7 Best Manta Ray Night Snorkel Tours in Kona: Ultimate Guide
Looking for the best manta ray night snorkel Kona tours?
If you are to choose ONE unique activity to do on the Big Island, Hawaii swimming with manta rays would be it! This was one of the most unforgettable experiences I had on the Big Island (I literally screamed underwater at my first sighting!) and Kona is the only place in the United States where you can do this!
A bonus to going on this exciting evening excursion is it gives you something to do after dark as the Big Island does not offer much in the ways of nightlife.
In this post you’ll find:
Hawaii Island & Ocean Tours
I prefer smaller boats as the crew is more personal and attentive. Plus, snacks lol!
Best Night Snorkel Tours with Manta Rays in Kona
If you are feeling overwhelmed trying to find the best manta ray snorkel on the Big Island, I’ve got this manageable list of the highest rated tours to choose from.
If you are like me and prefer a less crowded and more personal experience, I highly suggest choosing a small group tour.
1. C Big Island Zodiac Manta Ray Snorkel
⭐Rating: 5/5 stars ⏳Tour Length: 2 hrs 🛥️Departure Point: Honokohau Harbor
Check Rates and Availability for C Big Island Tours Here! ➡️
Choose between two zodiac boats, depending on which group size makes you comfortable:
- Manta Boat #1 that holds 16 passengers
- Manta Boat #2 that holds 30 passengers
Manta Boat #2 uses a raft with a window. Float in the water but keep your head dry and observe through the window or children can sit on it if they don’t want to snorkel. Be forewarned that there is a weight limit to the amount that sit on top.
Depart out of Honokohau Marina and snorkel in Manta Heaven.
Drinks and snacks are provided.
Ages 5+ are welcome aboard.
What past snorkelers have said: “Could not believe how many manta rays we saw as soon as we got in the water. Staff were super helpful, attentive and hilarious (especially Bryce the boat driver!). This is a MUST do experience with this tour company!” – Robert (read more reviews)
2. Hawaii Island & Ocean Tours Manta Ray Night Snorkel
⭐Rating: 4.5/5 stars ⏳Tour Length: 1.5 hrs 🛥️Departure Point: Keauhou Bay
Check Rates and Availability for Hawaii Island & Ocean Tours Here! ➡️
Take a boat of no more than 6 people to snorkel with the manta rays in Keauhou Bay.
After your 40-min float time in the water with the manta rays, relive your experience over snacks provided.
Ages 4+ are welcome to join in the fun or even if you can’t swim they will provide life vests to allow you to float.
A Go-Pro rental is available upon request.
What past snorkelers have said: “Our snorkeling trip with the manta rays was unforgettable! Our guide was great and we saw a ton of manta rays during our trip. We took the 7:20 PM tour and they already had light boards set up in the water with manta rays actively feeding. We also enjoyed the small trip with only six people on our boat. It felt more intimate and we got more attention from our crew and got to see more manta rays.” – Frank (read more reviews)
3. Hawaii Oceanic Manta Magic
⭐Rating: 5/5 stars ⏳Tour Length: 1 hr 🛥️Departure Point: Keahou Bay
Check Rates and Availability for Hawaii Oceanic Tours Here!➡️
A manta ray naturalist gives you a unique insight to these underwater giants before you face your encounters with them. The short boat ride from Keahou Bay to Manta Village gets you from land to water fast.
Boat holds no more than 12 people.
Enjoy a refreshing water or Hawaiian juice onboard.
Children as young as 3yrs old may snorkel. Boat holds no more than 12 people.
A Go-Pro rental is available upon request.
What past snorkelers have said: “Big shout out to Hunter, Adrian, and captain Jeff. Awesome chill crew! Super knowledgeable. Really enjoyed the smaller group!” – Ramy (read more reviews)
4. Hang Loose Night Manta Ray Adventure
⭐Rating: 5/5 stars ⏳Tour Length: 2.5 hrs 🛥️Departure Point: Honokohau Harbor
Check Rates and Availability for Hang Loose Tours Here!➡️
Climb aboard a roomy boat that holds up to 48 guests.
Professional guides entertain you as you depart out of Honokohau Marina. Snacks and water are provided on the short boat ride to and from the manta ray snorkel area.
Ages 2-70 are allowed to participate. Contact the company to approve exceptions.
