Kona Manta Night Snorkel: Swim With Mantas, Small Group (6 Max)

Shout out to our guide, Kamuela, who pulled us around in choppy conditions to make sure we had a wonderful experience! He was a wealth of knowledge about the animals, and shared a lot of interesting facts while we floated around. Our first sighting of a big ray was immediate and amazing! We then had a relatively long time with no sightings, but our guide kept us entertained and informed until the rays made another appearance. It was intimidating at first to jump into the water at night, but I felt very safe and comfortable. The water was warmer than I expected (and the wet-suit top was a nice feature.) As a person who commonly gets sea-sick, I thought being IN the water would be ok, but I did start to feel nauseous after bobbing around for a while...not a significant negative, just a warning to anyone else who experiences motion-sickness. My daughter and I will remember this adventure as a highlight of our time in Kona!

My wife and I can honestly say that this was one of the most amazing experiences we have ever had. The staff was highly professional and communicative, both in and out of the water. Riley - our in-water staff - answered a ton of my questions and was always educating us on the Mantas. The Mantas themselves were awe-inspiring, and it is something we will never forget. If you can put this in your travel plans you won't be disappointed!!!

Unbelievable experience! I had high expectations and they were absolutely blown out of the water! Ended up having so much fun the first night, that I booked it again for the following night… 10/10, would recommend it to anybody and everybody! Must see

Great time and loved the intimate group of 6 because we got maximum amount of time in the water and didn't have to wait for a big crowd. Life time experience with the Manta Rays and you have to do it!! Loved every minute it!

Riley and Levi were fantastic guides. We chose to have a further drive from where we stayed so we could have a 3 minute boat ride. There were 5 of us. My husband and I plus our 3 teenage daughters. This excursion was INCREDIBLE and I cannot believe how beautiful these creatures are! Wow! I would do this again and again! What a memory for all of us! 15/10! We chose the smaller boat where there was only 6 of us plus the 2 guides.

We did this snorkel at the end of June. The experience is really good, but there were a few nitpicks that didn't necessarily have to do with the company themselves. We did get to see a younger male manta ray, which was awesome. Obviously, the company can't control the animals, but I wish we could've seen a bigger one. The floating device we held onto was cool, and really helped us to see down. The guide was very informative as well. The issues we had, like I said, some were out of their control. First, there were two boats that took people out, and ours came in around 10 minutes after the other had left. 8 felt like we lost some time there. Second, it seemed like one there were a ton of other companies out there at the same time, all trying to get a look. Another company guide decided to grab onto our floating device and guide his tour, giving info we already heard. Then the sheer amount of companies out there led to us bumping into other people that were also floating out there. Sort of uncomfortable and annoying. The other thing is that it is pretty expensive for a family of 5. I understand that it is the going rate, but it's hard to justify if you have other little issues and you don't see anything most of the time that you are floating. The workers were very nice, though.

We invested a small fortune in this excursion for the opportunity to shiver for an hour in the rain and see ZERO manta rays. Don’t fall for this; it’s a cash grab. Total waste of money; kids were heartbroken. Funny that their website boasts allllll these 5 star reviews but that is because they don’t ask you or allow you to leave a review if you don’t see manta rays.

