Embark on an evening adventure and swim near Hawaii’s manta rays. Start the tour with a sunset sail on a comfortable trimaran to ‘Manta Ray Village’. After a safety briefing, put on your snorkel gear and spend an hour in the water using a state-of-the-art, lit up flotation device to stay on the water’s surface and observe the manta rays bellow as they feed on plankton. Finally climb aboard the boat and warm up with hot chocolate and snacks as you return to shore.

Take a sunset cruise on the luxurious trimaran Hokulani with drinks and snacks offered onboard
Sail to ‘Manta Ray Village’ to observe the tropical ocean giants in their natural habitat
Float on the water’s surface on a one-of-a-kind “manta floatation device”and see the creatures down below
Feel secure with an expert led safety briefing and use of all snorkel gear

What's Included

Wetsuits, Masks, and Snorkels Provided (fins not needed)
Use of Snorkeling equipment
Filtered Water
Soda/Pop

Gratuities are not included but greatly appreciated
Due to safety concerns we do not allow full face masks on our tours

Meeting And Pickup

Meeting point

Keauhou Bay
Keauhou Bay, Kahaluu-Keauhou, HI 96740, USA
Check in 15 minutes prior to departure at the Sea Paradise Van located at Keauhou Bay at the end of 78-7130 Kaleiopapa Street continuing past the boat ramps. You may find parking along Kaleiopapa Street and it will be approximately a 5 minute walk to the pier.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
Not wheelchair accessible

Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 49 travelers

Operated by Sea Paradise

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

Deborah_B

The manta rays are awesome and it was an amazing experience. The crew is incredibly professional and wonderful. I got nervous getting into the water as I had never been in the ocean at night before and the crew in the water was right there helping me in and to the ring - then it was great. Highly recommend!

Reviews

5.0

451 reviews

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

Reviews by Viator travelers.

Showing 1-10 of 451 reviews

Viator did not have good booking info

Sydney_D, Sep 2023

The tour was great, but booking through aviator was awful. The booking email didn’t have the company name on the email and only had it in small print. The Google link did not go directly to the pickup location. Plus the the email didn’t have a phone number. I loved working with this company but the booking experience was not the greatest. I will definitely be more cautious booking through Viator. Sea Paradise was an amazing company, they might want to look for a different booking app.

amazing

Deborah_B, Sep 2023

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Mahalo Deborah for taking the time to leave us a great review. Our crew takes great care in making sure everyone has the best time possible. We are thrilled you enjoyed your manta ray experience and we hope to see you for more ocean adventures in the future. Mahalo for choosing SeaParadise and A Hui Hou!

A bucklist adventure

Kim_C, Aug 2023

A once, in a lifetime experience! The crew were helpful, and very knowledgeable about the history of the Manta Ray. A must when visiting!

Response from Host, Aug 2023

Aloha Kim, Mahalo for taking the time to leave us a great review. We are thrilled you enjoyed your time with the manta rays. Mahalo for choosing SeaParadise and A hui Hou!

Magical not to be missed experience

Matthew_K, Aug 2023

The fact that the mantas come literally within inches of your face is astounding! The crew were very knowledgeable and the boat was clean and spacious. Great to hear people yelling with delight through their snorkels.

Response from Host, Aug 2023

Mahalo Matthew for the excellent review of the manta ray tour! We are so happy it was such a magical experience seeing the manta rays up close. Please return again in the future.

Amazing

Dustin_S, Jul 2023

This was an amazing experience. The crew made us feel safe and supported. I didn’t know what to expect, but the manta rays were inches from my face when in the water. It was amazing! They are beautiful creatures. This is a must of you visit the big island!

Response from Host, Jul 2023

Thanks Dustin for your excellent review! We are so pleased you enjoyed the manta tour with our crew. The mantas are truly a "one of a kind" experience. Hope to see you again, Aloha!

Amazing experience

Deb_L, Jul 2023

Manga Ray snorkel with Sea Paradise was amazing! It’s a short boat ride to and from the snorkeling spot and once in the water, we saw manta rays within the first ten minutes. After that, they kept coming back and did several barrel rolls with in front of us. It was a beautiful sight to see. Ginger ale and chews were served on the boat for anyone who wasn’t feeling well. They also offered various other beverages. The captain and crew did a great job. The crew that was in the water with us was very informative and helped to calm anyone who was nervous.