What past snorkelers have said: “Go with Simon! He and his crew are helpful and knowledgeable! Best snorkeling experience in my life! Incredible!!!!!!!!!’ A MUST DO!!” – Heather (read more reviews)
5. Bite Me Sportfishing
⭐Rating: 4.5/5 stars ⏳Tour Length: 2.5 hrs 🛥️Departure Point: Honokohau Harbor
Check Rates and Availability for Bite Me Sportfishing Here! ➡️
Your large boat that holds a maximum of 30 guests has an observation deck and bathroom.
Spend 45 minutes in the water swimming with the manta rays as your guide leads you around the manta habitat.
Snacks and drinks are provided.
All ages are allowed to take the tour. Infant seats are available. Children under 5 years old must provide their own life vests.
What past snorkelers have said: “This was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever had the privilege to see. The view of the island from the boat was wonderful! The guides were friendly, knowledgeable and fun. The mantas were beautiful and I’m so happy I got to be a part of this.” – Dona (read more reviews)
6. Dolphin Discoveries
⭐Rating: 5/5 stars ⏳Tour Length: 1.5 hrs 🛥️Departure Point: Keauhou Bay
Check Rates and Availability for Dolphin Discoveries Here!➡️
No more than 16 people will join you on this manta ray snorkel adventure. Once you arrive at the snorkel spot, you’ll have 45 minutes in the water to enjoy the mantas.
Instead of a full body wet suit, you’ll be provided with a short sleeve wet suit top.
Warm up with hot tea on your boat ride back to shore.
Ages 6 and older are allowed to participate.
What past snorkelers have said: “Saw so many manta rays and the guides were so great with kids and taught us a lot about the mantas and the reef.” – Shefali (read more reviews)
7. Kona Style
⭐Rating: 5/5 stars ⏳Tour Length: 2.5 hrs 🛥️Departure Point: Kailua Bay
Check Rates and Availability for Kona Style Here!➡️
Combine two excursions into one! First enjoy a sunset cruise on a 50ft sailing catamaran (restrooms onboard). Purchase beer, wine, and cocktails to enjoy while watching the sun go down.
Once the sun has set, don wet suits provided and take the “grand staircase” into the water (no ladders) and join your certified guide to watch the manta rays.
On the way back to shore, you’ll appreciate the complimentary snacks and warm drinks provided.
All ages are allowed on the sailing but only 5 years and older are allowed to snorkel.
What past snorkelers have said: “Crew was fantastic and genuine. A total of four mantas came to visit. Magic! An experience that shouldn’t be missed.” – Melanie (read more reviews)
What to Bring on a Manta Ray Night Snorkel in Kona
Most tours will provide you with a wetsuit and snorkel gear. There isn’t much you need to bring on a Big Island manta ray snorkel tour. Here’s what I suggest:
–Swimsuit – Obviously!
–Towel – You can leave this in the car as you’ll be wet-suited up on the boat ride
–Dramamine – If you are prone to seasickness I highly recommend taking Dramamine or other seasickness preventiveness like wrist cuffs or patches.
–Water – after time in the salty water you’ll most likely be a bit dehydrated. Some tours provide bottled water
–Waterproof camera – You’ll want to record this once-in-a-lifetime experience to remember for yourself and show-off to friends. Get a waterproof phone/camera or GoPro. Don’t forget to have something to secure it to your body (I saw foolish people using their phones without so much as a wrist strap!)
–Dry clothes – depending on your destination after your tour you’ll probably want something dry to change into.
That’s about all you’ll need!
My Manta Ray Night Snorkeling Review
Most encounters are similar, but here is my experience snorkeling with manta rays in Kona:
My tour was the first of the evening at 6:00pm. I met our boat at the dock in Keauhou Bay, got suited up in the provided wet suits and boarded the vessel. The boat ride to the location was only about 5 minutes as it was just outside the bay and next to the Outrigger Kona Resort.
We strapped foam floaties to our ankles to help us assume Superman poses while we clung to our lighted boogie board.
It’s encouraged to lay as flat as possible on the water’s surface to avoid getting in the way of the manta ray’s feeding path. You are also not to touch them as you would wipe away the mucus on their skin that helps ward off infections.
The tour started at dusk, a little early for the manta rays to come out, but we were lucky enough to see a young one almost immediately.
