Katie Diederichs and Ben Zweber, bloggers from Two Wandering Soles share their best travel tips and experiences in their blogs. Sea Paradise was fortunate to have them as passengers and they gave us a glowing review and recommendation! Here is an excerpt of their blog about their experience with Sea Paradise.
Kona Manta Ray Night Snorkeling: Read Before You Book!
BY KATIE DIEDERICHS
Kona manta ray snorkeling is one of the best wildlife experiences not only in Hawaii, but the entire world! Since it’s a nighttime activity only accessible on a tour, it’s helpful to know some details before diving in. This guide will help you plan your manta ray night snorkel.
Snorkeling with manta rays and seeing these majestic creatures up close is one of the most incredible experiences you can have on the Big Island. I would even argue it’s one of the best things to do in Hawaii in general.
In fact, this world-famous experience has been covered by renowned outlets such as National Geographic and the Travel Channel. PADI has even included it on their marine life bucket list.
If you’re even remotely interested in snorkeling with manta rays (yes, do it!!!), you’ve come to the right place. We’re going to share exactly what you can expect, as well as insider tips and things to know when you’re booking your tour.
Before we get into the nitty gritty, let’s start things off with a couple of manta ray jokes. (I’m borrowing these from one of our tour guides.)
Manta Ray Jokes
What’s it called when two male mantas have a serious talk?
A manta man conversation.
What do you call 2 mantas that used to date?
Ex rays.
If Star Wars took place under the sea instead of in space, what would Luke’s father be called?
Darth Ray-dar.
I can hear you groaning through the computer screen, so I’ll stop right there.
Now, let’s dive right in (pun intended!) to the important things you need to know about snorkeling with manta rays.
Want the short version?
Already know you definitely want to snorkel with mantas and just want to book your spot? This is the company we’d recommend (we go over why later in this article).
Our personal experience snorkeling with manta rays
The first thing you should know is that Ben loves manta rays. A few years ago we did a liveaboard trip in Indonesia. We spent 5 days in Komodo National Park, diving 3 times a day, and we were lucky enough to see many of these majestic creatures up close. Ever since that trip, Ben has been obsessed.
When we heard that there is a place on the Big Island where you can see these beauties up close at night, we knew we had to include it into our itinerary.
One problem we came across was the fact that we were traveling with our 16-month-old daughter, who obviously could not partake in this activity.
We decided to hire a babysitter* (our Airbnb host’s daughter) to watch her while we did this bucket list experience. While everyone has different levels of comfort with childcare, it worked out beautifully for us and we were so grateful to be able to have this experience.
And was it worth it? ABSOLUTELY. We tried to come in with low expectations because we had already had such a good experience diving with mantas that we thought, How could this compare?
But it blew us away!
We did get lucky, and our guides told us that tours don’t always see as many rays as we did. However, even if we’d seen half the amount of rays, we still think it would have been well worth it.
*If you need childcare in order to do this activity, ask your Airbnb host or your hotel if they have any leads. Alternatively, this website is a good resource for finding qualified and vetted babysitters.
Kona manta ray snorkeling guide
- Facts about manta rays
- What to expect on a manta ray snorkeling tour
- How much does the tour cost
- Best manta ray snorkeling tour company
- Manta ray snorkeling at a glance
- Snorkeling vs. diving with manta rays
- What to wear and pack
- Where to eat nearby
- Snorkeling with manta rays FAQs
- Where to stay in Kona
- More snorkeling spots on Big Island
Psst! Don’t leave before you check out our bucket list of best things to do on Big Island Hawaii.
Manta ray facts
- Manta rays can weigh up to 3,000 pounds, with wingspans up to 20 feet. Most of these gentle giants have a much smaller average wingspan, closer to 11 feet.
- The largest recorded manta ray in history had an astonishing wingspan of 30 feet!
- Manta rays can jump out of the water and do somersaults. Scientists still don’t know the reason behind this unusual behavior.
- These majestic creatures are one of very few animals in the world that can recognize themselves in a mirror.
- Manta rays that live off the Kona Coast feed on plankton throughout the entire year.
- Individual manta rays can be identified by the black and white markings on their underside that are unique to them (kind of like a fingerprint is unique to each human). This helps researchers identify and name them in areas where they are being studied and protected.
- Manta rays have gill rakers, which keep them from getting clogged with plankton. There are unsupported claims that gill rakers can be useful in Chinese medicine, prompting mantas to be hunted for them in certain parts of the world.
- Unlike their relative, the stingray, manta rays are completely harmless to humans and have no teeth, stingers, or barbs. One of the guides called them the “butterflies of the ocean”, which I think is really beautiful.