Response from Host, Jul 2023

Mahalo Deb, for your review! We are so pleased that you had such a memorable experience viewing the Mantas and happy our crew was able to make you feel safe and comfortable. Aloha!

Not quite what I was expecting

Kate_B, Jun 2023

First the good: the crew were wonderful, and the boat was clean, new, and comfortable. But the manta ray experience itself was only okay. Yes, we got very close to some magnificent creatures - lots of them - but I wasn’t expecting such a “cattle boat” feel, and I didn’t realize we wouldn’t really be swimming with the rays - just hanging on to the light bar rafts that attracts the plankton that the rays eat. Be forewarned - the rays get *very* close to you. Within a foot.

Response from Host, Jun 2023

Thank you for taking the time for your review. We are sorry that you misunderstood the manta tour. We do have some procedures in place for your safety and for the safety of the manta rays. Our crew tries to make everyone safe and have an enjoyable experience with the manta rays. We hope you enjoyed the rest of your trip on the island.

Very cool experience!

George_S, Jun 2023

Great crew, great experience...the manta rays get right up close to you! They took great care to ensure the safety of everyone. Highly recommend!

Response from Host, Jun 2023

Aloha George, Thank you so much for the great review and we are glad that you enjoyed the Manta tour. We do hope to see you again on your next sea adventure. Mahalo!

Mantabulous

Andy_J, Jun 2023

The best experience I ever had in my life The crew were nice and explained the whole procedure nicely and humorously. What i liked the most is that the boat riding to the site took only about 5 mins, which is good to ppls with sea sick!

Response from Host, Jun 2023

Mahalo for your excellent review Andy!. We are happy to hear this was the "best experience" for you. Hope you will return to us again in the future for another tour with our fabulous boat and crew.

Mantastic Experience

Brendan_L, May 2023

Highly recommend. Everyone totally enjoyed this unique experience in our family; true bucket list item! Captain and crew of Hoku Nui were outstanding.

Response from Host, May 2023

Mahalo for your excellent review. we are happy that your family had a great experience with our crew, boat and enjoying the manta rays up close and personal.

A great experience for the whole family.

Anne_E, May 2023

This was definitely a top experience for all of us. We saw 8 Mantas but it felt like 20! At first it was slow but after probably 20 minutes the action started. Being out in the water was not scary at all, the boat ride was super short and time in the water was perfect. Being educated while watching these incredible animals was an extra bonus. What a fabulous experience.

Response from Host, May 2023

Aloha Anne, Thank you so much for joining us on our Manta tours and writing us a great review. Indeed, our gentle giants are amazing marine life animals and our crew will give fun facts about our gentle giants manta. We hope to see you again on your next sea adventure. Mahalo!

Amazing experience and worth every dollar!

Amelia_P, May 2023

This experience was amazing we saw Manta Rays backflipping in front of our faces and the staff were very supportive. This was our number one experience from Hawaii.

Response from Host, May 2023

Mahalo Amelia for you review of the Manta tour!. It is so special to see the mantas up close and personal. Please return in the future for additional tours! Aloha

Sea Paradise from Kona

Mary_S, May 2023

We all saw 3 or 4 different manta rays swimming past us and turning with mouth wide open in front of our face!! It was not cold at all. Great tour , must do.

Response from Host, May 2023

Aloha Mary, We are thrilled you had such a great time with the manta rays and that you were able to stay nice and warm in the wetsuits! Mahalo for taking the time to leave us a review and safe travels!

EPIC

Chadwick_W, May 2023

Beyond Amazing . I was expecting this to be exceptional, and it was more Awsome than I could have imagined.

Response from Host, May 2023

Happy to hear you had such a great experience with the manta tour! It is truly amazing to see the mantas up close and personal. Hope to see you return in the future for additional tours. Aloha!

One of its kind experience

carstenbogs, Apr 2023

What a night led by Captain Morgan and his outstanding professional team. A one of its kind experience.

