Manta Ray Night Snorkel Tour In Kailua-kona, Big Island

The crew that took us out for this excursion was Mitch, Madi, Nick and Drego. The entire crew was fantastic and professional, but they like to have fun as well. People need to realize when booking an excursion like this, they have a schedule to keep and the safety of the patrons is in their hands. They take that seriously as they should. I could tell they wanted to give us as much of a great experience as they could and they really delivered. We saw 3 different Mantas when we went out. We even saw a shark swim by on the bottom of the ocean. A dead Sperm whale was floating outside the harbor and they even took the time to stop by that site and soak in that experience. This crew even filmed video of the mantas and shark and shared it with us at the end of the tour. I highly recommend booking an excursion with this company and team. Show them respect by listening to their instruction and guidance and being on time and you will have a fantastic time. They want to give each and every person the experience of a lifetime and that is what they did for my family and the two other families who came with us.

Wowie this snorkel was amazing!! My husband and I went on the 8pm trip and we saw multiple rays and they were rolling In front of us! The guides were also incredible and thoughtful when other guests weren’t feeling great but kept us super safe and did what they could so we could see the rays!

Coolest experience ever! Koa, Tako and Whistler did an excellent job! They did a great job explaining and making sure everyone got to have the experience of a lifetime! We saw three Manta Rays and had them the whole time we were in the water! 1,000% would do again and loved this smaller group tour!

Disappointing,no mantas seen on tour so took the option to go again the next night. Still no mantas. Leaving tommorow so no further opportunities. No refund offered, per policy, so a waste of time and significant cost. I recognise that no guarantee is given but two consecutive no-shows should warrant something other than an unusable voucher.

Our Manta Ray snorkel was awesome. Captain Mitch, Nick, Leo, and Eric made sure everyone had a great time. This is a must do for anyone in Kona.

The Iruka Kona Manta Ray excursion was absolutely incredible! Our crew captain, Lena and her team of Trev, Diego, & Makua were friendly, professional, and made the whole experience feel safe and easy. Seeing the manta rays up close in the water was truly unforgettable. Highly recommend this experience to anyone visiting Kona!

A must not miss. The experience is one of a kind. You are inches from the manta rays as they do their thing in the wild. Comfort level is high as you are in a sheltered cove, land visible, depth maybe 10-20 feet. It is something you will never forget. Can't say enough about the crew. Cap't Lena, Trev, Diego, and Makua are safety first, professional, funny, and as nice as can be. They have you covered on the boat and in the water. Right there to make sure everyone is comfortable and safe. Do not pass this up, just do it.

We went on the 6pm 9/21 tour with Tamae, Nick, Jack, and I think Trevor. They were a fantastic crew for the 2hr tour. We checked in, were offered wetsuits and inflatable life vests, and were quickly organized on the boat for the 15-20min drive to the snorkel location. We were offered refreshments to and from the snorkel spot. The crew got the floating devices situated first and then the more confident swimmers started jumping in. It took a bit for the lights to attract the main attraction, but in the meanwhile it attracted plenty of fish and several harmless sharks. We got to see a few manta ray backflips as they fed right in front of us. It was an amazing experience.

Check the surf conditions especially if you are prone to seasickness. Snacks and drinks provided which was nice. Company offers you to free rebook if no manta sightings.

Boat was crowded, people who were clearly drunk were allowed to snorkel, equipment was broken, safety did not seem to be a priority. Our group did not enjoy the experience and it had nothing to do with the fact that we didn’t even see one manta ray the entire night. Choose another tour company.

I was hesitant to bring my mother and 5yo kid as reading reviews about sea sickness but I’m so glad I didn’t cancel. It was absolutely the highlight of our Big island trip and even my 5yo kid who’s very scared of water and darkness enjoyed it. The floating bed was great for kid and non-swimmers and my kid didn’t need to be in the water at all to see manta rays. Some review said Iruka is farther away to the manta ray location (15-20min boat trip) vs some other companies have shorter trips (5-10min) so sea sickness could be worse. My whole family was just fine, we each took a Dramamine an hour before the tour and we didn’t get sickness at all. Crew member airdropped us the GoPro videos they took for free. I recommend Iruka to any family with kids or elderly or non-swimmers.