Not long after, the sun went down and the water became darker while the blue boogie board light got brighter. I could see the congregating plankton, little dust mites of the sea.
Then the adult manta rays appeared! I screamed through my snorkel mask as they greeted us with enormous open mouths and danced below us. They were somersaulting and coming within INCHES from my face.
It was hard to resist reaching out and touching them (one did knock into me though); I couldn’t believe how close I was to these beautiful gentle giants.
Other tours were gathered around us and I could hear the delighted screams of other snorkelers as the manta rays swam from light source to light source. For 30 glorious minutes I bobbed on the ocean surface watching a graceful show of the flying behemoths below.
Many times they came towards me with open mouths and I imagined being swallowed whole like Jonah. God sure made some incredible creatures!
At about the time I felt satisfied with the length of the tour it was time to go. We loaded back on the boat and headed to shore. Our tour guide said his goodbyes and wished us happy dreams of manta rays….which I did.
Snorkeling with Manta Rays FAQs
Is night snorkeling with manta rays worth it?
Hands down, yes! A manta ray night snorkel is worth every penny!
Nothing can explain how magical it feels to be in the presence of something so powerful and mysterious. The thrill, the terror, the awe.
It is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that will undoubtedly be the highlight of your trip.
Is a manta ray night snorkel in Kona safe?
Yes! A manta ray snorkel in Kona is safe! In fact, manta rays are one of the safest giant oceanic animals to snorkel with.
Manta rays are filter fish; they only eat plankton so don’t have teeth, stings, poison, etc.
They are not to be confused with stingrays whose tail can whip you with spines that inject you with venom.
Where can I snorkel with manta rays at night?
There are 3 areas in the Kona area where you can snorkel with manta rays.
Keauhou Bay – known as Manta Village, this is the most popular area for manta ray night snorkel tours because it has the highest success rate of having sightings. The boat ride from Keauhou Harbor to the manta ray viewing area is only 5-min away, if that.
Garden Eel Cove – known as Manta Heaven, is located next to the airport. These tours depart from Honokohau Harbor and it takes about X minutes to boat over to the snorkel spot. The chances of seeing manta rays in this area are a little less than Keauhou Bay, but still good and you’ll likely see more at one time.
Kohala Coast – up by Waikoloa out of Kawaihae Harbor is the third spot for snorkeling with manta rays. There are only a few tours that come here because the manta rays don’t frequent here as often. However, your tour boat could be the only one out on the waters, so it won’t be crowded at all.
What is the best time to see manta rays in Kona?
There isn’t a good or bad time at night to see the Kona manta rays; they are not on a time schedule.
If you take the first tour of the evening you’ll catch the beautiful Hawaiian sunset from your boat and see the light difference in the water between daytime and nighttime.
A late snorkeling tour will give you less boats in the water, thus a less crowded shared space.
What if I don’t see any manta rays on my tour?
Reef manta rays do not migrate and are creatures of habit, so they tend to stay close to “home”. That being said, no sighting is a guarantee.
Every tour company has their own policies regarding a sightless tour. It doesn’t happen often, but if you don’t see any manta rays on your tour the company will usually allow you to come again another night for free or for a highly discounted rate.
I would recommend booking your tour earlier on your trip just in case this happens, allowing you a possible second night for attempting to see them.
Can I see manta rays at night without getting wet?
Yes! There are a couple of ways of viewing the manta rays in Kona without donning snorkel masks and getting sticky with salt water.
First option, most tours offer for a reduced fee the ability to ride along in the boat but not get in the water. You’ll be able to feel a part of the experience by witnessing everyone’s screams of delight. Ask the tour ahead of time how close you will actually be to the snorkelers because some boats will drop off the swimmers and hang on the outside “viewing area” thus not allowing you to be very close to the experience.
Second option, the Outrigger Kona Resort has a viewing area from a balcony where they shine the lights into the ocean (to show off the waves, remember?). Again, light attracts the plankton which then attract the manta rays.
Can I manta ray night snorkel in Kona without a tour?
Yes, you can! Do I recommend it? Not really.
There are no permits or rules against snorkeling with manta rays tourless. However, it will probably take more effort than you want to put in. Also, let the disclaimer be that it is a dangerous activity being out in open ocean at night, so use your own discretion.
Since the popular spot is right at the mouth of Keauhou Bay, it’s only a short distance from shore. This means swimming or paddling to the area is short and doable.
