Swim with giant manta rays in their nighttime habitat during this 2.5-hour activity in Kona. Travel out into the seas offshore to watch the colorful Kona sunset, then jump in to swim with the docile rays as they feed on microscopic plankton. Follow your guides around the manta habitat and watch as the animals are attracted to the bright lights, creating a "manta rave" of lights, bubbles and mantas. All snorkel equipment, including flotation devices and wet suits, is included. Manta sightings are guaranteed, or you will be given a voucher for another tour.

Learn about the biology and behavior of these gentle, graceful giants
Wet suite, snorkel gear, and flotation devices provided
Watch the Kona sunset from the deck of the boat
Guaranteed manta sighting or you'll get a voucher for an additional tour

What's Included

Bottled water and Juice
Snacks
Professional guide
Flotation device
Snorkel equipment including wet suits

Gratuities
Hotel pickup and drop-off

Meeting And Pickup

Meeting point

Bite Me Sport Fishing- Kona Deep Sea Fishing Charters
74-425 Kealakehe Pkwy #1, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740, USA
Please join us at Bite Me Sportfishing Logo and Charter Shop 30 minutes prior to departure for check-in. For swimmers, please wear your bathing suits and bring towels and sunblock for day trips.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Make your way to the tour offices on Honokohau Harbor in Kona, where you'll check in and get fitted for gear. Hop on your tour boat and head out to sea; your spacious vessel is equipped with a top observation deck, a large cabin, and an onboard bathroom.

Reach your destination in time to watch the colorful Kona sunset from the boat's top deck, then start getting ready for your manta ray encounter. Slip into your wetsuit, don your snorkel, and jump in. Buoy yourself with a flotation device; your guides will set up lights to see the mantas clearly.

Spend about 45 minutes snorkeling using a customized light board with one of the brightest lights in the water, showcasing the graceful ballet of the giant mantas as they careen through the water in search of food. You'll be in 30 to 35 feet (9 to 10 meters) of water, within sight of the shoreline, and supervised by your experienced guide to ensure your comfort and safety. Manta rays have no barbs or teeth, a wing span of 4 to 12 feet (1 to 4 meters) and weigh between 400 and 1200 lbs (180 and 545 kg). Interactions with the manta rays take place in a passive, respectful manner.

Manta sightings are guaranteed, or you will be given a voucher for another tour.

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking, unless booked within 2 days of travel. In this case confirmation will be received within 48 hours, subject to availability
Children must be accompanied by an adult
Children under the age of 5 must provide their own life vests
Not wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Minimum numbers apply. There is a possibility of cancellation after confirmation if there are not enough passengers to meet requirements. In the event of this occurring, you will be offered an alternative or full refund.

Collapsible-wheelchair accessible—if assistance is required, passenger must provide their own assistant.
Please note the departure time throughout the year adjusts to the sunsetting sky. Jan 1- March 31 departure time is 5:30PM and 8:30pm April 1- September 31 departure time is 6PM and 9pm, October 1- December 31 departure time is 5PM and 8pm. You will be placed where there is availability. Please call 24 hours prior to confirm departure time.
Infant seats available
Most travelers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 30 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Featured review

Madelyn_Z

It was an amazing experience! The crew were so nice and very knowledgeable about the mantas! I would highly recommend going with this tour and doing this with any family, friends, or significant others!

Reviews

4.5

673 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

Showing 1-10 of 673 reviews

Amazing, exciting, scary, fun!

Anthony_B, Sep 2023

Captain Lena has an amazing crew. I’m really bad with names but the tall guy with gauged earrings was amazing! He has so much knowledge and is happy to share. Gave great recommendations that lived up to the hype. While we were in the water he thought us about the Manta Rays and then the show was on! These massive creatures are so gentle and get so close. I would highly recommend this to anyone that can do it! Thank you again!

Very good experience!

Joseph_S, Sep 2023

Educational experience! It took about 30 minutes by boat to get there. The manterays are big -about 5 ft in diameter This business is organized & fun. Crew were fantastic!!! Friendly, helpful & knowledgeable . These people know what they are doing. Thumbs up :D

Amazing

Kathrine_S, Sep 2023

Loved the boat crew, loved the manta rays, loved the experience all together. Would defenitely do it again

WELL WORTH THE MONEY ABSOLUTELY SURREAL

Rossell_C, Sep 2023

The experience was surreal, prior to getting to the sight we saw some flying fish! When we got to the sight we saw mantas from the second the crew brought the light out, the longer we were in the water the closer they got, at the end right before we got out we had 2 mantas basically go belly to belly with us! (You’re not allowed to touch them as it could hurt the mantas) My 15 year old little sister and I had our first snorkel experience doing this while our mom sat safely in the boat as she has a fear of open waters. it’s beginner friendly and one of the absolute highlights of our trip to Kona. Patrick was an amazing guide helped keep everyone calm (including my mom in the boat) and answered all questions given as well as gave some fantastic recommendations for us to see on the island. My one and ONLY recommendation is that you don’t make the mistake I did, which is not bringing a device to record your experience whether that be a protective under water case for your phone or a go pro. This is most certainly an experience you will NEVER forget. And PLEASE if you’re going to pay for this experience don’t forget to tip your crew members, they work hard to ensure you have a good experience, consider setting aside some cash prior to your snorkel adventure.