We booked our manta ray trip last week and this was the most amazing experience ever! Our team we had on 8/19 was amazing. The crew and captain were awesome and we felt safe and taken care of the entire time. They communicated well and really made sure you had a great experience. I highly recommend booking with them for your next adventure.

This was an amazing experience with my daughter. We did the 6pm and got a great sunset and then into the water. When the lights come on be ready for a ton of fish to be all around you.... so stay calm and let them do their thing. After about 15mins in the water came the rays.... they came solo and in pairs doing fly bys and loops inches from you but never touch you. We had rough seas so it was a workout but super worth it. We had a ton of people on our tour that were afraid of the water which made things interesting and challenging for the crew but they did a great job. Bring a $20 tip for the videos they give you at the end. Water was warm but consider the wetsuit rental if you get cold easy. SHOW UP with your swim suit on and maybe a sweatshirt for the ride back.

The whole experience was amazing. All the staff there are very helpful, and passionate. Especially thanks to Treu, Nick, and Diego. I think they differently make our experience better. Because my boyfriend is very afraid of ocean, and do not know how to swim. By the time when we go in to the ocean, Nick was there to protect him the whole time. Provide a special “uber” for him. Bring him from the boat to the float. They even provide hot chocolate after the snorkeling, which is amazing. Overall i recommend this trip, and very thanks to our guides Treu, Nick, and Diego!

Trav, Nick, Maddy and Diego were amazing. The experience is unforgettable. I’d do it all over again.

This was amazing!!! I would highly recommend this experience.

This was just super cool!!! A must do excursion! I mean it was just so wonderful to see it all and see all of the cool things!

You’re going to have a blast. From check-in to tour to return this was fun. Thank you to Captain Mitch, Madi, Eric, and Tamae who all contributed to a wonderful ride. The Manta Rays are up close and stunning - really it’s something I’ll never forget! Crew offered refreshments and snacks post snorkel. They welcomed all with a fun casual experience, music on the ride, and direction.

Great hospitality provided by the crew , the captain. We thoroughly appreciated and enjoyed the experience of night snorkeling with the manta rays. And we saw at times 5 of them doing barrel rolls inches away from us. Just a special and spectacular night, and to add the night sky view of the stars.

It was a lot of fun. We loved snorkelingwith the manta rays!. The crew was awesome with the kids, ages 5 and 8. We highly recommend this tour!

Beat snorkel experience of all time! The Mantas are so beautiful. Our guides were great. We saw other parties in the same area and were concerned that it would be overcrowded. Not the case! The mantas really put on a show! We linked up to another group and provided more light and thus more plankton to attract the Mantas. We did not expect the Mantas to get as close as they did. They came within inches of our faces. Doing barrel rolls and enjoying their feeding. Maybe 6-7 in total. Nice that videos were included in the original price. They appreciate tips which we were happy to give. They provided the most memorable experience for our family of Hawaii. Do not hesitate to book!

This was our 4th time doing the Manta night snorkel in Kona(all with different companies)....while we had a good time....there are better excursion providers...first thier website is kinda confusing....we thought we had paid for a complete snorkel....we arrived..said that we had only paid for a ride along...cost us $25 more per person....not the end of the world...also they charge $10 rental fee for wet suits (every other vendor we have used.... wet suit usage is free of charge)....again not the end of the world...luckily the water was warm enough we just used our rash shirts....if this is your only option (not terrible)..if you have time.....shop around ...ALOHA

Bryce, Diego and the whole crew were fantastic. We learned a lot about manta rays and it was fun to see them up close. Our group had a pretty big age range, from young kids to grandma, and we all enjoyed the experience. Highly recommend this tour and these guides.

If we could give Iruka 1000/10 stars I would!! All the staff were friendly and knowledgeable. Captain Mitch was hilarious and both Tamae and Madi made sure we all knew what to do when the time came. We went as a family of 4, our youngest 6, was nervous about getting in the water and my husband is not the best swimmer. Nick and Mitch were wonderful with helping them both and were super encouraging. This is a night our family will never forget!! Mahalo Iruka! 🌊🤙🏼 P.S. pick the 6:30 time so you can watch the sunset!

