Kona Manta Ray Snorkel Tour: Guaranteed or come again free

Recommended by 92% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Big Island of Hawaii, USA

High interest

Booked 5+ times today.

1 hour 20 minutes (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.7

· Calleen_G ·

Jan 2026

What a great way to spend New Year's Eve with my boys. It was a great experience and I would for sure do it again. We saw 3 rays up close. Crew did a great job at making us feel comfortable. You cannot bring anything on the boat, but can bring a towel and small bag to leave at van. Highly recommend.

· Brian_M ·

Feb 2026

From signing up for our tour, to checking, to the tour and afterward cannot say enough positive about the overall experience and value of the experience! Deavon, Sage, Steven, and Leo(?) were kind, passionate confident, knowledgable and obviously trained and prepared for all levels of swimmers/snorkelers. I saw 7 Manta Rays and multiple schools of beautiful fish. And, 5:50 show time included an amazing sunset experience. Thank you guys!

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Overview

Have the opportunity to admire wild manta rays in their natural habitat on this evening cruise. Go on a 3-minute boat ride after dark, when the manta rays come out to feed on plankton, and use a custom-made light board with 150,000 lm that attracts the rays. Float through the warm waters to watch as the rays swim and feed, and learn more about the majestic creatures from your guide.

Small boat lets you get closer without disturbing the manta rays
Certified in-water guides focus on a safe and non-intrusive experience
Manta Ray guarantee policy—come again for free if you don't see rays
A smaller group means you can avoided crowded boats

What's Included

USCG Captain, Water snorkel guide & Lifeguard
Mask + Snorkel
Dive lights with manta board to hang onto
Floatation Life Belt

Wetsuits are NOT mandatory. $10 upper Jacket or $20 Full Body Wetsuit
Hotel pick-up and drop off
Gratuities
Lifejackets are NOT mandatory. $10 lifejacket if wanted. We have free lifebelt and floating board

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

78-7154 Kaleiopapa St, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740, USA
MUST READ YOUR TICKET DETAILS / TICKET PDF

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Embark on a guided snorkeling trip in Kailua-Kona, starting with an easy meetup to collect your wetsuit and snorkeling gear. This adventure promises an intimate marine life experience and great access to your guide.

Set off after dark, the ideal time for witnessing manta rays in their natural feeding ritual. A quick, 3-minute boat rides takes you directly to a frequented manta ray spot, ensuring more time spent in the water, and less time traveling. The small boat enhances your experience, allowing close proximity without disrupting the rays.

In the water, enjoy up to 30 minutes floating alongside your guide to look out for manta rays in their natural habitat, using a light board to attract plankton, and consequently, manta rays. Then finish back on the mainland, right where you started, so you can continue your onward adventures.

Keauhou

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
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
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
17 Guests maximum per group
Not recommended for those who have recently undergone surgery or who may have mobility/physical restrictions.
Maximum weight cannot exceed 275 pounds per guest.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 17 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

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

Helena_V

It was an amazing experience, Dylan, Chase and Greg were so nice! I definitely would recommend it!!!

Reviews

4.7

based on 2,491 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Do ittt!!

Keyla_V, Mar 2026

It was awesome, it was one of the coolest things I’ve ever done and the Manta Rays came up so close it was sooo! Workers were so sweet and funny and such a good vibe!!!

Must-Do!

Yesenia_C, Mar 2026

From Davin offering extra swimming gear to Greg, Rory, and Leila taking such great care of us on the boat, they truly made the whole experience even more enjoyable. The manta ray encounter is an absolute must-do!!! It’s so incredible!

The crew was amazing....

Keerthi_P, Mar 2026

The crew was amazing. Steve was a very helpful person. We saw a ton of manta rays . I really love how they drill down a very key point to not touch the manta rays.

