Manta Magic: Small-group Manta Ray Night Snorkel In Kailua Kona

We had an absolutely amazing time with Christine, Robert, Sara, and Kenny! They were very communicative in terms of pick up location/timing and got us watching the rays very quickly. The whole crew was super friendly and knowledgeable, and I’m so glad we went with this company for our tour! Also their pricing was very reasonable!

Incredible experience. Saw many manta rays in their natural environment. Guides were knowledgeable and helpful.

Captain Sage, Kaylee, Rachel and Giovanna were excellent!! Positive friendly vibe. Love this tour is locally owned. Manta rays are amazing!

What an amazing experience. Rays got up close and personal (I squealed). Very short boat ride was perfect. Capt. Mitch, Marianna, Caleigh, Eliza, did everything just right. Anyone visiting Kona should book this adventure with Hawaii Oceanic.

I am visiting with friends on Kona but .I went by myself, got lost, couldn’t find the van at first. But the actual moment I felt this incredible looking “thing” a manta ray come up from the depths and skim under me … it was epic!

We had an absolutely incredible experience with Hawaii Oceanic for the manta ray night snorkel! 🐋🌺 From start to finish, the entire crew made us feel welcome, comfortable, and excited for the experience. The manta rays were absolutely amazing to see up close, and it was one of those experiences we’ll be talking about for a long time. A special thank-you to Eliza for making everything so easy and welcoming, Captain Alexis for getting us out there safely, Carmelle for being such a wonderful guide and helping us get the most out of the experience, and Maianna for taking such great care of us. You could tell that the whole crew genuinely cared about making sure everyone had a fantastic experience. If you’re visiting the Big Island, I highly recommend putting a manta ray night snorkel with Hawaii Oceanic on your list. It was absolutely worth it, and we would do it again in a heartbeat! Mahalo, Eliza, Alexis, Carmelle, and Maianna, for such a memorable night! 🌺🐋🤙

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Four Manta Rays, 30 Amazing Minutes — An Unforgettable Kona Experience Of all the things Tiffany and I have done on the Big Island, this will definitely be one of the experiences we remember most. From the moment we arrived, the entire crew was fantastic. Maianna handled check-in, Captain Mitch was at the helm, Carmelle was our guide, and Eliza rounded out an excellent crew. Everyone was friendly, professional and, most importantly for an excursion that involves jumping into the Pacific Ocean after dark, extremely calm and reassuring. Before we entered the water, they walked us through exactly what we would be doing, how the experience would work, and what to expect once the manta rays arrived. They also gave us a quick overview of manta rays and their behavior, which made seeing them in the water even more interesting. And then the show started. We were incredibly lucky to have four manta rays “flying” around us for essentially our entire 30 minutes in the water. They glided underneath us, rolled and turned in front of us, and came unbelievably close as they fed around the lights. Watching something that large move through the water with such grace is difficult to describe until you’ve experienced it yourself. At times it felt less like snorkeling and more like having front-row seats to an underwater ballet. A couple of suggestions for anyone considering the trip: Practice with a mask and snorkel beforehand if you’re inexperienced. Snorkeling isn’t difficult, but putting your face into the ocean at night can be a little intimidating at first. Being comfortable breathing through a snorkel before you arrive will let you relax and enjoy the experience much faster. The crew was excellent about making sure everyone was properly outfitted and comfortable before getting started. Also, if you have trouble floating—like I do—ask whether they can give you some extra flotation around your legs. You need to stay in a prone, almost “Superman” position with your legs near the surface so you don’t accidentally contact the manta rays swimming underneath you. I managed, but a little additional flotation would have made maintaining that position easier. Those are minor considerations, though, compared with what an incredible experience this was. Once we settled in and realized we had four mantas circling underneath us, the initial nervousness of being in the ocean at night disappeared. For anyone visiting Kona, I would put a manta ray night snorkel very high on the list of things you should experience, and we wouldn’t hesitate to go out with this crew again. Four manta rays. Thirty minutes of nonstop action. Absolutely unforgettable. Mahalo to Maianna, Captain Mitch, Carmelle and Eliza for giving us one of the highlights of our Big Island vacation! 🌺🤙

This experience was 100% worth every penny. 30 seconds in we had Mantas barrel rolling right in my face. They were almost too close to film. The all female crew was a dream team. Courtney, Alexis, Sara and Carmelle were amazing, attentive, fun and professional. We didn't have to do anything but enjoy!!

Absolutely the highlight of our trip to the big island - the all female crew, the utmost care for our safely, and the gazillions of manta rays were amazing! Thank you!

First trip no mantas, second trip 3 mantas

This was our favorite adventure of the trip (and we did a lot of adventures). It seemed like a once in a lifetime experience and the whole time in the water was an exciting 30 minutes. We saw lot of manta rays and felt safe the whole time. We were in the hands of an all women crew and they did amazing. They were knowledgeable, funny and caring. Highly recommend this experience with this outfitter. I can't comment on the cost because I have literally nothing to compare it to. Such a unique experience. 10/10 highly recommend.