Swimming with manta rays at night was one of the most unforgettable experiences of our trip to Hawaii! We booked the 9:30 p.m. tour, and while jumping into the dark, chilly ocean was definitely intimidating at first, the crew immediately put us at ease with their professionalism, encouragement, and calm demeanor. One of the main reasons I chose this company was the small group size, and it absolutely exceeded our expectations. There were only six guests on the boat with three crew members, making the entire experience feel personal, relaxed, and never crowded. Two crew members were in the water with us the entire time and expertly positioned us in the perfect spot to watch the manta rays. The manta rays were absolutely incredible! They gracefully swam all around us—sometimes only inches away. It was one of the most magical wildlife encounters we've ever experienced. After we boarded the boat, we realized my daughter's mask had a tear in the nose piece. Without hesitation, one of the crew members gave her their own mask so she could fully enjoy the experience. That small act of kindness meant so much to our family and speaks volumes about how much they genuinely care about their guests. As we headed back, we passed several much larger tour boats packed with what looked like 50 to 60 people. It made us even more grateful that we chose this intimate tour. The smaller group created a much more personal and memorable experience. The tour description mentioned hot chocolate at the end, and while that wasn't offered, they did have delicious cookies waiting for us, which were a nice treat after our adventure. If you're looking for an unforgettable manta ray at night experience, skip the giant crowds and choose this small-group tour. The incredible crew, personalized experience, and breathtaking encounters with the manta rays made this one of the absolute highlights of our Hawaiian vacation. Five stars all the way! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Do not book with this company if you are counting on actually getting to do the manta ray tour. They canceled our trip just a few hours before departure due to a boat issue and made absolutely no effort to make things right. We understand that mechanical problems happen, but what is unacceptable is canceling at the last minute and then offering no alternatives, no assistance finding another tour, and no attempt to reschedule. We planned a significant part of our vacation around this experience, and because of the short notice, there was no opportunity to book with another company. As a result, we completely missed out on one of the main reasons we came to Hawaii. After reading other reviews, it appears we are far from the only customers this has happened to. There are multiple reports of last-minute cancellations, which makes this seem less like an isolated incident and more like a recurring problem. If a company repeatedly leaves customers stranded after they’ve planned their vacations around a tour, that’s a serious issue. The lack of customer service was unacceptable. When a company has to cancel, the bare minimum should be helping customers find another option. Instead, we were left scrambling on our own and ultimately missed out on the experience completely. Save yourself the disappointment and book with a company that has reliable operations and actually takes care of its customers when problems arise. We would not recommend this company.

Fun experience but wow what a zoo. 100+ people, age 8 to 80 bobbing at night, surrounded by six boats operated by 20 something boat captains. Our guide, Brett, had about a half hour of manta ray themed sexual innuendos and he was not the most mature guide. I enjoyed it but the whole industry should get shut down by the State of Hawaii before someone inevitably gets hurt.

We loved our night snorkel with the rays. We felt safe and were lucky enough to see one ray and hundreds of fish; we heard the two toyrs before us didn't see a single ray. The dock helper, KY, was great. The woman that got in the water with us from the company was also great. The captain of the bost was disengaged with guests and not the most pleasant or helpful.

We had an absolutely wonderful experience; a trip of a lifetime. Jeremy (captain) and Brett(guide) couldn't have been more knowledgeable, enthusiastic, supportive and enthusiastic! We went on the 8:40 boat and saw many mantas. Brett knew them each by name. We were even lucky enough to have a male manta feed under our light board, which is rare. Even better was the pod of dolphins who showed up and actually swam right under our board! Brett had never seen this happen before. I would 100% recommend a manta experience with this company! And don't be nervous, we are not confident swimmers, especially in the ocean, but with Brett directing and helping, we were very comfortable with the whole experience! They do provide pool noodles to get to the board.

Captain, first mate and dock hand were great. Loved that it was a max of 6 (all our group). We went on the first trip of the night. I wish we went on a later session when it was already dark out. We waited 20ish minutes for the Manta to arrive. Once she was there it was surreal, and she was so close that it was amazing. You have to be able to hold to the platform “Superman” style while in the water so not advisable for those with shoulder issues.

Our guide was disengaged, spending most of the time chatting with another operator about her birthday and tips instead of watching for manta rays or guiding the group. We saw a few rays over ~20–30 minutes, but there was no effort to move us to a more active area. Our guide, who appeared quite young, spent most of the time chatting with another tour operator about her 21st birthday and tips she receives rather than watching for manta activity or helping direct the group. It came across as unprofessional and disengaged. We were in the water for roughly 20–30 minutes and did see a few manta rays, but there was no effort to reposition us to a more active area or enhance the experience.