No guarantee in reality

Grace_G, Mar 2026

There’s really no guarantee to see manta rays and we didn’t have the luck for our tour. The staff were very nice and said we could join next time for free. However, to us, this offer was like none, because we would leave the island the following morning, and traveling to Kona again from Maryland is indeed not planned for the near future.

Amazing

Helena_V, Mar 2026

It was an amazing experience, Dylan, Chase and Greg were so nice! I definitely would recommend it!!!

Absolutely worth it!...

Jenn_F, Mar 2026

Absolutely worth it! Amazing experience, the manta rays come so close to you it's truly an unreal experience! The crew were all so kind and informative. 10/10 would do it again in a heart beat!!

My sister in-law had ana...

Waid_I, Mar 2026

My sister in-law had ana amazing experience watching the Manta Rays. I had a health issue that arose while in the water. They were awesome to help me get back to the boat. I observed the amazing sevice that they offered to all of their guests in getting to the light board and moving around to the Manta Rays and back to the boat when the committed time was up.

“Epic” Manta Ray snorkel tour Feb. 2026

Brian_M, Feb 2026

Great tour! Great staff!

Debra_S, Feb 2026

We had a great time. The boat crew are really friendly and knowledgeable about the rays in the area. We got to see several very up close and personal. Finding their check in location was simple enough. Street parking when we arrived was easy as well. Read information given closely. You need to arrive in your swimwear and don’t take extra stuff with you. They hang on to all your towels and phones and keys off the boat so it stays dry. And you have to be able to swim to the platform! We had someone on our tour who couldn’t swim and it clearly states you need to be able to make it a short distance. So just make sure you can. One issue we had was that Viator does not list the correct check in time. You are supposed to arrive 30 minutes before time listed on Viator and we weren’t aware so we missed our launch time. But the guy at check in was really nice and just put us on the next tour which was not too much later than planned. When we return to Hawaii we would definitely do this you’re with them again. Highly recommend.

Rescheduled because boat needed repairs.

Ken_G, Feb 2026

Boat was broke down. We were rescheduled. We were so looking forward to this as it was a must do while in Hawaii.

One highlight of our trip...

Dianna_F, Feb 2026

One highlight of our trip to Big Island, we had several planned events and this was a great one. The Mantas are amazing, beautiful creatures that I’d love to learn more about now.

Epic!

Tana_D, Feb 2026

The whole experience was EPIC. We saw 5 manta rays they came up to our illuminated board, swimming in a peaceful manner, playful, curious and calm. Our guides were very helpful, informative, and knowledgeable. We felt safe. Highly recommended!!

This was amazing!!!! a...

Amanda_M, Feb 2026

This was AMAZING!!!! A MUST do! Greg and the crew were amazing! This is the experience of a lifetime!

Amazing Snorkel Tour

Matthew_T, Feb 2026

Captain Cook Bay is THE place to snorkel so make it a priority in your visit. We traveled w Jake and Captain Shaka (Mark) who are not only funny and is it going but very knowledgeable and kind. The equipment was good for pineapple treats afterwards were yummy. Really great trip overall!

Night manta ray zodiac tour

Cynthia_C, Feb 2026

Such a unique awesome experience for all. Even the reluctant ones loved it Can’t go to Kona and not do this excursion

Unique and fantastic experience

Cissy_T, Feb 2026

It was a really fun experience, so unique. The crew was excellent. I was thinking while I was out there, this is where the party is every night!

Good Ocean Experience But Expect LONG Delays

Katherine_C, Feb 2026

The ocean experience was wonderful. The boat crews were very nice and helpful. Saw lots of fish and manta rays. However, this business operates by being the lowest cost provider and overbooking. And they are bad at respecting your time and evening plans. As a result, many of us ended up waiting in a dark parking lot for over an hour, and totally messed up dinner and sleeping time. ---> So, if you don't mind your evening plans and want to save money, this is the operator for you. Once you are actually on the boat, it was a fun experience. Otherwise, I wish I had been aware of this fact before booking and considered other tour operators who respected my booking time.

