Big Island of Hawaii

Manta Ray Night Snorkel Tour from Kona

Badge of ExcellenceBig Island of Hawaii, USA
  • 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English

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Overview

Swim near a manta ray natural habitat on this 1.5-hour night snorkeling tour from Kona. Led by an expert guide, journey five minutes off the Big Island’s west coast where the mantas come to feast on plankton. Dive in the water, and swim in an area known for manta ray sightings. The area is lit by your vessels diving lights, so you can get a clear view even in dark waters. Afterward, dry off, and enjoy warm soup, bread rolls, and hot drinks as you recount your underwater adventures.
  • 1.5-hour manta ray night snorkeling in Kona
  • Spend time snorkeling in the manta ray’s natural habitat
  • Watch manta rays feed off plankton
  • See the underwater world under lights from your vessel
  • Enjoy warm soup, bread rolls, and hot drinks after your swim
  • Choose between four different tour times

What's Included

  • Manta ray night snorkel
  • Use of snorkel equipment, wetsuit and instruction
  • Warm homemade soup, bread rolls, and hot drinks
  • Gratuities
  • Hotel pickup and drop off
  • Beer and Wine (available to purchase)

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

  • 78-7130 Kaleiopapa St, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740, USA

    Please check in 30 minutes prior to departure time. Street parking available, please allow at least 10 minutes to park and walk to the check in office.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Meet your guide at Kaleiopapa Street in Kailua Kona 30 minutes before your departure time. There are four times to choose for this tour.

Once you get checked in and set up, hop aboard your vessel with your guide and journey out onto the water under the moonlight. Your guide stops your boat near an area known to be a manta ray natural habitat. Rays are most active at night, so your chances of catching sight of them during this tour are higher than a daytime tour.

Snap on the last of your snorkel gear and jump into the ocean.The diving lights on your vessel are safe for the manta rays (and you), and allow better visibility for your evening dip. As you hang out by the manta ray natural habitat, keep an eye out for rays. The rays are quite big and feature wingspans up to 15-feet (4.5-meters) wide.

After your night snorkeling, dry off, and enjoy warm soup and a hot drink onboard. Your boat returns to your original departure point when the tour concludes.

Fair Wind Big Island Ocean Guides

Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
  • Full face snorkel masks are not permitted on our vessels
  • Not recommended for non-swimmers, beginner swimmers, and those without snorkeling experience
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 26 travelers
Operated by Kona Sunrise Charters

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

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Featured review
Krystal_S
We had such an amazing time! There were so many manta rays and they get so close! They were dancing and twirling and it was such a beautiful site! They are so big, but so graceful! The Captain and his crew were very informative and helpful! Everything about this trip was 5 stars!