- Manta rays have 6 senses. In addition to the typical 5, they can also sense vibrations. It is said that manta rays can tell if a woman is pregnant because they can sense two heartbeats. Our guide said mantas often like to swim near pregnant women during these tours. If one seems particularly interested in you, who knows, maybe they know something you don’t!
Where can you see manta rays in Hawaii?
While it’s possible to see mantas while snorkeling or diving on any of the Hawaiian islands, the Big Island is undoubtedly the best, specifically on the Kona Coast.
The Kona Coast is home to more than 240 resident manta rays, each of which has been identified and named.
There are specific places along this coast where the manta rays feed nightly, meaning your chances of seeing them are extremely high. This makes Kona one of the best places in the world to see them up close.
- Manta Village: This is the original manta night snorkel location, officially known as Kaukalaelae Point. It is located just offshore from the Sheraton Kona Resort & Spa at Keauhou Bay and is the most popular tour location. (This is where we personally went snorkeling with mantas.)
- Manta Heaven: Located in Makako Bay, offshore from the Kona International Airport.
- Manta Point: Situated north of Kona in Kauna’oa Bay, just offshore from the iconic Mauna Kea Hotel. This makes a good choice if you are staying north of Kona.
Fun Fact: Hahalua is the Hawaiian word for manta ray. It roughly translates to “a being that can breathe in two worlds”. Because mantas breach (like dolphins or whales), the Hawaiian people used to think they could breathe in both air and water. Scientists have proven that’s not the case (they only breathe underwater), but it’s still a beautiful name, don’t you think? Also, it used to be said by Hawaiians that mantas were above humans, almost like royalty.
History of this famous tour
In the 1970’s, the former Kona Surf Hotel (now the Outrigger Kona Resort & Spa) turned on flood lights that shined out into the ocean so guests could look at the water while dining.
People started to notice large shadows dancing just offshore beneath the lights. As it turns out, the big shadows they saw were manta rays that had come for dinner as well! The lights brought plankton to the surface of the water, creating the perfect feeding environment.
Manta ray night snorkel tours have been popular since the early 2000s, when it was determined that seeing the rays up close would be a fun activity for tourists.
What to expect on a manta ray snorkeling tour in Kona
The magic of this experience is indescribable, but I’ll try my best to explain what you can expect.
Imagine you have a mask and snorkel on and you’re holding onto a flotation device with lights shining into the water. You look just beneath the surface of the water and just ahead you see something start to emerge as it gets closer to you. Wings flap slowly, as if it is flying through air, this magical creature gets closer and closer, until bam! It somersaults just inches from your face – mouth gaping to collect as much plankton as possible – then it dances back in the direction from which it came.
Now, if you’re lucky like we were, this will continue happening, over and over for 45 minutes until you need to get back into the boat. Like I said, magical!
Now that I’ve tried my best to describe the experience, let’s go over what to expect from the tour itself.
While exact timing will vary depending on which tour you book, this is how ours went:
6:15 p.m. Check in
- Check for most tours is at the Keauhou Harbor. Be sure to confirm your meeting place as there are a few companies that have different meeting points.
- Tip: Plug the harbor address into Google Maps and see how long the drive is from your hotel ahead of time so you can plan your day accordingly.
- We arrived at 6pm to find a parking spot – it does fill up.
- Once your party is checked in, you will get a wetsuit which you’ll change into in the parking lot (fancy, I know!).
6:30 p.m. Boat departs
- Leave your shoes in a bin and hop aboard the boat.
- There is space in the seating area to stash your bags.
- Our boat departed right on time, so it’s important to be sure you’re there right at check-in!
- The best seat (at least on our boat) was the net near the bow. It’s kind of like a hammock and only a handful of people can sit there, so try to snag it right away if you have the chance.
- It was about a 5-minute ride to the snorkel site.
- The sun was setting, which made the short ride really nice. We also chatted with the others in our “net seat” and traded tips and travel stories, which is always fun.
6:35 p.m. Preparation
- There were about 15-20 minutes of getting things ready:
- anchoring the boat
- Instructions & safety talks
- getting snorkels and masks
6:50 p.m. Get in the water
- The guides instructed anyone who was a confident swimmer to make their way to the front of the line. These people will be first in the water and last out.
- Tip: If that sounds good to you, we’d recommend getting in line! We saw mantas right away and personally felt that since there was less commotion on our end of the raft, we had the best position.
- You’ll be given a pool noodle before getting in the water.
- Once you get in the water, you will swim a short distance to the floating raft. You’ll grab on and shimmy your way down until you can’t go any further. Now, you’ll slide the noodle down to your ankles. This will keep your feet floating so your body is flat against the surface of the water.
- It probably took 10-15 minutes to get everyone in the water.
