Manta Ray Night Snorkel Adventure

BEST TIME EVER!!!! Could not recommend enough and we had the best guides - Scott and Jana were unbelievable and so accommodating and knowledgeable.

We had a very exceptional experience with Capt Scotty and Jana. They were very fun and inviting from the time we met them. Jana was in the water with us and made us feel very comfortable and safe in the night water. We saw the manta rays pass by us at least 5 times, very cool. They offered refreshments and pineapple. When we got out of the water they gave us a warm rinsing followed by warm hand towels. We highly recommend them and we would go with them again.

The excursion was thrilling! I was a little apprehensive beforehand, but the description on their website is spot on, and the guides made us comfortable. It is something anyone can and should experience! They provided great info on manta rays. The snorkel was incredible. We saw four large manta rays that swam right under our bellies! The boat ride during sunset was also beautiful.

We had an amazing time with Captain Scott and Meredith seeing the Mantas!

An Incredible Experience with Kona Ocean Adventures! Kona Ocean Adventures exceeded our expectations from start to finish for our two days of diving! The entire team was fantastic—from booking and pickup to every detail of our adventures. Everyone went above and beyond to make sure we had an amazing experience. Brennan was incredibly helpful and accommodating through our many schedule changes. Nathan was punctual and a great driver. Captain Hana knew exactly where to go and found the perfect spots. Katelyn was a wonderful, patient instructor who helped my wife successfully complete her certification, and Meredith was an excellent dive master who pointed out all the incredible sea life while keeping us safe and comfortable. Captain Scott was amazing and picked a great spot for the Manta dive. The manta ray night dive was truly magical and an experience we will never forget! This is a wonderful team of people who genuinely care about their guests. We highly recommend Kona Ocean Adventures for scuba diving or snorkeling. We can’t wait to come back! 🌊🤿

This manta ray tour was easily the coolest thing I’ve done during my time in Hawaii. I went solo, but the entire crew made me feel welcome and safe from start to finish.Our guide, Meredith, was incredible. She was fantastic with the kids from other families on board, explaining all the safety rules and instructions so clearly that everyone could understand easily. She is incredibly knowledgeable and gave us a mini-lesson about the mantas using a book, along with tons of interesting ocean facts. She also made sure no one was intimidated by the size of the mantas, and whenever anyone in the water needed a hand, she was quick to assist. Captain Raj was also great, super friendly, welcoming, and helpful to everyone on board. The actual "show" was mind-blowing; we saw so many massive manta rays swimming right up to us. It’s hard to put into words how majestic they are. To top it all off, the boat ride back under a massive blanket of stars was a sight in itself. Huge mahalo to Raj and Meredith for an unforgettable night!

Best tour I have been on in a while!! The Mantas were beautiful and so majestic. Meredith and Scott were amazing! I really appreciate how knowledgeable Meredith was, and it was amazing having a real marine biologist giving us the facts. I really enjoyed every minute and hope to come back next year.

Such an unforgettable experience! Thank you to Raj and Kate for being so nice and helpful and open to answering all questions! The activity was really well organised and timed well, and definitely would recommend to all visiting Kona!

The best evening. Kate and Raj were the best.

We had a great experience! Saw so many manta rays and they were coming right up to us - incredible sight to see! Our guides, Raj and Sterling, were fantastic - they were super nice and knowledgeable. Answered all of our questions and made us feel very safe. 10/10 experience and would definitely do it again - highly recommend and thanks again to Raj and Sterling!

Sterling and Troy were awesome guides. The manta rays were of course the stars of the show. We are grateful and would come back tomorrow!

Experience was one of a lifetime! Our dive instructor Meredith was amazing!! She made us all feel safe and was very knowledgeable about the marine life. Having a background as a marine biologist and dive instructor was amazing and answered all our questions. Captain Raj was amazing captain and explained what we would experience on the boat! Great team work.