We had an amazing time going out with Hawaiian Oceanic for the Manta ray snorkel. Christine was amazing before the trip, sending clear instructions on what to bring and where to meet. Our crew, captain Kelley, Eric and Caleigh were great during the trip. Small boat, great experience. Highly recommend. I have done other tours with Hawaiian Oceanic and they are always high quality

We were excited about this excursion but it turned out to be a terrible experience. There were no mantas, which sounds like it happens more than you’re led to believe. We wasted a good part of the evening floating uncomfortably in choppy water and saw nothing but a few fish. WARNING: the small print says there are no refunds. We were offered to rebook another night (we couldn’t, and why bother wasting another night) or a gift card for a future visit (we aren’t likely to come back for many years). Very disappointing - don’t take the risk and do something else instead

We went on the snorkel tour in the morning, and had such a great time, we decided to do the manta tour that evening. As amazing as the snorkel tour, the manta tour was even better. We met at the bay and got our wet suits, and I was glad I had mine. The water felt much colder at night than it had in the day time snorkel. We got the overview of what to expect and the rules. You will put on ankle floaties and hold onto a raft with lights. You'll look like superman floating on the surface, and the mantas will swim below you. Since we booked last minute, we had to get a later tour (10:20 PM), but the timing was in our favor. There were more mantas feeding than usual. And there was a pod of dolphins followed by several sandbar sharks swimming nearby. It was a lot of wildlife, but the mantas were the highlight. The mantas will come up to feed and may even come close enough to touch you. You can even get a quick glimpse into their eyes. My only regret was not having a Go Pro. I had to use my phone in a pouch, which wasn't nearly as good for images, but it still captured the moment. This tour was truly incredible and like no other experience I've ever had. I highly recommend this tour.

This trip exceeded our expectations! I can’t speak highly enough of the experience, in particular the crew. Christine made it all super easy to book & was on top of logistics, Kelly was a great captain - warm, fun & very efficient, Carmelle was similarly friendly & kept things moving smoothly. Sara was the star of the trip - she kept is entertained and hauled us all aging to guarantee the best manta viewing. Don’t think twice, book this snorkel!

An amazing once in a lifetime experience. Our friendly and professional crew of 3 made sure we were safe and well taken care of so I felt at ease to just relax and enjoy the experience.

Great crew - Sage, Eric, Josh and Giovanna! We did the 7 pm trip and saw quite a few manta rays. Eric was knowledgeable and helpful while we observed these gentle giants gliding beneath us. Highly recommend this group!

My teenage daughter really wanted to do this night snorkel with the mantas and her older brother was willing to go, but unsure about getting in the water, and I am a giant water weenie, so it was not happening for me lol. From start to finish, communication was awesome, instructions on meetup and safety were on point. My son, who hadn't snorkeled before felt comfortable enough to get in and was so glad that he did! They had an excellent experience with the mantas and felt very safe. Their crew had a lifeguard, a snorkel guide and the captain, which made this mama feel safe sending her teens out without her! Shout out to our crew Christine, Justin, Sara, & Carmelle for making this a memory to look back on for our family. Do yourself a favor and book a smaller boat for a more personal experience, it's worth the money!

What a unique experience! It’s hard to explain what it feels like to have the manta rays rolling right under you! The staff was great and easy to communicate with before and during the activity. I especially appreciated how safe they made us all feel on a night with some pretty big swells. I would recommend this company to anyone who comes to the big island!

Hawaii Oceanic provides great detail before you arrive via email & text. The staff were extremely friendly starting with Christine who checked us in. Captain Kelly was great, Eric got us situated with masks and snorkels and Ake took us out in the water and provided lots of facts about the rays, including their names. Our 11 and 13 year olds loved it. We were all in awe and would definitely recommend this group and experience to our friends who visit the Big Island.

We had a great time The crew was amazing and really knowledgeable about all things manta rays they supplied everything we needed for our trip

Spent a fantastic evening with Hawaii Oceanic starting with Christine who prepared us for the trip. Then out to boat with Capt. Justin and Eliza. Ake took us into the water to watch the awesome manta ray show below us! Ake taught us about manta rays and told us about some of the named ones. Amanda was our favorite ray... Thank you to the entire crew for a memorable trip of a lifetime!!!

Trip was canceled due to weather

The experience was simply amazing. The crew was awesome. No amount of pictures or videos do this experience justice.

Exceeded our expectations. Sarah was so informative and at one stage we had all the mantas near us. I’m sure they knew our wonderful guide, Sarah. Such graceful creatures. Thanks to Rachael as well.

We had an amazing time with our incredible scuba guide Sarah and Captain Justin and Kaylee. Shout out to Erika who got us ready too. Saw lots of mantas and could not be happier with the effort made to get us as close as possible to feeding mantas. Loved the experience. Highly recommend.

Amazing experience will definitely doing it again in the future. This was the first time my husband had ever been in the ocean and it was by far the best experience for him he absolutely loved it.

Absolutely amazing. These fish are stunning and so friendly. I wanted to cancel last minute. I’m so glad I didn’t.

All I can say is this is a must do on the island. The manta rays and their behavior is unique to Big Island, which is incredible to see at night. We chose a moonless night and went on the 7:30 pm trip so that it was dark. Christine and Akeh were incredible hosts and guides.

