Ocean Encounters Manta Ray Snorkel Tour - Sunset & Moonlight Cruise from Kona
Overall Rating
4.53
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2021/06/25 |
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2021/06/20 |
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Memories for lifetime
Reviewed by: Phani V, 2021/06/24We traveled with our 7 and 10 year old boys. The 7 year old snorkeled for the first time that morning and didn't really like it. The staff on this tour were very friendly and knowledgeable. They helped us get the way suits and pick snorkeling gear. By the end of the day, our kids were raving about the trip and wanted to go back and spend more time. Keep in mind, this adventure happens after sundown! You don't actually snorkel freely in the dark. You are holding on to a floating structure alongside other passengers while the crew circle around checking on everyone and helping them float. Watching the manta rays was very very cool... More cool than my words can describe. The waters were choppier than I thought they would be.
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| Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
| Activity Date: | 2021/06/22 |
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Awesome company and great experience!
Reviewed by: Quinn, 2021/06/23Very pleased with our mantra dive experience. The crew was friendly, knowledgeable, and took charge to make sure everyone had the best experience possible. At one point a few children refused to stop kicking their legs in the water after being asked numerous times to keep still (or else they scare the plankton away and therefore mantas don’t come), after the children repeatedly showed they could not follow directions they were asked to leave the water, as to ensure a good experience for the other people on the excursion. Very much appreciated that. Also great snacks, and fun music!
Seemed to be a very special experience and we were surprised it is marketed as family friendly. In our opinion, only well-behaved kids over ~9 should come on this... otherwise there runs a risk of ruining it for everyone, or even hurting the mantas.
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2021/06/21 |
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Fantastic time seeing the Mantas!
Reviewed by: Ray, 2021/06/12I really loved the snorkel session and so did my mom. At first he was a little nervous about getting in at night but the staff were very nice and accommodating to help her in.
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2021/06/09 |
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Easiest snorkeling we've ever done
Reviewed by: Dave W, 2021/04/22This is an amazing experience and it's so easy, you barely need to know how to swim. You just lay w/ your face in the water and the mantas come to you. Actually they come to feed on plankton which are attracted by the lights that the crew shine in the water. It's a super-cool experience and the crew on our boat were awesome. Highly recommended.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2021/03/19 |
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Disappointing trip!
Reviewed by: J12021, 2019/02/01It was not stated were We would go to for the Manta Ray night time snorkle. We assumed it would be in front of the SheratonKona and were disappointed it was at the secondary location. We saw one manta Ray for about three seconds and that was it. I would highly recommend going to one that is in front of the SheratonKona because we got back to our hotel and we could see them from the restaurant there!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2019/01/30 |
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Beautiful creatures
Reviewed by: David , 2018/10/25The team where good and provided for a fun filled evening. The rays are beautiful and we got a few spin moves and seen about 6 animals. I highly recommend the experience and the ocean is lovely and warm. The only downside my wife had never snorkel before and required some extra guidance and assistance that wasn’t given so I did my best to help. Better instructions would have helped.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2018/10/23 |
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Amazing experience and great crew!
Reviewed by: Stacia, 2018/10/22My husband and I went on the snorkel experience and it was the best! We saw about 15 manta rays, including one with a 12 foot wingspan, and probably close to 10 barrel rolls where they came within a few inches of us. Our crew worked hard to make sure we were comfortable and that we had a good time (even made us hot cocoa after we got out of the water). I can't say enough great things about Ocean Encounters- you might find a cheaper manta ray swim, but you won't find a better one.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2018/10/18 |
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very cool time
Reviewed by: Stainless, 2018/10/10Great crew, got us to the spot off the airport, lots of other boats there, lights on and after a while Manta Rays showed up. The cool part was when a 10-12 foot wide one did 3 manta rolls right in our faces. It was too much to hope for but it happened.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2018/10/07 |
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I went to a different location than the one which was thought.
Reviewed by: Ｎ・Ｓ, 2018/10/08I went to a different location than the one which was thought.
