Kona Manta Ray Night Snorkel Tours

The Kona manta ray night snorkel is the #1 thing to do in Kona at night. Seeing the matas firsthand is not to be missed! Kona is the only place in Hawaii, and the world, where people can witness manta rays feeding right in front of their faces.

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These gentle giant rays have large scoops for mouths and can collect zooplankton from the water without using teeth. Unlike other rays they don't have stingers so they are 100% safe to be around. They can swim quickly through the water but when they open their mouths they can use their power and mouth parts to scoop massive amounts of seawater into their mouths to filter out the tiny shrimp in the water.

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We attract these creatures using high-powered lights which coincidentally make for a great show with a well lit stage being the ocean below. While the manta rays are the star of the Kona manta ray night snorkel show you may see other creatures such as fish, eels, seals, and dolphins if you're lucky!

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Join our crew at Honokohau boat harbor and we'll brief you on the manta ray's biology, life history, and how to best enjoy the experience. Slip on a wetsuit and floatation as well as the provided mask & snorkel. Then hop aboard our fast boat & we'll take you to one of the two of the manta viewing sites.

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The Kona manta ray night snorkel takes place every night, 7 days a week, year-round. The only times we don't run this Kona snorkel tour is when the weather makes the experience unsafe which, fortunately, on the western side of the Big Island is not very often. People often ask when is the best time to do the manta ray snorkel in Kona but the mantas don't really pay much attention to the season. They decide when and where they will feed. The best time to see the manta rays of Kona is when you're here in Kona!

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There are hundreds of identified manta rays we will see regularly on the snorkels. Some nights there will be no mantas (about 10% of the time) and others we can see up to 30-40 of them. You simply never really know how many mantas will be at the site on any given night as they are not paid actors!  The Kona manta ray night snorkel is not an organized event because nature decides without consulting us. Every night is different on the manta snorkel in Kona due to various factors, but mostly if their food source, plankton, is abundant.

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We specialize in offering a more intimate experience with the manta rays than you'll get with other operations. This is because we make sure to have highly skilled guides available for smaller group sizes. This ensures you and your friends or family will get the attention you deserve from a lifeguard-certified crew. Our smaller group sizes mean we can maneuver you into a position to better view where the mantas are feeding. This means that while other operations must remain in one place we can get you to where the action is. This means more mantas and a higher likelihood of seeing manta rays with a 90% success rate compared to 70% with other operations.

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The Kona manta ray night snorkel is one of the top activities in Hawaii with hundreds of snorkelers and divers taking part in the feeding each night under Kona's starry skies.

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There are usually two tour times available each night. The first tour takes place around sunset so you get to view a Kona sunset and the rugged coastline along the way to the manta site. This is also best for spotting whales and dolphins as you motor to the manta site. The second tour begins after dark and allows you to see the stars in Kona's clear skies as you navigate to the manta site.  As this activity has gained in popularity the number of participants has grown over time which is why we offer two tour times - to better accommodate our guests The mantas are consistently on both trips, about 85%.

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