Oh my gosh this tour was AMAZING!! We had such a blast with Troy and Sterling who were super knowledgeable about the mantas, made sure we were in good spots to see them, and made killer hot chocolate. 10000/10 recommend for your manta tour experience!!🫶🌸

I actually had little interest in going on this excursion, and I also had little idea what we’d actually be doing. I’m so glad our daughter insisted on it because it was such a unique experience in every way. First, just being in the water at night was a treat and something I’d never done before. I think if we were the only ones out there, I’d be freaked out, but there are several other boats out there, so that made me feel very comfortable. The history behind how they discovered this as an activity was really fascinating. The manta rays get so close you feel like you can see down their throats. I loved that I didn’t need to worry about getting stung or bitten. The crew was wonderful and knowledgeable. Coming back at night in the complete darkness gave us the best stargazing. My only critique (but nothing to dissuade anyone from going) is that the boat is a speedboat. Usually, when we’ve gone snorkeling, it’s been on a giant catamaran. I’m not a huge speed person, so I was nervous on the boat. But thankfully, all went well! I highly recommend this to anyone who’s visiting Kona. It will be the highlight of your trip.

Amazing experience! Thank you Meredith and Scott for such a professional service and tour … truly a once in a lifetime opportunity

Sterling and Scott gave us an unforgettable amazing experience. They were knowledgeable and made sure everyone was safe and happy

We had an awesome experience doing the night manta ray viewing! Sterling and Raj were super great, helpful, and knowledgeable. The fresh cut pineapple and warm shower were a nice touch too. Would highly recommend !!

What a cool experience!! Saw tons of Manta Ray!! The water temp wasn’t to cold and the whole process from pick up to the boat was seamless! What a cool experience the kids loved it too!

We’ve done the night manta ray snorkel with Kona Ocean Adventures many times, and there’s a reason we keep coming back! This was my 5th trip, my parents’ 9th, and my kids’ 3rd—and we wouldn’t choose anyone else. The crew is consistently professional, knowledgeable, and focused on both safety and making sure everyone has an unforgettable experience. They genuinely care about the mantas and the guests, and you can tell they love what they do. Every trip has been incredible, and Kona Ocean Adventures has continued to deliver a first-class experience over the past 15+. If you’re trying to decide which company to book with, stop looking—Kona Ocean Adventures is the one. We’ll be back again and again. Mahalo for another amazing night!

My family did a night snorkel + dive with the mantas and it was perfection. Meredith, Sterling, and Rog were a very professional team. My youngest daughter (age 6) was initially very nervous about snorkeling and Sterling did an excellent job of calming her down and helping her enjoy it. Meredith dove with me and found us a great campfire spot to enjoy the mantas feeding ‘show’. We saw so many manta rays and even a monk seal! Towels, drinks, and snacks were all provided. It was a comfortable ride as well. We will definitely use Kona Ocean Adventures again!

Scott and Sterling were amazing!! What a show by the Mantas!! Never even knew seeing something like this was possible. First class service and first class experience!! Can’t recommend enough

Scott and Sterling were amazing. So good!!

I took two trips out with Kona Ocean Adventures, because I had one of the best times out in the water. I had Meredith for both tours and she was probably the most knowledgeable marine biologist I have ever met. I went out solo on a private charter for mantas and she made me feel incredibly comfortable, safe, and I really had the best time with her. I also was out with Scott for my first trip , who had all the experience you could possibly want in a captain, and Danny for my second (who told the best jokes). I want to thank Meredith for such an incredible experience and performance on her end, and I hope to come out again with you guys in the future.

I’ve gone diving with four companies on the big island. This is the only place I’d recommend. Everything was excellent. Communication with the staff - they made me feel welcome from the beginning. Kate is the best guide I’ve ever been diving with. Clear dive plan communication. Calm and clear underwater. Spotted amazing coral and fish, and we saw several sharks. Including a big tiger shark! The night time manta ray dive was spectacular. Calm vibes on the boat, teaching tips to help me be a better diver, great sandwiches, snacks, and drinks. Little nice touches like the extra chocolatey hot chocolate for the windy ride back, the warm post dive towel, and the warm lavender scented washcloth. But most of all the calm and the welcoming vibe onboard sets them apart. The next day I went out with another company and the captain of that boat should not have been in a customer facing role. Unclear, chaotic, I almost didn’t get in the boat because of how he was acting. The Kona Ocean Adventures crew were the opposite. Just amazing. If you are wondering how to decide between boats - pick these guys. Every dive company will take you diving. This crew will make sure you love every second from start to finish.

