Quick Details
Departure Location: Honokohau Harbor in Kona, Hawaii
Duration: 2 hours
Trip Time: Changes seasonally with sunset
Not Suitable For: Non-swimmers, expectant mothers, or those with back, neck issues or shoulder issues
Inclusions: Mask, snorkel, wetsuit, additional flotation
When you book a manta ray night snorkel with us you’ll discover their beauty and grace on a boat tour that showcases their majestic underwater dance which is sure to be one of the top 10 experiences of your life.
Important Details
These standards are put in place for your safety, our crews, safety, and the enjoyment of other guests. This is an open ocean nighttime snorkeling activity. Those that cannot swim cannot join.
The Manta Ray Night Snorkel is open to anyone with a spirit of adventure, who can swim, and are comfortable in the ocean. Adults and children (ages 5+) are welcome. All guests should be able to swim 50 yards without assistance and consider themselves intermediate to advanced snorkelers. Non-swimmers are not permitted on this charter for their safety, our crew’s safety, and courtesy to other guests onboard. (Children (under 18) must be at least five years of age, demonstrate strong swimming ability, and be accompanied by an adult at all times.)
This adventurous retired Navy Seal boat will have you off to see the mantas in no time. This is an exciting, and sometimes bouncy time out on the water depending on ocean conditions. Sometimes the ocean is like glass and sometimes has a bit more oomph to it, especially during the winter. Those that are pregnant or have back and neck issues should sit this tour out. Your helpful Lifeguard Certified guide will provide all the necessary equipment (including Rx masks) and keep you safe and happy on your adventure.
If you’re a new snorkeler, no worries! Join us on a morning snorkel or an afternoon snorkel to practice! You’ll be able to enjoy the manta ray experience that much more when you feel confident in your snorkeling skills. A manta ray night snorkel can be the crown jewel of your Kona, Hawaii vacation, a great bucket list conquest, and a fun outing for the whole family, don’t miss out! This is widely considered Kona’s top snorkeling activity you won’t want to miss it!
The itinerary for both trips is the same, just the timing is different. On the earlier trip, you check in during daylight hours and catch the sunset from the boat. There are often more boats out during this time frame.
The later trip is a bit more adventurous – you check in at night, and zoom off into the darkness to our manta snorkel location. There are fewer boats that do a second trip. You’ll get home late – especially during the summer months.
During both experiences you are snorkeling in the dark, however, the ocean is lit by lighting equipment on the snorkel boards. The mantas aren’t particularly more prevalent on one trip or the other – they’re wild animals so they show up on their own time.
This is the most popular tour on the island which is why two tour times are offered – so that you have more options to join us!
Since you’ll be taken to where the most action was on the last trip it might mean you travel 20 minutes north to Garden Eel Cove or 40 minutes south to the Outrigger hotel.
You will be wearing a mask, snorkel, wetsuit, and floatation belt. There is a modified surfboard that has rope “handles” going around the perimeter of the board. You’ll lightly hold onto the rope handle superman style (arms outstretched over your head). This is why it’s important not to have any shoulder issues! In the middle of the board, holes were cut out and high-powered lights were inserted that attract the plankton – which is what the mantas love to eat! There are 9-10 guests per board. Your guide will “tow” you around to the best spots to view the mantas.
30-40 minutes – This is the perfect amount of time for you before you begin getting chilled.
Kona is home to over 200 named mantas, distinguishable by their beautiful black and white marks. The manta rays come year-round, but their numbers on any given day depend on how much plankton is in the water. These gentle giants lurk just beneath the warm, clear waters and can boast a wingspan up to 16 feet wide. They are some of the largest fish in the ocean. Don’t worry, they’re completely harmless. Unlike stingrays, manta rays do not have stingers or barbs on their tails and have no teeth. Instead, they suck in plankton with their wide, vacuum-like mouths.
Please note that the Manta Rays are wild animals and their presence is not guaranteed. If you do not see a manta on your night out, you can go again on another night on a space-available standby basis. Keep in mind that standby spaces may be extremely limited, especially during the busiest times of the year. This offer never expires, but is non-transferable and has no refund or cash value. We are typically very successful in finding mantas for you; however, if they are not around, the costs involved with setting up the charter and getting all our guests to the location will not allow us to offer you a refund.
Full payment is due at the time of booking. You may make changes or cancellations to your reservation up to 48 hours prior to your trip and receive a full refund.
We enforce a strict no refund/no reschedule policy with less than 48 hours notice before the trip, with no exceptions. We are a small business and every seat counts. Thank you for your cooperation.
No-shows will not be offered a refund.
What if we cancel?
We reserve the right to cancel for any reason including, but not limited to weather, ocean conditions, passenger count, mechanical issues, safety for you, our guests, and our crew. We’ll do our best to reschedule your trip based on availability or you’ll be issued a refund in full. We will contact you via the phone number and/or email address provided in the reservation. We are not responsible if we can not contact you for important information regarding the charter.
The manta ray night snorkel is Kona’s most popular water activity with hundreds of visitors viewing mantas at one of Kona’s two manta ray viewing sites. When the show is good people will get highly emotional and you’ll hear yelling and crying through people’s snorkels, and all around having an amazing experience, they will never forget. It is certainly a bucket list adventure and is rated one of the top snorkels in the world, for good reason!
Night time is the best time to view mantas because they are feeding on the plankton attracted to our lights. This is the best opportunity to view them up close. During the day it is possible to see mantas cruising the reef moving steadily along near the bottom and sometimes stopping in at a cleaning station where small fish pick the parasites off of their skin. While scientists do not have a lot of data it is possible mantas retreat to deeper depths during the day to avoid predators.
Unlike other rays that feed on the bottom. Mantas do not have stingers or teeth. They are large and can swim fast but there has been a single recorded incident of a manta ray injuring a person. We have seen mantas injured by humans being caught by debris, hung up on lines, and cut by propellers. We’ve even seen a manta ray take off with someones camera in it’s mouth! Fortunately we were able to chase after it and retrieve the camera.
Since manta rays eat plankton they have no need for teeth and since they are fast and don’t rest on the bottom while feeding they have no use for stingers.