Snorkel With Giant Manta Rays In Kailua Kona
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Big Island of Hawaii, USA
- 2 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
If you want to spot manta rays in Hawaii, don't settle for operators who take you to overcrowded sites. On this snorkeling tour, the veteran crew adjusts locations daily based on actual manta sightings—north or south—maximizing your chances of close encounters. Wetsuit and gear included, with in-water guides providing safety and education throughout.
- Wetsuit and snorkel gear provided, so there's no need to pack equipment
- Enjoy a cruise on the water, doubling the adventure
- Swim alongside manta rays in a guided environment
- Guides help you maximize your chances of spotting rays in their natural habitat
What's Included
- Use of Snorkeling equipmentUse of Snorkelling equipment
- Wetsuit
- Red Cross Licensed In-Water Guide/ Lifeguard
- Private transportation
- Gratuity
- Prescription Snorkel Mask
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Snorkel Big Island74-380 Kealakehe Pkwy, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740, USA
We depart on the north side of Honokohau small boat harbor. The address is 74 Kealakehe Pkwy, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740, USA (GOOGLE MAPS SEARCH: "Snorkel Big Island" and it will lead you to the correct side of the harbor.)
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.What To Expect
1
Honokohau Marina & Small Boat Harbor
2
Garden Eel Cove / Manta Heaven
3
Kahaluu-Keauhou
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Most travelers can participate
- Your safety is our priority! If you or anyone in your group would like a lifejacket please contact our reservation line.
- Our Manta Policy: Manta Rays are wild animals and Snorkel Big Island cannot guarantee their presence. If a manta ray is not seen on your night out with us you may try again on a different night for a rebooking fee. Please keep in mind that seats may be extremely limited during certain times of the year. We usually are very successful in finding mantas for you; however if they decide to take the night off the costs involved with setting up the charter will not allow us to offer you a refund. We appreciate your business and understanding of this policy.
- Please confirm your check in time directly with tour provider. Check in time may be up to 40 minutes prior to tour time.
- Basic swimming skills are required
- Previous snorkeling experience is required
- Guests must be able to independently climb up a boat ladder
- Guest must be able to converse in English to understand verbal instructions and safety briefings
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 18 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Sandy_M
This was amazing. The crew was very friendly and knowledgeable. They got us to a place where we saw one ray very quickly, and then there were none for several minutes. So they moved us to another area where they said there was more activity, and we saw so many rays. They were absolutely stunning, and they came so close. We also saw a shark before we went back in. It was just the right amount of time in the water and we definitely got to see a lot of rays. I highly recommend!
Reviews
4.6
based on 132 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
janice_f, Jul 2026
Others in group can destroy experience if they're not comfortable in water. Thank goodness we had an awesome group of compliant participants. These gentle giants will come within inches of you if you stay calm, relaxed, and lay flat. Camera is a must for this experience of a lifetime.
Christy_M, Jun 2026
All three gentlemen were kind and ready to go for us. The meeting spot was easy to locate, communication was clear, and they started right on time. The safety information was easy with a bit of light humor. The boat ride out was beautiful. The time in the water was AMAZING! Our 10 & 11yo kids couldn’t have been more thrilled. We had almost non-stop action after the first few minutes. One of the guys took our camera down to the ocean floor and got the coolest video for us to capture a different perspective. Everything was safe, professional, and so much fun! Do NOT hesitate to book with this company!!!!
Donna_G, Jun 2026
The crew was professional and informative while also relaxed. Many Mantas came to play, flipping and eating joyfully!
Christopher_W, Jun 2026
Manta Ray aerobatics (hydro?) - possibly the coolest thing you’ll see. We were lucky enough to see a bunch of Manta Rays on our sunset trip and the crew were excellent hosts and guides too. Highly recommended!
James_F, Apr 2026
Exciting to see the Manta Rays. We saw 4. Nice sunset, easy boat ride to site. Water was cool so wet suit worked great. 30 minutes in the water.
Kylie_P, Apr 2026
We had a great experience with Snorkle Big Island! It was easy to find their staff at the meeting point at the marina and the crew for the boat were friendly and engaging. When we got to the manta ray feeding area, we immediately saw them. Once we were in the water, we had rays coming up to us within minutes. We consistently had rays swimming right beneath our board for 2/3 of the time we were in the water.
Highly recommend!
Tim_D, Jan 2026
The crew and the captain were great and they made us feel great about the trip with explaining what we were going to see and Eli was very knowledgeable about the manta ray we watched swim under us.
Jeanne_N, Dec 2025
The guide was not very informative and acted like he didn’t want to be there. He only spoke in short one word answers. Only saw 3 Manta Rey’s. I would recommend to try it but maybe let people know they are not guaranteed to see anything. Also bring a robe afterwards, it is a cold ride back in to shore.
Robert_T, Dec 2025
We arrived early to this experience. We waited 30 minutes and then got called by Kelly. She said that they had to cancel our tour. No explanation just said sorry. Very poor customer service. Do not offer tours late if you can’t deliver. Would not recommend. Go with another tour guide I want my refund
Response from Host, Dec 2025
This tour was cancelled due to unsafe water conditions. It was a community decision to cancel all tours for the evening.
Jill_B, Dec 2025
This was an experience you should not miss. Bring warm clothes and towel for after the tour. Bring waterproof cameras and go pros.