The tricky part will be getting the manta rays to come to you. Locals make homemade lightboards to float with: basically a boogie board with illumination; blue lights because that’s the best color for attracting plankton.
If you can manage to jury-rig yourself a lightboard, you’re good. Just be careful while floating out at sea in the dark: make sure other boats can see you and don’t get lost too far from shore.
How Did Manta Ray Night Snorkels in Kona Start?
Back in the 70’s the Sheraton Hotel, now the Outrigger Kona Resort, would shine lights into the ocean for the guests to see the waves at night. Unbeknownst to the hotel, the lights attracted plankton which then attracted manta rays who feast on the little buggers.
Once it was realized that manta rays could be lured with lights, a crazy tourist activity was born in Kona. Snorkeling with the manta rays became a must-do activity when visiting the Big Island.
Manta Ray Identification Project
Along with this new found tourist activity was also the commencement of the Manta Ray Identification Project. As manta rays can be identified by the spots on their bellies, the Manta Pacific Research Foundation started a program of identifying, logging and naming the manta rays. The Kona coast is home to over 240 manta rays.
This is a community-minded project as anyone can contribute to it. If you find and take a picture of an unidentified manta ray you get the privilege of naming it. Some current names are: Ray Charles, Hip Hip HooRay, Rachel Ray, Sugar Ray, Darth Ray-der…you get the picture.
How good is your pun game? Do you have good manta ray names to add to the family? My submission would be The Manta-lorian 😛
Diving with Manta Rays in Kona
Besides a manta ray snorkel, Kona tours also offer manta ray night dives. A SCUBA certification is required to dive.
Diving takes the manta ray experience to a whole new level. You’ll scuba to the ocean floor and sit in a campfire-type circle. The blue plankton lights shine upwards and the ocean mammoths seem to fly and dance above you.
This is a whole new way of enjoying these sea creatures as the dark waters engulf you and it’s just you and the manta rays; no neighboring tour boats to distract you.f
If you have people in your party who are not SCUBA certified, many tours offer combo snorkel and dive options so groups don’t have to be split up.
Other Wildlife Tours on the Big Island to Check Out:
Whale Watching Tours in Kona
Kealakekua Bay Captain Cook Snorkel Tours
Pawai Bay Snorkeling Tour
Final Thoughts: Manta Ray Snorkel on the Big Island, Hawaii
Finding the best manta ray night snorkel Kona tours can be daunting, but hopefully this has gotten you excited for your upcoming adventure! Book your trip ASAP to ensure you get the date and time you desire as these popular tours do fill up!
Besides visiting Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, snorkeling with manta rays should be on your Must-Do List when you visit the Big Island!
🌺 Big Island Travel Planning Guide 🌺
🚨 Should I buy Hawaii travel insurance?
YES — I recommend Travel Insurance Master because you can compare multiple options with one click. With plans starting at $5/day per person, why not give yourself piece of mind? Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it!
🚗 Is it safe to rent a car on the Big Island?
YES — It’s totally safe to drive on the Big Island. And unless you plan to chill by the resort pool the entire time, renting a car is pretty much a necessity on the Big Island! Jeep rentals are popular. I recommend Discount Hawaii Car Rental, as they have some of the best prices around.
📞 Will my phone work on the Big Island?
PROBABLY — Most, if not all, cell providers work on the Big Island. However, be prepared for some dead spots in the more remote parts of the island. For example, I always lose service driving through Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
🛏️ What’s the best way to book my Big Island accommodations?
For Big Island hotels, Booking.com is amazing because you can often reserve your room with no money down. If you are looking for an Airbnb condo with a kitchen and more space, don’t forget to check VRBO for potentially better prices and options.
✈️ What’s the best site to buy Big Island flights?
I recommend looking at Skyscanner for finding cheap flights. Pro Tip: check if flying into Hilo is cheaper than flying into Kona.
🛂 Do I need a passport to visit Hawaii?
NO — If you are a US citizen, you do not need a passport as Hawaii is part of the United States. If you are from out of the country, the same passport and visa requirements are the same as entering anywhere in the United States from your country.
🧳What should I pack to the Big Island?
Pack for tropical weather but also prepare for colder than expected nights and early mornings, so a light sweatshirt is recommended. Check out this list of 5 Things Not to Forget to Pack.