Yup. it takes your breath away

Jim_G, Feb 2026

Obviously the stars of the show are the Manta Rays, and they do not disappoint. The crew on the boat and the ones organizing on the ground are helpful and comforting. Keep your phone with you as they prefer to text info you need. For instance, we had reservations for 6:20 pm. Apparently there was a coast guard rule that changed our time to 7:30. They notified us in plenty of time, but we were trying to go cell phone free on the vacay. These guys deserve your support? It's a family run business, they live the rays and love what they do. Heck, they knew the Rays by name. It's worth the money!

For the people, and the mantas

Christiane_G, Jan 2026

I couldn’t believe how awesome the team was, they took care of us and we were troublesome… we missed our booking, I was super dehydrated and the gentleman running it made sure we got on a later tour that day… gave me his personal coconut water to look after me, and made sure we had wetsuits… It’s that kind of above and beyond the employees show for the individual, even though they see hundreds of people a day, that really sets this business apart. 10000 percent recommend it, and the mantas were insane!!!

Short ride to get to the rays

Gene_C, Jan 2026

Super short boat ride out to dive site. Time in water was okay. Any longer and it might be tiring for most people. Definitely be sure to read instructions on where to meet. There are several tours leading out of same harbor, but this tour’s instructions were spot on. Crew was friendly and very knowledgeable. We saw rays and they came within inches of us. An experience I will never forget, and I learned a lot about the animals as well.

One of the best...

Matthew_T, Jan 2026

One of the best experiences of your life! Crew was helpful, comforting and funny to keep the mood light. Lucky enough to see 5-6 manta rays glide throw the water and even come right up to our faces. Ocean area for viewing is lit up with multiple groups of people and boats so you don't feel like you're alone in the ocean at night. Highly recommended, even if the unknowns of the ocean make you a little nervous.

Awesome experience

Ken_G, Jan 2026

Awesome experience! Crew was amazing with thier knowledge and direction. Had 6 or 7 rays swimming around us right away. Highly recommend.

Great experience

Jonathan_G, Jan 2026

It was very good, we saw a lot of manta rays, and the people were nice. I would suggest doing it later as we were told there are even more manta rays then.

8 manta rays in perfect time window

Henrik_L, Jan 2026

Kinda chilly so if you have a wetsuit top, bring that. We saw 8 manta rays and they come right up to you. Cool experience. I saw some other tour companies offering 2 hr tours, that’s too long. 1 he is the perfect length.

Manta Rays

Calleen_G, Jan 2026

Amazing Experience

Joanne_H, Jan 2026

This was an amazing experience! We saw three manta rays and they came so close to us. We rented wetsuits and a GoPro. The GoPro was a great idea because we have videos of these beautiful creatures doing flips right in front of us. We highly recommend this tour!

Highly Recommend

Kevin_L, Jan 2026

The crew was very prepared and the check-in/boarding process was seamless. The positive attitudes from the whole team really set the tone for the awesome experience once we were in the water. I would definitely do this again.

Great Experience!!

Priyanka_P, Dec 2025

The crew was absolutely amazing. As a non-swimmer, I was nervous, but Greg made me feel completely comfortable and safe getting into the water. Because of him, I was able to experience the manta rays up close—an unforgettable experience!

Great Manta Experience, But Disappointing Staff Attitude

Weiran_F, Dec 2025

We booked a Manta Ray Snorkeling tour, unfortunately one staff member significantly affected our impression. When we asked normal, reasonable questions, this particular crew member, a woman, responded with sarcasm first, then gave very brief, perfunctory answers. The tone felt dismissive and condescending rather than professional. We understand that guides may be busy or tired, but basic courtesy and respectful communication should be a standard—especially in a tour setting where guests may be nervous or unfamiliar with the activity. The manta snorkeling itself was memorable, but the staff attitude took away from what should have been an amazing experience. I hope management can address this, as better training in customer interaction would greatly improve the overall quality of the tour.