Brittany_P, Dec 2025
The experience is once in a lifetime. We got to see a female and male up close. I couldn't have asked for a better experience or crew than this one
Georgie_S, Nov 2025
Super awesome! Manta rays waited until the last minute to show up so they gave us a little extra time. Also saw so many sharks and really cool plankton but the experience never felt unsafe at any point.
Michaela_W, Oct 2025
Absolutely amazing. Seen/swam with sharks, dolphins, and of course manta rays. The three crew members friendly and helpful. We had a great time.
Sandy_M, Oct 2025
This was amazing. The crew was very friendly and knowledgeable. They got us to a place where we saw one ray very quickly, and then there were none for several minutes. So they moved us to another area where they said there was more activity, and we saw so many rays. They were absolutely stunning, and they came so close. We also saw a shark before we went back in. It was just the right amount of time in the water and we definitely got to see a lot of rays. I highly recommend!
Rich_S, Sep 2025
Nigut swimming with manta rays was a highlight of our trip. We had several sightings and they got very close. The crew was helpful and set us at ease. They were a little late to the pickup point, but called right away when I texted.
You should know this crew uses a method that attracts plankton upward, enticing the mantas to swim high and show off. It's ethical and sensible. By my view, it appeared at least one other operator did not do this and instead used a huge floodlight on the floor. While it might have looked cool, they had not seen a single ray by the time we left and I was grateful to be on a boat using our method.
Krista_K, Aug 2025
We did the 6:30pm snorkel and it was amazing! We saw about 8 manta rays and it was the highlight of our trip. The boat ride at sunset was beautiful and the whole process of meeting up was easy and direct. Would definitely recommend.
Bhavisha_J, Aug 2025
Was amazing experience to float with manta rays in the sea at night, with beautiful stars in sky. Shall recommend to do in hawai
Lawrence_C, Aug 2025
No Manta ray to be seen. waste the whole night and all the preparations with it. I went with another Viator tour 3 weeks ago and saw lots of rays.
Response from Host, Aug 2025
We are very sorry the manta rays did not visit the night you had your excursion. This is a very rare occurrence but because they are wild animals it does happen once in a while. Unfortunately, this is not something we can control. We advise to book your manta ray tour early in your trip so you have time to reschedule if something does not go as planned like the manta rays not showing up.
Eva_T, Aug 2025
First : the staff was late for almost 40mins
Second: very small boat and very crowded with small light
Third: the tour was no explanation about the manta ray at all
Forth : You only got 30mins in the water and we din’t see anything
I would not recommend this company
Response from Host, Aug 2025
We are very sorry the manta rays did not visit the night you had your excursion. This is a very rare occurrence but because they are wild animals it does happen once in a while. Unfortunately, this is not something we can control. We advise to book your manta ray tour early in your trip, so you have time to reschedule if something does not go as planned like the manta rays not showing up. Our boat is 35ft which is the perfect size for the activity and conditions, the larger boat you go on the more people there are in your group. Rough Ocean Conditions play a huge role in timing and sometimes set us back.
Jennifer_A, Aug 2025
Great experience, staff was great. 10/10 would recommend! This is a great company to book with, hassle free, easy and convenient. My family had an amazing time!
Kiki_J, Aug 2025
One of the best experiences we’ve ever had!!! The two guys on the boat had everything dialed in and we legit had the best time ever. Definitely taking this trip again.
Alicia_M, Aug 2025
While swimming with the manta rays was a truly amazing and unforgettable experience—it's unbelievable how close they come to you—the company's service left a lot to be desired. The staff seemed to lack personality and acted as if they were just herding people. They were rude, making jokes about customers who were nervous and asked for life jackets. This behavior made the environment feel unwelcoming.
Additionally, the tour was not well-organized. They returned 15 minutes late from the first trip, which put our group behind schedule. To make matters worse, they had run out of wetsuits, which was disappointing and inconvenient for several people in our group. While the manta ray encounter was incredible, the tour operator's poor service and lack of organization significantly detracted from the overall experience.
Alfred_M, Aug 2025
Great trip. Saw about 10 Mantas. Everyone was kind and helpful. Definitely would recommend this tour company
Dan_R, Aug 2025
Showed up 35 minutes after they told us to be there. Really small boat and really small board with barely any light. Only got to see a manta because they brought us close to a good tour but never got the real experience even though it costs the same as others.
Heather_S, Aug 2025
One of the most amazing experiences we’ve ever had! The giant manta days swim right up to you! We went on the 6:30 PM boat and were able to catch a beautiful sunset also.
Colleen_R, Aug 2025
We had great manta ray viewing. One rolled right in front of my face! It was pretty exciting and the wet suit kept me warm enough. Although next time I will bring my own long sleeve 3ml- I brought my son-in -law with because even tho he has lived in Hawaii in the past he had never done this. It was well worth it-
Claudia_M, Aug 2025
It was a wonderful experience. We highly recommend. The crew was amazing and the manta rays did not disappoint. This exceeded our expectations.
Iraida_V, Aug 2025
Friendly and knowleageble guys. We saw very many manta rays coming very close. Great value, fully recommend.
Mariusz_P, Jul 2025
Really great experience although might be difficult for smaller kids. We could see many mantas and also a dolphin! All you need is a swimming suit, a towel and flip flops. Team offers we suit and masks. You will not dive just hang on to the floating device with lamps
Theodore_O, Jul 2025
Awesome tour. The captain and Adam were so helpful. Will come and do again. Once in a lifetime experience.
From $137.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Snorkel With Giant Manta Rays In Kailua Kona
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