I expected the manta was not seen only a little,but I think that nature is unavoidable because the opponent.
The staff are very friendly and made an effort.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2018/09/27 |
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Fantastic
Reviewed by: Montalvo Family , 2018/08/01We were a family of 7 visiting Hawaii for the first time in July 2018 and swimming with the Mantas sounded like a dream. We went out and was disappointed when only 2 Mantas showed up but I only saw one. To our surprise the captain announced that he planned on going back out later and anyone who wished to go back out was welcomed to stay onboard. Well needless to say we went back out to the south side of the island and to our amazement we were blessed to not only swim with one but with seven Mantas. The experience was outstanding one I will never forget. The captain and crew was courteous and professional and I highly recommend Ocean Encounters.
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2018/07/23 |
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Equally awe-inspiring and nerve-wracking
Reviewed by: Darra, 2018/07/29I only add the nerve wracking part as it was something I did with a little trepidation - the idea of swimming in the ocean, in the dark, in the cold with a little tube to breathe through... However, I like to do something that scares every once in a while as the fear usually is nothing when actually doing the activity and this one was definitely the case in this experience. The guides were excellent and talked everyone through and kept everyone relaxed. You had a half wet suit to help with the cold; the water was lit up (to attract the plankton and mantas); the snorkel you soon forgot once you were floating in pure amazement and smiles as these giants swooped below you and then treated to the bright white display of them underneath as they rolled to eat up the plankton. Complete gentle giants; and not at all scary but just delightful
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2018/06/23 |
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Excellent Experience overall
Reviewed by: Jmontgomery, 2018/07/03Even though I was sea sick, my husband and daughter had the time of their life that they described as surreal like a dream. The mantas were inches away from their faces doing rolls. An experience they will never forgot and well worth it. The captain and crew were very nice and sympathetic to my condition.
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2018/06/27 |
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Very good experience
Reviewed by: Matt, 2018/06/26My wife and I had a good experience. The boat was comfortable although some people got seasick since it was a fairly choppy sea. I'd recommend taking Dramamine before going. The appetizers were just bagged snacks and cans of juice and pop. We ended up seeing about eight manta rays in the water.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2018/06/16 |
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Great experience
Reviewed by: Fred, 2018/06/23Excellent experience and well worth the money. The crew was friendly and helpful. I would not recommend this experience for “timid” children but, if your kid is into new things and not afraid of the ocean, this is an experience they will remember forever! It was amazing to see how well all the boat crews worked together to ensure everyone enjoyed a fantastic show
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| Attended as: | Friends |
| Activity Date: | 2018/06/19 |
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A great experience!
Reviewed by: Stephen, 2017/12/31While we only saw one manta, she did come up close, which was an amazing experience.
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2017/12/28 |
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Highlight of my trip to Hawaii!
Reviewed by: Margarita, 2017/05/15Swimming with Manta Rays has been on my bucket list for a very long time. Seeing these beautiful creatures swimming next to you was absolutely unreal! As you can only spot Manta Rays at night we went for a short boat trip first where we watched the sunset, enjoyed the weather and had a few drinks. Our captain was a great guy who showed us something I couldn’t believe existed – a green flash right before the sun disappears below the horizon – thought it was a myth! Crew did everything they could to make us feel comfortable and to enhance our experience throughout the entire trip. Manta Rays were swimming right next to us and I managed to get a perfect footage on my GoPro camera which I am going to use for my video. This experience is a must do if you are visiting Big Island – this was definitely a highlight of my trip to Hawaii!
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| Attended as: | Friends |
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Saw A Manta Ray!
Reviewed by: Erin, 2015/01/12You can't help mother nature -- we only saw one manta ray during our tour and the water was really choppy. The captain and crew were friendly, but had us wait for some other people that didn't show. I also don't feel they connected with us as a group, which was unfortunate.
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| Attended as: | Friends |
| Activity Date: | 2015/01/06 |
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Mahalos for the wonderful review. Hope you all have a great vacation in HI