This tour was recommended to us by friends , so we decided to splurge on a tour with just 6 people. We did see mantas and that was magical.....but we were very unimpressed with both the guide and captain. They both seemed very jaded and just going through the motions. There was a lack of interest in us as individuals. Erica talked to other guides nearby recounting evenings drinking.....and she told us a bare minimum about the mantas or what we were looking at. I am a strong swimmer but had never snorkeled before. No one gave me any instruction about how to put on the mask or use it. Another person in out party filled me in before the tour started. I admitted to being a little bit nervous when we were first on the boat and was chided by the captain, Levi, for signing up with no experience (I had not noticed any such requirement when booking). "We are not going to give you a lesson now......if you need any help you will be back in the boat". Erica said they would give me a chance, that I would go in last and that "she would keep an eye on me"......no reassurance to calm my nerves, just a telling off. As I am a good swimmer, I did not have any problems, and was able to deal well with this novel experience with my husband beside me. We were told in an email to bring a gratuity with us. We were instructed at the end of the visit to give the gratuity to the person who collected the equipment, which we dutifully did.....but i immediately wondered why we had. It was really undeserved. Overall, we did not reap any benefit by going on a manta snorkel with a small group, despite the considerable extra expense.....as there was no individualized instruction or conversation about what we were seeing. We were surrounded by other larger groups (which was fine).....but there is no advantage of location....there is just one small area in Kona where mantas come to feed at night and there are many boats in the same spot to see them.....sometimes just feet away. A large group experience would have been just as illuminating and much less expensive.

Wow! This company was absolutely great to work with to experience the Manta's! Parking can pose to be a challenge. The parking lot is essentially off limits, as other companies use it for their trucks and vans for equipment, so you're limited to street parking (free). our experience was at 8pm, and the street was packed with cars, and we had to walk about 1/4 mile to check in. Checkin was a breeze. Kai handed out wetsuit tops, masks, and snorkles about 10 min prior to departure. Once the boat came back from the previous trip, things moved pretty quickly. Our guide, Erika got us on to the boat, with the help of the boat Captain. We (the 6 of us) all got seated, and we were off. The boat ride was literally 3 minutes, before we were at the location and the crew was putting in the manta board. Once set, we off loaded one by one, and we waited for the show to start. About 30 seconds into our time in the water, mantas started to show up, and we were treated to an amazing underwater show for about the next half hour! Wow. We had approximately 8 mantas feeding with us nearly the entire time. Truly unforgettable. We were then given instructions on how to reboard the boat, which went smoothly. We were offered some hot chocolate (ok, it was warm, but it helped 🙂), and we headed back to the pier. During the excursion, I will say that we felt rushed. I did not have a watch to time everything, but I believe that we departed a few minutes later than expected, but arrived back at the pier right at 9pm. I feel that the company could perhaps schedule in an extra 5-10 minutes, to allow boats to offload/reload passengers at the pier, and depart to allow room for the next boat, could perhaps help this. That being said, 10/10 would recommend this company for the small group (only 6 passengers total), the expertise of the guides in the water, and their concern for the safety of the passengers as well as the mantas! Thank you for helping us make a new core memory!

Wow! This is an amazing experience! I was very anxious to be in the water at night, but this was definitely worth it! The small boat (only 6 people) was an awesome "plus" for me as the wonderful guides were there to help out if needed. The boat ride is only about 5 minutes to get to where you jump in to see the manta rays. They also give you wetsuits (top half). Great time using this company!

What an incredible experience! Queenie the ray gave us an unbelievable show — barely rolling the whole time and super active. We saw three rays total, but the queen absolutely stole the show. I really loved the smaller group size; we weren’t piled on top of each other, which made it feel more personal and relaxed. The boat only takes up to six people, and it was amazing. The staff was fantastic, super educational, and I learned so much. I left feeling completely pumped with emotion. What a night!

It was awesome to see the manta rays so close. We saw 3 of them on the night I went. Erica and Levi did a great job of making everyone feel comfortable and explaining everything. I really liked having the smaller group size instead of the other large boats we saw with lots of people.

Great trip! Minimal boat ride to get there! We were more than 6 people though but we saw so many manta rays! They came so close to us! You could see their top and bottom. I saw more rays and they came closer than when I went diving a few years ago.

It was an absolutely amazing experience! Couldn’t believe how beautiful and graceful the mantas were. Captain Chris and Shae were amazing guides

We had a fantastic experience with the crew and the mantas. Our kids aged 8 and 9 were overjoyed and we all enjoyed being in a smaller group.

