long boat rides for a unique and unforgettable experience!

Duration: 1 hour, 20 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • 78-7138 Kaleiopapa St - Manta Ray Guarantee Policy*
    Return for FREE if no manta rays are spotted!
    Enjoy a more intimate experience with smaller group sizes, avoiding the large crowds of up to 50 guests on bigger boats!
    Just a 3-minute boat ride from our harbor!
    Experience 150,000 lumens of dive light power! The strongest lighting system on our…
What's Included
  • Mask, Snorkel, Lifejacket & Wetsuit
  • USCG Captain, in Water snorkel Guide & Lifeguard
What's Not Included
  • Wetsuit & Lifejacket are optional. NOT required to do the tour
  • Gratuity for the crew if you’d like to tip
Additional Information

Manta Ray Guarantee Policy: Enjoy a free return visit if no manta rays are spotted! Experience smaller group sizes, avoiding the large boats that carry up to 50 guests. Just a 3-minute boat ride to the mantas, steering clear of boats with a 30-minute ride and an hour round trip. Benefit from 150,000 lumens of blue dive light power, the most powerful…

Location
78-7138 Kaleiopapa St
Kaleiopapa Street
The TIME you book is CHECK IN TIME arrive at wetsuit van. Address is 78-7138 Kaleiopapa Street. Look for "Hawaii Island Ocean Tours & Kona Snorkel Tours" White Van by the Outrigger Hotel entrance. Park Free along road, NO parking in the long narrow stalls designated for vehicles w/boat trailers.
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.7
(2047 Ratings)
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Jabhealdsburg
Jan 15, 2025
Manta Ray Night Snorkel - Swim guide Shea, captain Bill, and lifeguard Jordan were awesome! Shea was very knowledgeable and helpful. Once in a lifetime experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Pkhilo
Jan 14, 2025
Wonderful gift for family - I purchased this experience for my children as a Christmas gift. They enjoyed it immensely. I was very pleased with the phone response time whenever I phoned with questions, and the price was reasonable when compared to the many other companies that offered the same services.
Review provided by Viator
Jeanette_q
Jan 14, 2025
Do it!!’ Amazing time. - This is an amazing activity . I had the time of my life . It’s a must do for sure. Everything was perfect from check in to the end . I feel so safe . Thank you to the captain and the crew , our swimmer guy was great too . Only take your bathing suit . A towel and the water proof cámara or the cellphone with the waterproof case . ( they sell them there too) . It was all worth it . The mantras were huge and came very closed and it was magical . Thank you guys.
Review provided by Viator
Jenlz9125ur
Jan 14, 2025
Must do!! - We had the BEST time!!! We started a bit nervous, but Captain John, Payton, & Deavon we're so helpful. Put me right at ease! I have a bit of a phobia of being in the water at night, but it was AMAZING!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jessa_t
Jan 13, 2025
Amazing experience - The boat ride with the crew to the Manta rays was fun filled with jokes from the crew. Rori and I shared the same birthday, captain Bill laid on the jokes and Kaylee was our guide in the water and they all did great. It was an amazing experience watching the manta rays up close.
Review provided by Viator
Drvt03
Jan 12, 2025
Must do on Big Island - So much fun seeing these majestic animals. Crew were amazing too- friendly and encouraging. Absolutely recommend team!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kaylee_w
Jan 11, 2025
DO IT! January - 7pm Tour - If you’re contemplating it, do it! Such an awesome experience and would recommend this to anyone. The crew was super knowledgeable and well qualified to be operating. They knew a lot of facts about the mantas and were really great at easing minds if they were nervous. The short boat ride (< 5 mins each way) and ease of access was one of the reasons we decided to go with this tour. We were in the water for about 30 minutes. Wetsuits are offered for rent for $10/per person (cash or venmo) and they also sell under water phone cases. I personally brought my GoPro and got awesome photos. We saw at least 2 female manta rays that hung out for basically the whole time we were in the water. They swam SO close to us, and were so interactive/fun to watch. I saw some reviews about instructions being unclear, they’re unbelievably clear if you can read. Park on the road for free, check in at the van, and the team takes it from there. You’ll get a pool noodle under your legs while you’re in the water so you don’t kick the mantas. Getting in and out of the boat is pretty easy, you’ll use a ladder to climb back in and you just get in off the side of the boat. It was a little rough for us so we couldn’t see the ocean floor, but the team said it’s about 30-40 feet in depth and you can see it on good visibility nights. You hold on to the side of a paddle board with lights on it so you can easily stay with the group. The person in the water with you (swimmer) holds the board in place to stabilize it and makes sure you have your noodle under your legs the whole time. If you need help, they have you. Highly recommend this company, it was great and the mantas are amazing!!
Review provided by Viator
Teodoro_k
Jan 11, 2025
Excellent tour, you got... - Excellent tour, you got to several mantas at a very close distance, one even touched my arm. Guides were very professional and helpful, its very safe although being in the ocean at night. Really worthy and unique experience
Review provided by Viator
Leah_b
Jan 16, 2025
Go with a different company!!! - We showed up early for our tour to ensure we found the correct tour company. Our company was the last to show up so we kept asking other companies and they kept saying to wait behind the dumpster for our guide. Once our guide showed up (10 minutes before our start time) the gentleman in the van rudely told us to wait out of the way while he set up. Once everything was set up he started his briefing. Once out on the water the life guard/guides promptly started the 30 minute clock once we were in the water. Our guide explained a few interesting things about manta rays but spent the majority of the time conversing with other guides out on the water with us. We ended up briefly seeing a total of 3 manta ray in the 30 minutes we were out there. The guide in the water with us also explained she was "experimenting" with the different colored lights on the bottom of the board. We had a total of 8 people in our party costing us over $900 for the 30 minutes in the water. I would have much rather gone with a different engaged and higher priced company to get our money's worth out of the tour. Not to mention how rudd, unprofessional and unorganized they seemed to be. I will absolutely suggest anyone visiting in the future and out future stays to go with a different company.
Review provided by Viator
Davidfr2421lr
Jan 13, 2025
Hurting the lives of manta rays and treating them like a circus act. Very unethical and run by trash people - This company caters to tourists who don’t care about the environment or wildlife. This is an unethical and unfriendly process for the beautiful manta rays we unfortunately witnessed here. Evidently they also specialize in trying to worsen the lives of dolphins. The people who run this are not Hawaiian and only are trying to make money without taking precautions to protect the animals. We saw people in their groups bragging about touching the wildlife, so this is who they are supporting and catering to. Environmentally aware Hawaiians are trying to put an end to white trash groups living here like this but unfortunately their industry is not regulated well, so this and other terrible companies end up with 20-30 boats carrying hundreds of people total each night to disturb and bother the most peaceful of sea creatures. From what we saw, it looks like they must worship the Tiger King Joe Exotica and this is the same type of insensitive money making idiot operation. Don’t support their terrible work and actions. The manta rays deserve better and to be treated and protected like the turtles and dolphins. This company and others treat them like a circus act for their own money making benefit running their boat motors and engines right above their heads while they try to eat.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Select Date and Tickets
up to 13 guests
1 Adult
February 2025
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