- We saw manta rays immediately upon getting in the water! We were lucky, but keep your eyes peeled as soon as you jump in!
- Spend the next 40-50 minutes holding onto the raft and enjoying the manta ray ballet.
7:30 p.m. Start getting back in the boat
- After roughly 40-50 minutes in water, the guides will start the process of getting people back in the boat. This can take up to 10 minutes if you were one of the first ones in the water.
- We got back in the boat at 7:40 p.m.
- Take off your wetsuit, wrap up in a dry towel, and grab a hot cocoa! You probably didn’t think you’d be drinking hot chocolate in Hawaii, did you?! It’s a nice treat after 40 minutes in cold water.
- Take your seat and get ready to head back to shore.
8 p.m. Arrive back at the dock
- After another short, 5-minute ride in the boat, you’ll arrive back at the marina.
- Make sure you take all your belongings, and grab your shoes from the dock before you’re on your way.
The boat
The boat will vary based on which company you book with, but ours was a 50-foot catamaran which had ample seating.
We snagged a spot on the net at the bow which is definitely the best seat in the house! There was also a basic marine head toilet in case ya gotta go.
Snorkel gear
All tour companies provide masks, snorkels, and wetsuits. You’ll also be given a pool noodle that you’ll slide under your ankles to help your feet float for the duration of the time you’re in the water. Our boat also had lifejackets available for those who wanted them.
Personally, we brought our own snorkeling gear from home (we prefer using our own over rentals). That said, the snorkeling gear they provide is perfectly fine for this experience.
Things to know about this experience
Unlike a typical snorkeling excursion where you’ll be swimming about, you will be in one place, hanging onto a floatation device for about 40 minutes.
Here are some things to keep in mind:
- Your shoulders can hurt after a while. If you have sensitive shoulders, this may mean you won’t want to stay in the water the whole time. My shoulders started to hurt a bit about halfway through the experience, but I pushed through. It wasn’t too bad, but I can imagine it could be tough on someone who has had a shoulder injury.
- It can get cold. Since you’re not swimming around, you may get cold. I wasn’t freezing the whole time, but towards the end I started to shiver a bit.
- If you are prone to seasickness, you may want to take medicine before this tour. It’s just a short boat ride, but floating on the water’s surface while the flotation device is moving may make some feel nauseous.
Of course, if you get too uncomfortable and feel you need to get out of the water, one of your guides can help you back to the boat before the 40 minutes is up.
How much does a manta ray snorkeling tour cost?
You can expect to pay between $90 – $150 per person for this experience, as prices vary a bit depending on which tour company you book with.
We’d caution you away from choosing the cheapest company just to save money. When animals are involved in experiences, we like to do our research and choose a company that is operating ethically and doing things to protect the wildlife and the environment. This often means paying a bit more money, but in our opinion, it’s the only way to do an animal encounter.
Also, read others’ reviews and compare the location in which the tour takes place.
Best manta ray snorkeling tour company
While there are many (great) tours to choose from, we personally went with Sea Paradise and would highly recommend booking with them.
Here are some of the reasons we chose them:
In operation since 1985, Sea Paradise is one of the original manta ray snorkeling tour operators.
They offer a “manta guarantee”, so that if you do not see any rays on your tour (remember, they are wild), you have the opportunity to rebook your tour within the following 7 days.
They consistently earn rave reviews.
Most importantly, they are one of only 5 operators on Hawaii Ocean Watch’s GreenList, meaning they “practice the highest ecological standards”. Additionally, Ocean Watch calls each of its providers a “trendsetter showing leadership for the entire ocean recreation boating industry by committing itself to keep people and marine life safe.”
You can read more about how they operate sustainably here.
Most Kona manta ray snorkeling tours are very similar, offering the same duration and departure times. However, it’s a good idea to compare each company’s ethical background and any perks included.
These are the details for the Sea Paradise tour, which we highly recommend!
- Departure location: Keauhou Bay located at the end of Kaleiopapa Street Kailua Kona, Hi 96740
- Cost: $140 per person
- Gear: Snorkeling gear, a wet suit, and flotation aids are provided
- Departure time: there are 2 tours nightly (times vary seasonally), and guests must check in 15 minutes prior to departure
Spring & summer (April – September)
- 1st departure: 6:30 p.m.
- 2nd departure: 9:00 p.m.
Fall & winter (October – March)
- 1st departure: 6:00 p.m.
- 2nd departure: 8:30 p.m.
Good to know: These tours sell out almost every night, so it’s recommended that you book your spot as soon as you know your dates. When you book through this link you get free cancellation until 24 hours before your tour, so you don’t have anything to lose by reserving your spot!