If you’re like me and need to check every manta ray tour and make a pros-and-cons list to pick the best one, then this review is for you! This is the tour you must book. The guides were knowledgeable and patient. They clearly cared about the mantas and the ocean, and they made the experience of seeing such beautiful wild creatures up close even better. Not once did I feel unsafe, and everything was explained very clearly. As a bonus, the tour group is smaller than others in the area. Honestly, it makes a huge difference—you have more room to hold onto the board, which makes the experience more intimate. Thank you to the Hawaii Oceanic team for a wonderful, once-in-a-lifetime experience. And mahalo to the manta rays for swimming with us! Love.

Amazing crew!! Amazing experience! Parking is at a premium so give yourself some extra time. Be ready for an up close and educational time in the water

We’re still talking about the Manta Ray night snorkel! What a cool experience. We had a great small group tour that went out at sunset. The night tour was just long enough and we saw so many Manta Rays! And the guide gave tons of amazing facts about Manta Rays - it was really all so great. Everyone at Hawaii Oceanic was friendly and professional. We were a little anxious, but knew we were in safe hands with the crew from the minute we showed up. I highly recommend using this company!

Absolutely amazing experience. Small group, wetsuit included (other tours make you pay), great staff. They made us feel so safe and the guide with us moved us to perfect spots to see the mantas. Highly recommend.

Rachel, Justin, and Eric are the best! From start to finish, they were professional, friendly, knowledgeable, efficient, and safety conscious. The experience itself was well worth the price. Build in a little buffer time before meet-up as there are several excursion companies and it may take a minute to find the right one/figure out parking. Prepare to be a little chilly! I had some shoulder and back fatigue near the end. We were seeing rays during most of the 30 minute float time. Highly recommend!

Those mantas cozied right up to us like long lost friends. Eric and Justin and crew were wonderful getting us to the right place and educating us at the same time. Thank you so much!!

I did the Manta Ray snorkel and it was fantastic!

Absolutely incredible. We attended the manta night snorkel on February 11. This tour was the highlight of our Hawaiian vacation. Being up close to the mantas was an experience we will never forget. The staff was friendly, knowledgeable and incredibly professional. The small group atmosphere made the evening even more enjoyable. We can not thank Christine, Justin, Ake and Eliza enough.

Great crew! Great experience!

The night snorkel with mantas truly was magical! I was in town for a conference and found them online and it was an amazing experience! Christine greeted us right outside the hotel, got us all ready to go, then Justin and Kenichi guided us the quick trip out to the snorkel site, where Sara provide interesting info and knew the mantas by name! What a friendly, great crew! Seeing mantas up close and personal was unforgettable, I highly recommend a trip with them!

What a great experience! We had four mantas with us nearly the entire time we were in the water. They were so beautiful and majestic! Our in-water guide was full of fun facts and I indulged my inner nerd and soaked up all the info while being overwhelmed with the grace of the mantas. They literally come within inches of you!

This was a great experience. Guides were helpful and the manta rays were beautiful. Having the wetsuit jacket and the ankle floats made it easy.

Christine, Sara, Justin and Rachael took great care of us on this adventure. 3 adults and a 13 year old and we all had a great time. It was organized and on time and just long enough for myself. I appreciated the smaller group size. We know there is no guarantee but they are set up for success and we saw many manta rays! Worth it!

Amazing experience that we highly recommend. The crew did such a great job ensuring a great experience. Some of us were nervous, but they had so many crew members and each were responsible for certain pieces of the trip that we felt everything was covered. Very knowledgeable with the manta rays.

Great experience!! Crew and staff were very organized and friendly. We viewed 2 mantas at one time. Very exciting experience.

This was an unforgettable life experience! Our guides were very knowledgeable and we could tell they care about the mantas

The experience was awesome - we calmly waited for the mantas to appear and then let them do their thing. They got up close and personal - Queenie brushed past me several times. Sarah was very informative. We loved it.

Small group size, knowledgeable, friendly guides and boat captain, 4 minute boat ride- a perfect evening adventure! We saw 7 Manta Rays and loved learning their names and about the animals. The guides made us feel safe and provided for a fun evening! Highly recommend!!!

Amazing experience, would recommend allows you to get up all close and personal. It’s an out of this world experience and with lovely staff it’s definitely worth the money.

Absolutely recommend! This was a once in a lifetime experience. The boat ride is quick to the manta ray viewing. A great size (smaller) group of people 10-12 on this excursion. Words cannot describe the magic of viewing these amazing beings. They have so much personality and were very hungry. Sara our in water guide knew all of them by name and gave a great narrative while we watched with amazement. Justin was a friendly and confident captain and Hailey was also helpful in getting everyone ready to get in the water as well as getting out of the water in the end. Best for people comfortable swimming and who can relax floating in the ocean to get the most out of this experience. This crew cares about the safety of the rays and the safety of everyone on board. The host was also extremely helpful and friendly, Karleen (I think was her name). Don't hesitate book your tour today! Note: If you are prone to motion sickness take the appropriate precautions.