Manta Ray Snorkel Tour

Book a manta ray snorkel tour and swim within inches of wild manta rays up to 17 ft. wide!

Manta Ray Snorkel Tour
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Free Cancellations

Up to 24 hours before your tour.

Manta Ray Snorkel Tour Details

Small Groups

A small group experience with a maximum of 12 guests per tour.

All Gear Included

Bring your swim suit and a towel, and we'll provide everything else.

Manta Guarantee

If manta rays do not appear, we'll rebook you on another tour for free.

GoPro Rentals

Rent a GoPro Hero 9 and capture 4K video and images of your tour.

Manta Ray Snorkel Tour Calendar

About The Manta Ray Snorkel Tour

Manta Ray Snorkel Tour Light Board

The Manta Ray Snorkel Tour

Book a manta ray snorkel tour and swim with wild manta rays at night! This amazing experience was labeled “one of the top ten things to do in your lifetime” by The Travel Channel, and it’s a must-do for adventurous travelers to The Big Island of Hawaii.

This small-group experience caters to group sizes of 12 or less. As a result, we deliver a more exclusive and intimate experience than the larger “cattle boats” that carry 50 or more guests. For instance, the smaller group size allows our manta ray specialists to interact with each guest individually, and for each guest to spend more time in the water with the majestic manta rays.

Our manta ray snorkel tour departs from Honokohau and head towards the manta ray viewing site with the best conditions and manta ray activity. The boat ride takes about 25 minutes, and you’ll catch one of Kona’s famous sunsets if you choose our earliest tour.

The In-Water Experience

Once we reach the manta ray site, you’ll enter the water and swim to our light board, which is a maximum of 25 yards from the boat. After that, our swim guide will then tow the light board, as you hold on, to the most active manta ray viewing section. Our small group experience allows us to be nimble and position our guests in the best viewing areas, while the larger boats are forced into fixed positions near their large boats. As you observe wild manta rays for 30-45 minutes (depending on ocean conditions and manta ray behavior), our swim guide will be educating your group about Kona’s wild manta rays. You’ll learn about manta rays, feeding behavior, and a variety of interesting facts. Kona’s manta rays have a wingspan up to 18 ft., and they often come within inches of our guests! Book your manta ray snorkel tour now and scratch “swimming with giant wild manta rays at night” off your bucket list.
What's Included In The Manta Ray Snorkel Tour

Included

  • Boat ride
  • Professional swim guide
  • Wetsuit (optional)
  • Snorkel and mask
  • Foam noodles
  • Light board

Bring Your Own

  • Swim suit
  • Towels
  • Sweatshirt or coverup
Additional Manta Ray Snorkel Tour Details
Manta Ray Snorkel Tour In Kona

Departure

  • Meet at Honokohau Harbor
  • Arrive 15 minutes early

Return

  • Return to Honokohau Harbor
  • Tour duration is 2 hours

Restrictions

  • Minimum age of 7
  • Must be able to swim 25 yards
  • No heart problems or medical conditions
  • 280 pound weight limit
  • Not wheelchair accessible
Manta Ray Snorkel Tour Policies

Cancellation

  • Cancel up to 24 hours before your tour for a full refund.
  • Cancelations within 24 hours of tour time will receive a credit.
  • Receive a full refund if your tour is canceled by us for any reason.

Manta Guarantee

  • Manta rays are wild animals, and they appear 92% of the time.
  • If we do not see any manta rays, you will be rebooked to any available tour for free.
  • We recommend booking this tour early in your stay on The Big Island, in case you need to be rebooked later in your stay.
Frequently Asked Questions

Yes! Everyone who enters the water needs to be able to comfortably swim a minimum of 25 yards in the ocean without a life jacket.

Yes. Our “light board” is a surf board that’s been customized with high-powered lights that attract the plankton manta rays eat. The light board has handles that you will hold onto with your hands. In addition, we also provide foam noodles to assist with floatation for your lower half.

While we always have life jackets on board, we strongly advise NOT to wear a life jacket on this tour. Importantly, life jackets are designed to keep us floating upright with our heads out of the water and our feet dangling down. For this tour, our guests need to be able to float horizontally to avoid kicking the manta rays and endangering them / scaring the manta rays away from our group.

The boat ride is 20-30 minutes, depending on the manta site we visit and the ocean conditions.

Manta rays are gentle giants that do not pose a serious threat to humans. Unlike stingrays, for example, they do not have any barbs or stingers.

Please wear your swim suit to the harbor, and bring a towel and a light coverup or jacket. We will provide all the gear that’s required for the tour (light board, snorkel, mask, wetsuit).

We require a minimum of 4 guests to run all tours. Therefore, if we do not reach our minimum, we will offer to rebook you to a different tour or issue a full refund. Alternatively, you can purchase additional tickets to reach the minimum of 4 guests, which will ensure the trip can run.

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