We had a memorable time. The manta rays are beautiful creatures. We had several do barrel rolls right by us. Our crew was very personable and attentive. They were able to handle people with various skill levels including smaller children. Pool noodles were provided which helped us keep our feet up and out of the way. ( I’ve done this before without one. It was easier on my back with one.) I really appreciated that one of our crew took some videos with her GoPro and shared them. This isn’t actually offered in the tour but I really appreciated it since I am a picture junkie. I was able to enjoy the tour without being distracted by my need to take photos.

Ask questions because the information that “Maddie” provided on the boat before getting in the water is vague, unprofessional and bordering on insulting. Nick and Captain Mitch were great, kind and helpful. Maddie however needs some additional emotional intelligence training!! She could have provided the same message and instructions with different words and tone of voice. No time was provided for how long we would be in the water as well as when we did ask if we could go back to the boat, Maddie was rude and basically said no.. Nick however came over and offered assistance and guidance that made the experience more enjoyable. The tour itself was great however 1 person can turn a 5 star experience to a 3 or 4

It was amazing. So many manta rays, fish and 3 sharks. I recommend to everyone. What a great experience. First time for us. Will do it again.

What a GREAT experience seeing the Manta Rays up so close! It was a treat just boating out on the ocean to get to the spot to get in the water. The CREW was fantastic and seemed very enthusiastic to be a part of the whole experience! Well worth it, i totally recommend it!!

This was my second trip to the "Big Island" of Hawai'i. A manta swim was on the bucket list and I'm so glad we were able to check it off this past weekend! It's hard know which company to choose because of the overwhelming number of options, but Iruka Hawaii was a great choice in our opinion. We were scheduled for the 9PM excursion, and spend ~30min in the water with the mantas, which was more than really needed. I think if we were to do this swim again we would try to get the sunset tour that includes dinner/snacks, because it gets dark pretty early and I'm sure the views of the mantas is just as good at that time. The mantas are beautiful creatures and the lights work to give us better viewing as well as attracting plankton, the manta's food. The members of the crew (Lena, Madi, Leo, & Diego) were able to give us a quick safety rundown before getting in the water and told us the names of the registered mantas, pointed out dolphins which they said was a rare sight, and even soothed some fears about a couple sharks we were able to see for a few moments. Overall, we really enjoyed this experience! Would try again especially after receiving a promotional code for 20% off on a returning visit! HANAHOU

Amazing experience! One of our families top adventures we have ever done together. We would recommend this to anyone wanting to experience nature and manta rays up close and personal! You might even get an unexpected guest appearance.

Absolute Best time! Maddie, Diego, the female captain with curly hair, FANTASTIC! Take your family and kids, it was the best time!

This was such a great experience! The captain and crew were all so nice and helpful. We were lucky and got to see 4 Manta Rays! I would go again. The Rays get so close to you! Super fun time

If you are coming to Kona, you HAVE to do this. This was the most magical and amazing experience. The staff on board went above and beyond. If I ever come back to Kona, I would do it again in a heartbeat!

A must see, bucket list experience for all ages. Our family of 4 were blown away seeing manta rays up close and personal. Our crew: Trevor, Diego, and Tamae were fantastic. They educated us on the manta rays and cracked jokes, making everyone feel at ease! The hot chocolate was a perfect ending. Great value for the cost. Would absolutely book again!

What an amazing experience to see these majestic creatures up close! Our tour crew (Diego, Maddie, Ryan and Captain Trevor) were the best!

Excellent experience and talented crew. The captain was great - she got us right to the spot to set us up for an excellent manta sighting and even stopped on the way back to point out the MilkyWay! Wow! What a special experience. The crew and guides were knowledgeable and very helpful. Even with a big group - the experience was excellent!