If you are visiting the island, this tour is a must! If you can, book with sterling and raj. Sterling works hard the whole time, is so friendly and wonderful! Raj is unhurried and will let you swim as long as you’d like. There’s nothing like seeing big mantas do flips right next to you at night. Do it!

We had an incredible manta ray snorkel experience with Kona Ocean Adventure. Our guides, Scott and Kate, were outstanding—friendly, knowledgeable, and clearly very experienced. They knew exactly where to go, and their expertise made us feel safe and confident throughout the trip. Even though we signed up specifically for the manta ray snorkel, the adventure started with an unexpected bonus: we encountered pods of bottlenose dolphins along the way! It was an amazing sight and set the tone for an unforgettable evening. The manta ray encounter itself was absolutely magical. Seeing these graceful giants glide effortlessly beneath us was breathtaking and something we’ll remember for a long time. Kate also filmed videos with a GoPro during the experience, which gave us a wonderful keepsake to relive the moment and share with family and friends. What really impressed us was the attention to detail and care from the crew. After getting back on the boat, we were cold from being in the water, and they had warm freshwater showers ready for us. They also served hot ginger tea, which was both comforting and thoughtful—especially for anyone dealing with chills or motion sickness. From start to finish, Kona Ocean Adventure exceeded our expectations. If you’re considering a manta ray snorkel on the Big Island, we highly recommend them!

I can’t say enough about our AMAZING experience with Katelyn and Raj on our private excursion. They were both so sweet and awesome throughout our whole trip. Katelyn was beyond amazing getting us out to the right spot and had so much knowledge it blew me away. We had the most amazing show with manta rays barrel rolling over and over for 30 min straight+. They both were so kind with great conversation and made our whole family feel so welcome. I would hands down go with them again and recommend them for any excursion. Kona Ocean Adventures was AMAZING!!!

The crew worked hard to make it a memorable experience from the very beginning to the end. A small group (6 people) and we saw multiple rays. Gorgeous.

Absolutely amazing! My guide Meredith, it was her first day but she was super knowledgeable and was so sweet to me and my girls. The trip was so much fun and I really want to thank her for the videos they turned out incredible. Also thank you to our other crew Starlink and Captain Troy. Definitely will do when we come back again.

Troy and Kate were amazing! We had so much fun and saw so many rays!

Great experience, totally mesmerizing! Would definitely book again. Really appreciated the crew!

This was THE best experience of all the amazing experiences we had on our trip. Joe and Scott were phenomenal. Scott was a five star captain and took us out right in time to see the beautiful sunrise. Joe gave the most interesting anecdotes about the islands history and its present. And then seeing the rays… it’s magical. You need to do this if you come to the big island. And when you do, choosing Kona Ocean Adventured will not steer you wrong!

This was one the best experiences I've ever had. The crew was very nice. Joe was very informative with all his facts about the mantas. Captain Scott was very nice. The hot face towels, hot water rinse off afterwards was devine. We saw quite a few Mantas, this was an experience of a lifetime. Thank you Kona Coast Adventures for a superb time.

Words will not do this trip justice. It was really amazing. The manta rays are so beautiful and incredibly safe (no teeth, no barbs!) This is something that you need to experience. Kate was fantastic at taking care of us and when we got back on the boat Cpt. Scott had a warm water spray down, fresh pineapple, and drinks do the ride back. :)

I was on the fence with this but my wife really wanted to go. Holy moly am I glad I went. Truly an amazing experience. We are told the mantas would get close but I had no idea they would be an inch away from my snorkel mask. Such beauty & grace. Captain Scott & our guide, Kate, were excellent. Highly recommend!

We booked the manta ray night snorkel and scuba tour, my fiancée snorkeled while I dove and we both had great views and a great time. Kate was my divemaster and she did a great job guiding us, the mantas had not shown up around the feeding location when we started so she took us on a quick sightseeing tour while we waited. Overall a great experience and would definitely book with them again!

Incredible once in a lifetime experience! Both the captain and guide were amazing and we saw over 10 manta rays! Highly recommended!