Response from Host, Apr 2023

Aloha, Mahalo Nui Loa for leaving us a great review. We are glad to hear that you had a one of a kind experience with us along with our professional and friendly crew. We hope to see you on your next sea adventure! Safe Travels! A Hui Hou!

Fantastic experience!! Manta Ray's were literally inches away!

Jacky_H, Apr 2023

The crew was awesome, organised friendly. Made everyone on board feel very safe and made sure everyone had a great time. The catamaran was clean and had lots of storage space to keep your stuff dry. Sea Paradise group experience is kid friendly and also great for people who are not great swimmers and new to snorkeling. They are willing help from what I saw. They provide noodles to help you float so you're not touching the Manta Rays. On to the Manta Ray's, OMG. They swim up close! It was sooooo cool watching them swim and eat the plankton. They do this loop and goes upside down right underneath you with their mouth up. They are so gentle. This is a must do!

Response from Host, Apr 2023

Aloha Jacky, Thank you for taking your time to leave us a great review. We from Sea Paradise are glad to hear that you had a fantastic experience in overall. We truly appreciate you for recognizing our friendly and helpful crew. Indeed, manta rays are the gentle giants that everyone should not missed when visiting the island. See you on your next sea adventure! A Hui Hou!

Unbelievable experience

Cathy_M, Feb 2023

This was just the most incredible experience. First watching the sun set into the ocean was mesmerizing. It was a short boat ride to where we got in the water to see the manta rays. It was a little scary being in the ocean in the dark (and a little cold) but the crew is absolutely fantastic. They are right there every step helping you feel comfortable and safe. They aren't kidding when they say the manta rays swim right up to you - like an inch from your face sometimes! It's incredible! They are so graceful and gentle. It was just more than I can describe. I will say that it is a little hard to hang onto the platform. My shoulders got tired and sore. But small price to pay for what you get to experience. And i need to mention the crew again. They were fun and friendly and knowledgeable and they just made everything completely perfect. Such a great experience.

Response from Host, Feb 2023

Thanks Cathy for the detailed review! We are so happy that you found the crew so helpful and had a mesmerizing manta ray viewing and a beautiful Hawai'i sunset!. The manta rays sometimes get close and it sounds like they came real close on the night of your tour!The manta ray tour is definitely one to remember and it sounds like you agree! We hope you will be back to join us again. Aloha

Snorkeling with Manta Rays

Karen_C, Jan 2023

Wonderful evening with friends. The crew was amazing and very informative. It was about a 15 minute boat ride out to the site. The manta rays were so fun to watch. Highly recommend going.

Response from Host, Jan 2023

Aloha Karen, Thank you for giving us a wonderful review. We are great to hear that you enjoyed the Manta Tour, indeed they are beautiful gentle giants. We hope to see you on your next sea adventure. Mahalo!

The crew was super...

Amanda_O, Nov 2022

The crew was super helpful and nice! Very attentive even though it was a large group last night. We had 2 not very strong swimmers with my group... although the woman I spoke to on the phone told me NO life jackets were provided, the captain & crew on the boat provided life jackets (if needed)& pool noodles. They made us feel very comfortable! We almost didn't go through with it, but glad we were able to talk to the crew on the boat beforehand. Would definitely recommend Sea Paradise to anyone!

Response from Host, Nov 2022

Aloha, We appreciate you taking the time to leave us a review and are so happy to hear you enjoyed your time with the Manta Rays. Our crew is lifeguard certified and here to assist when needed. It is a requirement to have prior swimming and snorkeling experience for this particular night time activity. Despite your Captain being generous with providing a life jacket, that is not our normal protocol for this particular activity and it is not guarunteed that they will make this acception every time. Our daytime tours are a little more beginner swimmer friendly and we can guarantee a life jacket :) Mahalo Nui Loa for joining us, we hope to have the pleasure of seeing you soon!

Amazing

Tara_H, Oct 2022

How close to a man or a guy was amazing! We are so happy we spent money to do this this is truly a once in a lifetime experience!

Response from Host, Oct 2022

Aloha Tara, Thank you for sharing your great experience with us. We are highly honored for choosing us to experience the once in a lifetime manta ray tour. We hope to see yo on your next sea adventure! A Hui Hou!