What an amazing experience! The mantas were incredible. And our tour crew (Diego, Ryan, Maddie and Captain Trevor) were so fun! I would definitely recommend.

absolutely life changing encounter manta rays. we had at least 5 visit us on my tour (9pm). the guides were knowledgeable and very protective of the ray's health and habitat.

The staff was good and the trip was fairly short to the destination. The staff was prepared and took good care of us, it was well planned. We only saw 2 manta rays and they were at the very end of our visit, but it was a cool experience.

Great experience! Crew was great! Saw mannas up close and personal.

Truly one of the more magical and remarkable experiences in my life. Lena was a fantastic Captain and got us to the spot effectively and gave us just the right amount of warning to make it not too terrifying when these majestic 25 foot+ wide creatures looped around right below us. Diego was incredibly knowledgeable and offered tons of information about Manta Rays (earning them a spot among my favorite animals) and also great recordings of the entire process. Nick also held it down and kept the whole experience flawless. 10/10 would 100% recommend.

Trevor, Maddy, and the two other crew members were all very polite on this trip. Honestly, I believe this experience was worth way more than what we paid. We managed to see 3 manta rays in total, and they were absolutely amazing. We had a giant family of about 8 people, including 6 kids ranging from ages 10 to 19 (2 boys and 4 girls). Everyone on the crew was so friendly from the moment we got there and made the whole process easy, especially with the kids. They also informed us of everything really well through the email we received after booking. It explained what to bring and what to expect, which was very helpful. Once we got into the water, we almost immediately saw one manta ray, then another. They swam so close to us that I was actually worried about accidentally making contact because I know you're supposed to protect the manta's coating. Watching them glide through the water was honestly hypnotizing. We also saw so many little fish of all different kinds, which made the experience even better. The manta rays really made this vacation special, and I felt like I owed the crew this review because the entire family enjoyed it. Taking care of 6 kids can definitely be a hassle, especially since they're usually the biggest critics when it comes to complaining, but every single one of them loved it. They all said they've probably never been that close to such beautiful animals before. The whole experience was amazing. I honestly don't see how anyone couldn't enjoy this unless they have a severe fear of sea animals. Otherwise, this is something I'll never forget. Thank you to Trevor, Maddy, the rest of the crew, and of course the manta rays (I forgot the names you gave them 😅) for such an unforgettable experience! :)

This is for you if: you have no sense of adventure or cannot swim. You are required to lay motionless in the water holding onto a raft with your hands and a noodle at your feet. If you move your feet too much they literally come and hold your feet. Tourist trap. Boring. Go swim for yourself and you will see all the same things. Including rays. Waste of time and money. Boat ride was the only enjoyable part. Staff were borderline rude, jokes mediocre. Crowd size was about 20. Atmosphere was disappointing. Length of stay in Hawaii almost 2 weeks.

We had a wonderful experience with this crew - they operated like a perfect team. Tamae took incredible pics and videos and shared them with us all, so we could focus on just enjoying it. She kept check in organized and efficient. Diego was not only the joking entertainer but also shared great facts about wildlife and the area, and was incredibly attentive to and helpful with my anxious young daughter in the water and me when I got seasick. Nick was the quieter workhorse, managing all the equipment and helping with anything & everything that needed to be done. Captain Trevor drove safely and efficiently, and also stopped and drove us to see a dolphin pod. And, the mantas showed up and shined for us! It was just an overall fantastic adventure - highly recommend!!

This is a must do on Kona - Night Snorkel with Manta Rays! We saw Manta Rays for over an hour. One did 5 flips right below me coming within a foot of my face mask! It was a magical time!

Amazing trip and experience! The mantas were so close! Finding the meeting point was the only issue…right side of harbor.

Very organized and an amazing experience. The staff is super friendly and helpful. Highly recommend!

crew was great, experience was amazing! crew went above and beyond to help my girlfriend when she was having issues with her mask. it got tangled in her hair while in the water and Madi somehow untangled while we were all in the water and got her defogged and good to go!!! the rest of the crew Trev, Nick, and Diego all played their roles to an amazingly successful evening!!! they are the best and got us right where the mantas were!!!!

Brought my pregnant fiancé and they made it super easy and fun. Thankful for the experience and the careful attention form