Reviews

4.5
206 reviews
Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
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Reviews by Viator travelers.
Showing 1-10 of 206 reviews
Coolest thing to do in Kona
Matthew_K, Apr 2024
Amazing experience! Worth every penny. kind of hard to find parking & locate the right boat tour group, so arrive early
Excellent crew.
KTroy_A, Feb 2024
Captain Tim Mitchell and the crew were amazing. Great boat. Soup, hot chocolate and plenty of Manta Rays.
We saw 5 different Manta...
Colleen_M, Oct 2023
We saw 5 different Manta Rays on the tour, it was awesome! The crew did an amazing job! It was an all around great time. Thank you!
Best trip ever
Angela_W, Oct 2023
Amazing experience!!! Staff was top notch! Made the whole experience relaxing and fun. I’m very nervous in the Ocean and have never been in at night but the crew made us feel so safe!! Highly recommend them!!
Once is a lifetime experience
Barbara_V, Sep 2023
We had a great experience. Glad I stuck it out to the end because the Manta Rays became especially active the last 15 mins. My only problem was with my mask leaking around my nose and mouth. Water kept coming in. I questioned the fit before we left the dock but stupidly did not address the issue then. So I think that it on me. Great experience. Be sure and bring a Go Pro preferably one you can strap around your head to leave both hands free sadly we did not get any pictures
Best thing I’ve ever...
Holly_H, Sep 2023
Best thing I’ve ever done, hands down. To look those beautiful creatures on the eye from 12 inches away is life changing❤️❤️
Do it! You won’t be sorry!
Lori_H, Aug 2023
I don’t know what I was expecting, but that experience was nothing short of magnificent! Being one who is prone to seasickness, I was a little apprehensive, but I downed two Dramamine and I was pretty good, especially when I learned it was only a 5 minute boat ride to the corner of the bay. Once we got in the water, it wasn’t 30 seconds before a manta ray brushed by me. While floating we saw at least 10 manta rays at once! They are beautiful creatures and enormous! I wasn’t prepared for how big. They are definitely social creatures and are not shy to say hi up close and personal. Wonderful experience! Highly recommended.
Best experience of our vacation!
Kim_K, Aug 2023
Would recommend 100%. Take Dramamine if you’re prone to sea sickness. I took it & was fine. 3 others in our family got seasick. Water was a little rough so the boat rocked a lot and we were floating up and down on swells the entire time we were in the water. You are given a wetsuit, snorkel gear and pool noodle. Entry into the water from the boat is easy from a small ladder. It’s a very short swim to the lighted viewing platform that you’ll hold on to. You’ll have your pool noodle to support you for the short swim and to keep your legs afloat behind you as you lay flat to watch the rays. Your arms and shoulders will get tired & begin to hurt. You’ll last longer if you don’t grip the platform tightly. We saw 2 small spotted rays immediately and then one bigger Ray swam by twice. Took a while for 2 really large rays to show up and give us a show. They skimmed the bottom of the board over & over swimming all around us. It was amazing! The crew was supportive & helpful to those who struggled with gear, etc throughout our time in the water. With all of the blue light in the water and many other boats around it took away the fear of being in the ocean at night. The water temperature was fine with the wetsuit on, we were actually so hot from wearing the wetsuit before it was time to swim that it felt good to get into the cool ocean water. When our time in the water ended the crew had hot soup, bread & hot chocolate waiting for us. Its definitely a little chilly when you return to the boat so bring s sweatshirt & a beach towel. It’s literally a 5 minute boat ride to and from the manta ray viewing site. Those that were seasick appreciated how quickly we returned to the dock. We also liked that Fair Winds had picnic tables to sit and wait after check in. The other groups stood in the parking lot. These tables were also a great place to leave our stuff while we put our wetsuits on. The boat that we went on was s good size too, not too big or small. Everyone was in the water quickly at the start and out quickly at the end. Didn’t feel crowded.
Incredible Experience
Kellie_D, Oct 2022
Seeing these animals so close up was so incredibly exciting and amazing. And we really appreciated the team’s commitment to interacting with the animals in a safe and sustainable way. Their whole operation is top notch! The experience was a dream come true!
Must Do in Kona Hawaii
Dwight, Oct 2022
When you Visit Kona Hawaii This is a Must.!!!!!. The Manta Rays are right in front of the Outfitter Hotel, so it is a very small boat ride but seeing the Manta Rays up close is a trip to remember.
Must do!
Elizabeth_B, Sep 2022
Awesome experience! The crew was excellent. The boat and gear was great. Beautiful Manta Rays. Gentle giants of the sea.
A must do!
Candyce_C, Jul 2022
Amazing experience and a MUST do! Be sure to bring a towel for after the swim. The soup the crew serves afterwards is yummy! When they say the manta's will be within inches of you they are not kidding!!! What a show the manta's out on.
Manta Ray Dive
Robert_W, Jul 2022
Having access to wet suits made this adventure much more enjoyable. The staff was extremely helpful and knowledgeable. Provided a safe environment. The safety swimmer in the water with us was greatly appreciated!
Incredible experience worth every cent!
Jacqui_K, Jun 2022
Wow, these creatures are truly spectacular. We are so glad we did this tour. Snorkelling with Manta Rays that are bigger than you should be on everyone's bucket list. The whole process was great and very safe, and we saw many manta rays, and a few even bumped up on their way up! I think we saw 4 or 5 below us at one time too! They are truly beautiful and would happily do it again! I would say though, you can get a bit cold out in the water for that length of time and then coming back and taking off your wetsuit straight away can make it worse, so make sure you have a towel (or two) ready to warm you up once you finish the snorkelling if you are prone to getting cold easily!
The booking confirmation...
Richard_F, Jun 2022
The booking confirmation had the wrong address which was 20 minutes from the correct address. By the time we realized this, it was too late and we missed the tour. I have requested a refund. I heard the tour was great, but we are disappointed with this error.
Prefect night adventure
Michael_B, May 2022
Saw more Manatees than any other group. Short ride out made it more enjoyable. The crew was so helpful.
Manta Ray Magnificence
Krystal_S, May 2022
We had such an amazing time! There were so many manta rays and they get so close! They were dancing and twirling and it was such a beautiful site! They are so big, but so graceful! The Captain and his crew were very informative and helpful! Everything about this trip was 5 stars!
Experience of a Lifetime!
Shelley_R, May 2022
Experience of a lifetime!!!!I cannot believe how amazing this was, the boat was awesome as well 💕💕
Be wary no manta rays
Monique_B, Apr 2022
This was an extreme disappointment and a costly adventure that produced zero sightings. Never saw a manta ray. This was the highlight of our vacation. The people on the boat hyped it up. Then we stayed in the water freezing for 45 minutes to look at nothing, but rocks.
Very Limited Manta Ray acitivity or sighting
Grant_P, Mar 2022
There were way too many boats congreagated in the same small area. so you had to be lucky enough to where manta ray feeding was happening
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From $140.28

up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

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