Great trip

Brandon_S, Sep 2023

Group of 10 of us and we all had a blast. Such a neat trip. The boat ride out was long and cold so bring a light jacket. The crew was friendly and accommodating.

Lots of Mantad

Colleen_R, Sep 2023

12 manta rays below us at once. How majestic and beautiful. Can't day enough about the crew. They new thier stuff. They were so Informative. The o ly problem was this is a fishing boat and made it very rocky. We had 17 people on the boat and at least 10 were puking.

Amazing!

Jennifer_H, Sep 2023

Amazing view of the manta’s. Leina and Sean and josh were fantastic guides! Definitely would recommend this experience!

Once in a lifetime

Katelyn_T, Sep 2023

My boyfriend and I did the night snorkel and we loved it! We were worried that our expectations wouldn’t be met and this was just a tourist trap, but it was definitely worth it and a once in a lifetime experience!

Memorable experience

Shivali_N, Sep 2023

Absolutely wonderful experience. We were able to see lots of Manta rays. Tour guides were wonderful.

Awesome!

Ruby_W, Sep 2023

I am so glad my daughter and I decided to do this. We seen so many Manta Ray's and they were so close I thought they were going to hit us. The crew was excellent on boat 2, made sure we were ok and took us over to the other boats so we all could see the Manta Ray's together. Best experience,

Meet the Mantas

Becky_M, Sep 2023

We were able to see 2 manta ray up close. The crew were awesome, friendly and helpful. . Some rough waters made it difficult for some to stay sea worthy. The crew were very attentive to them.

I highly recommend this! Even when fearful

yolis_b, Sep 2023

The crew was amazing 👏 they were very attentive to me with my fear of the ocean. We were very lucky in a sense that we were able to see multiple rays and it was mesmerizing! If you wear contacts or glasses, wear your contacts to be able to see everything. I wish I'd known this prior to my trip.

INCREDIBLE

Maryellen_B, Sep 2023

The crew was fantastic and so knowledgeable! They really took the time to get everyone comfortable with the water and viewing the manta rays. So friendly too! The manta rays up close were INCREDIBLE! Literally, took my breath away - especially when they would come within inches of you or give you a “manta kiss”. We were lucky and had 4 manta rays and even a visit from a dolphin. AMAZING EXPERIENCE! So glad we booked this!

Incredible Close-Up Manta Ray Experience

AnaPaula_E, Sep 2023

Taylor, Shawn, and another fantastic crew member were knowledgeable, kind, Most Extraordinary! Now, the Manta Rays… were out of this world, best up-close encounter, surreal. Putting your face down in the water, you enter this other hidden world. The lights the crew provide illuminate the sea floor, and you see dozens of little dots (plankton) and maybe some fish at the bottom. And then, suddenly, from seemingly out of nowhere, the shape of a manta ray barely swims into view. And then, they’ve arrived!! They swim back and forth, doing somersaults and coming so close you could touch them! But don’t do it!!! It can hurt them, so please respect the wildlife!! One of the most beautiful, dream-like experiences I’ve had on vacation! Definitely please, don’t miss it!!

Awesome!!!

Gerry_E, Sep 2023

My reaction when I jumped on the water with the noodles, swam to the paddleboard and wait for the Manta Ray and as soon as it start showing up...im like, Jesus, take the wheel 🤣🤣🤣🤣 In short, what an awesome experience!

Magical experience

Caterina_N, Sep 2023

This is an unreal experience seeing these Manta Rays up close. The trip surprised me as we didn’t realise how up close you would be to the rays. The trip is very well organised and the staff make you feel at ease and safe if you are nervous.

AWESOME!

stacie_l, Sep 2023

ohhh my!!! I have been on a lot of excursions and this one is close to the top! I will be honest. I came in with a bad attitude thinking it was going to be a crowded hot mess ( it was crowded but easily maneuverable). You basically jus t lie still on your belly floating no swimming. These magestic animals just swim around you, at times coming right to your face and on several times, touching my body as I floated perfectly still. It was breathtaking. Our crew was awesome as well. I would totally do this again!!

Such an amazing...

Quinn_M, Sep 2023

Such an amazing experience along with an awesome and knowledgeable crew. We had the best time and definitely recommend!

A must experience to do in Hawaii

Jeff_B, Sep 2023

Mantas up close and personal was awesome. Literally they swim within inches of you. We saw anywhere from 5 to 20 at any single moment.

Need to be comfortable with snorkeling

Velona_C, Sep 2023

This was a highlight of our vacation (competing with the Kilauea eruption). To see manta rays up close and personal was amazing. A good bonus was seeing dolphins nearby. I enjoyed the crew’s enthusiasm and appreciated their reassurance and knowledge. It was a bit frightening. I would recommend this for people who are relatively fit, not afraid of water and snorkeling and can tolerate a bit of cold. My arms certainly got tired as I held myself in place. The crew were available to help with return back to boat when one tired. My family loved it!

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