Kai on the docks, welcomed us and set us up with a wet suit top which really helped keep us warmer. Capt. Dustin took us right to the spot and our guide Brett was entertaining, informative, and had a witty sense of humor. Having the manta rays swim within inches of us was magical. Thank you for an unforgettable experience!!!!

We had a wonderful experience doing the manta night snorkel with the Manta & Snorkel Co. Shea was an excellent guide - knowledgeable, funny, and helpful. Captain Levi drove us safely to the site in just minutes and was very professional and welcoming. We had a truly incredible manta show (7 mantas!!) and loved having a small and intimate group. Even though some of us were nervous ahead of time, we were all blown away and so pleased with the excursion. Thank you!

Incredible experience! To be so close to large sea creatures and observe them for an hour was an amazing experience. Kai, Brett and Captain Adam were very accommodating and safety conscious. Brett was with us in the water and gave us a lot of information on the manta rays in general as well as the ones we were observing. We even got a special appearance by Milky Way, the baby ray!

Absolutely loved this tour. Loved the small group experience which allowed us to move around more in the water to get good manta viewing. We saw 12! Captain Chris and our guide Brett, who is in the water with you, were great and especially very helpful in assisting my 76 y/o mother (who has never snorkeled before). Brett also offered to take my gro pro and swim deeper to the mantas to get us extra amazing footage. Can't recommend this tour company enough!

Great experience highly recommended. The crew looked after us so well and expert in water knowledge. Real highlight of the

This exceeded expectations by a long way. Extraordinary experience. So many Manta Rays so close to us and excellent commentary from Shae, our guide. Perfect conditions. The highlight of Hawaii. You cannot miss this.

I cannot recommend this company enough! they were so knowledgeable, kind and really knew what they were doing. it was my daughters birthday and they made her feel so special. My son didn't like being in the water so Brett jumped right in and took him to the boat to make him feel comfortable, I unfortunately got sea sick and they made sure I was okay and helped me as much as possible. the boat is a short ride away from the dock as well. If you're looking to go snorkeling with the mantas please use them you won't be disappointed.

We went on the 7:45 PM manta ray night snorkel in Kona with Manta & Snorkel Co., and it was hands down one of the most surreal and magical experiences I’ve ever had. Watching the graceful manta rays glide beneath us as we floated like plankton under the stars felt like something out of a dream. The crew made the experience even better. Brett, our diver, was incredibly knowledgeable about each of the manta rays we saw and made sure everyone felt safe and comfortable in the water. I’m not the strongest swimmer and the open ocean can be intimidating for me, but Brett was calm, attentive, and reassuring the entire time. Chris, our captain, navigated and anchored the boat smoothly—something I appreciated since I usually get terrible motion sickness, but surprisingly I felt completely fine this time. (My partner got a little seasick, but the crew was attentive and understanding.) Kia was an amazing host—warm, welcoming, and kept great conversation going. I also loved that this is a small, mom-and-pop style company and they keep the groups limited to 6 people max, which made the whole thing feel really personal and relaxed. We even saw a few other night-dwelling fish, which was a nice bonus! I’d 100% do this experience again and would only book through this company. I highly recommend it to people who are comfortable floating in the ocean for about 30–40 minutes and can relax in the water. Staying calm and loose is key—tense muscles will leave you sore afterward!

Aloha! The Manta & Snorkel Company in Kona, Hawaii, provides an incredibly intimate encounter with one of the most beautiful creatures in the world's oceans. I really liked the small group size, providing a concentrated and personal area for multiple Manta Rays to feed, literally within inches of guests holding onto a floating light. I've been scuba diving for over 40 years, and I feel this snorkeling adventure is something unique, stimulating and accessible for everyone in the family to share. My 14- and 12-year-old grandsons said it was a beautiful experience to experience and more than worth the money. Thank you, to the ship's captain, safety divers, and staff of the Manta & Snorkel Company for working so hard to provide a unique and simple adventure in Hawaii that the entire family will enjoy memories of forever. I have more family and friends that I will eagerly introduce to these magnificent Manta Rays, and I will happily return to the Manta & Snorkel Company in Kona, Hawaii! A hui hou!