We had an amazing time on a private manta ray tour with Capt Scott and Joe. They were both thoughtful, kind and attentive to our needs. We saw so many manta rays and really had a seamless experience with a hot shower, drinks, pineapple and warm towels. I was nervous going on the trip but they made us feel super safe and were wonderful with kids. I would highly recommend! Thank you so much!

We did a private Manta Ray Night Snorkel with Kona Ocean Adventures and had a fantastic time! Janet was amazing in helping us see the rays and positioning us with other boats. She was also really informative and just a great presence. Seeing the rays swim under us was wild - they are so huge and majestic! Just an overall note: You may want to take Dramamine ahead of time because the ride (no matter who the vendor is) is choppy to the area with rays.

It’s hard not to enjoy this experience. It’s quite incredible to witness the manat rays swim right over you. This company has some of the brightest lights of all the operators the mantas came right over to ours once we set them up. The crew was amazing including my guide Kate who all made me feel really safe. The hot towel & refreshments were top notch 👌🏻🔥

This manta ray night snorkel was absolutely incredible and easily one of the highlights of my trip. Seeing the mantas up close in the water was surreal - such a magical, once-in-a-lifetime experience that I’ll never forget. The entire crew at Kona Ocean Adventures was fantastic. Katelyn and Laura were incredibly professional, calm, and attentive from start to finish. The boat ride was smooth, everything felt very organized, and they truly took their time to make sure everyone was comfortable and safe. They consistently checked in on us, explained everything clearly, and created such a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere. What made this even more special is that this wasn’t my first experience with them, I did a reef snorkel and dolphin watch tour last year and loved it so much that when I came back to Kona, I couldn’t wait to go out with them again. This experience completely lived up to (and honestly exceeded) my expectations. If you’re considering a snorkel or ocean adventure in Kona, I can’t recommend Kona Ocean Adventures enough. Professional, knowledgeable, and genuinely passionate about what they do - I’ll absolutely be back again.

Did the manta rays with Capt Danny and Kate . It's was an awesome adventure the crew was very informative and knowledgeable and extremely helpful with getting me comfortable going in the water at night . I felt safe and taken care of ! The mantas were right below our board the entire time !!! Totally recommend it and will do it again !

Top notch adventure crew with some of the best service. We went out on the night snorkel with the manta rays, only saw 2 of them but the crew was very knowledgeable, fun and very friendly. They had a cooler with drinks and snacks. They were very considerate to kids on the boat and it felt like we were in really good hands. I had forgotten a blue snorkel, mask and fins on their boat and they really worked to get those back to me. I was soo happy to be onboard with them and would definitely recommend using this company.

We had a two tank dive with Mac and he was wonderful!! The first was a lovely reef dive followed by a night dive with manta rays. It was one of the most magical experiences. Huge mantas were gracefully swimming all around us, so close we had to duck!!! Kona Ocean Adventures only takes small groups and service was very personalized. I couldn’t recommend this tour operator any higher and I’d absolutely go diving with this team again!!!

Nick and Kate were amazing!! Wouldn’t do this experience with anyone else.

We had an incredible experience diving with Kate at Kona Ocean Adventures! Kate was our dive master and was very knowledgeable, friendly, and made our experience unforgettable! We saw lots of different fish and were lucky enough to see dolphins, whales, and a seal! Overall, the manta ray night dive was truly one of the most incredible dive experiences we’ve ever had and we cannot wait to return to dive again in the future with Kona Ocean Adventures!

We had an amazing experience with Kona Ocean Adventures! The staff were awesome—-very informative, professional, and fun. We saw a ton of manta rays up close. The smaller group made the trip much more personal and easy. Highly recommend this company!

Mac and Troy were an amazing crew! They make the experience unforgettable by taking their tours in small groups and timing their arrival to the site perfectly. We saw 3 mantas , the eel hunting and a large puffer fish . Along with the boat ride which included dolphins and a magical sunset. Thank you again

We had a great tour. Hana was our guide for the manta experience and she was great. We had several young kids with us and she was great with them and it was totally doable for them. The captain and crew were all very nice and we had a great time. A lot of other boats had larger parties so I liked that ours was smaller. We could move our light board easier to see more mantas. I think we saw the most of any group and there were a ton of groups! Highly recommend!