Kona Manta Ray Snorkel & Night Dive Tour at Keauhou Bay - Sea Paradise reviews, Big Island tours & activities, fun things to do in Big Island | HawaiiActivities.com

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Kona Manta Ray Snorkel & Night Dive Tour at Keauhou Bay - Sea Paradise

Overall Rating

4.54 4.54 / 5

Reviews

59 reviews
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Loved every minute

Reviewed by: Jim, 2023/02/04

We saw lots of Mantas. I can't wait to come back and do it again.

Reply from activity provider

Aloha Jim,

We are thrilled to hear you enjoyed the company of the manta's. We hope to see you in the near future!

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2021/10/23
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Mantas were amazing

Reviewed by: Jim, 2023/02/04

Sea Paradise did a great job. We saw six mantas. I thought the boat trip would be a bit longer. Just a short ride out from shore. So it's not about sailing. But the mantas make up for it.

Reply from activity provider

Aloha Jim,

Mahalo for taking the time to leave us a review. We do offer a shorter boat ride for those who are prone to getting sea sick/don't want to be on the boat for too long. We are happy to hear you enjoyed your manta tour.

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2021/11/07
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So close...fun!

Reviewed by: Linda, 2023/02/03

We had such a fun time snorkeling with the mantas. We didn't realize how close they come to you in the water. One of them belly-bumped me by accident. Such graceful sea creatures.

Reply from activity provider

Aloha,

The mantas are truly amazing. Mahalo for choosing Sea Paradise for your manta adventures. We hope to see you soon!

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2022/03/30
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Must do tour!

Reviewed by: Jim, 2023/02/03

I was a little nervous about snorkeling at night but I'm so glad I went. It's less of a snorkel and more of a snorkel float where you hold onto a floating mat with LED lights underneath. The mantas were swooping underneath us eating the plankton. It was so calm and magical. Highly recommend.

Reply from activity provider

Aloha Jim,

We appreciate your recommendation! It is more of a uniform snorkel and typically not to strenuous. We agree, they are truly magical! We hope to see you in the near future!

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2022/07/21
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Great Experience!

Reviewed by: Tori, 2021/05/17

We had so much fun! I believe we saw 4 or 5 Manta Rays. One kept doing flips and brushing against us. It was a great experience, and the crew was extremely nice and fun.

Reply from activity provider

Aloha Tori,

Thanks for joining us and taking the time to review us. They are truly magical marine species. We are thrilled to hear you had a great experience with us. We hope to see you soon!

Rating:
Attended as:Friends
Activity Date:2021/05/15
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Sea Paradise Sunset Sail-NO Sailing!

Reviewed by: Mae, 2021/05/15

There was no sailing on this trip.The Manta rays are close to where the boat goes in the water. I thought we would have a nice sail while the sun was setting and then get in the water but that was not the case. This experience was both boring and exciting. You are in the water for 45 minutes lying flat with arms outstretched holding onto the handle on one of several connected "light boards"while you have your snorkeled face in the water, and are balancing a noodle under your ankles. You brush up against the people on either side of you.The motion of the ocean gets to be a bit much for many people. I heard a crew member say to another "at least no one puked this trip". I have never been sea sick but started feeling queasy and did get out with about 10 minutes to go. You can raise your arm and be escorted back to the boat at any time.You are provided with a half wet suit but still you get chilled. If you have any shoulder problems I would think twice about doing this trip. All that being said it was so cool when the Mantas did show up and swim right past you! There weren't many but I got some good video and stills with a camera that I borrowed from a friend. Maybe there is a better time of day or year to see more mantas? If you're positioned on a middle light board you have time to get the camera set because you will hear the people at the ends of the the light boards ooh and aah and cheer! I probably would not do this trip again but notice I didn't say never! The boat was nice , the crew was fine.

  • sunset

  • hanging onto the light boards

  • look at that maw!

  • cool!

  • wow!

  • underbelly

Reply from activity provider

Aloha Mae,

We are so sorry to hear you found your experience less than stellar. We appreciate your feedback. We often do try to do some sailing prior to heading to the Manta Ray Village, however factors of getting the best viewing spot for our guests may have disrupted the sailing part as many times through out the year we'll have northern boats come down to view the manta's if they haven't been seeing any at their usual location. Our best recommendation for hanging on to the light rafts would be to not be tense, this can make for an unpleasant experience for anyone, including people with shoulder problems. It's best to relax and go with the flow of the ocean rather than against it. Although we are sad to hear you didn't enjoy your whole time with us, we are happy to hear you enjoyed the stars of the show. They are truly magical. We hope you'll give us another try on a return visit to the islands. Mahalo Nui Loa!

Rating:
Attended as:Solo Travelers
Activity Date:2021/04/19
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Nice experience!

Reviewed by: Hoomaikaiana, 2020/01/01

Lovely time on a light board looking at Mantas. We saw three of these beautiful creatures and many other local fish. The underside of the ocean at night was amazing.

It is a bit chilly and the water can be choppy.
The mantas were not abundant or very close to us on the night we were out because of an anticipated swell the next day.

Great fun though and I will try again in the future.

Reply from activity provider

Aloha,
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us a review. We are so happy to hear you enjoyed your time with us and were able to some underwater life, despite the choppy water. We hope you'll adventure with us again soon
Mahalo and hope to Sea you soon,
Sea Paradise

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2019/12/30
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Disappointing

Reviewed by: Tom and Holly, 2019/12/15

Disappointing. Few manta rays far away.
Arms were aching outstretched hanging onto raft. Crew was not very friendly. Snacks were unavailable and drinking water not there. Had to ask for a cup of water 2 or 3 times.
Regretable experience. Let down.

Reply from activity provider

Aloha,
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review. We are so sorry to hear your experience was less than stellar. We truly love sharing the beauty of Hawaii with guests and hate to hear when we don't live up to expectations. We would love to hear more about your experience and how we could've improved.
Mahalo,
Jamie Van Pham- Forth
General Manager
Sea Paradise Inc.
78-6831 Alii Drive Ste. 144
Kailua Kona.HI 96740
P. 808.322.2500

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2019/11/20
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Great tour

Reviewed by: Jess, 2019/11/17

Lovely staff, great experience - didn't get to see as many manta rays as I had wished though, but overall would recommend for anyone coming to Kona to have this experience! :)

Reply from activity provider

Aloha,
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us a review. We are so happy to hear you enjoyed your time with us and hope you'll come again.
Mahalo and hope to Sea you soon,
Sea Paradise

Rating:
Attended as:Friends
Activity Date:2019/10/22
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A true must do experience

Reviewed by: Adam, 2019/08/22

PLEASE READ, IT WILL HELP! Truthfully I was skeptical when the tour started, we were the last boat to the area and the last in the water and you could see everyone getting a little edgy seeing other groups experiencing the odd Manta whilst we were still on deck. The staff kept telling us to relax, it would be great. When we finally got in the water we waited a short while for the first Manta and it is exciting, however we didn’t know what was to come. Their plan worked a treat, the other boats all started to leave as they are
On strict timeframes (although we didn’t realise this with our heads down) and we were swarmed by Mantas. The crew counted 7, I thought there were more but perhaps that was my excitement. These giants come so close you can’t believe they don’t touch you belly to belly as they barrel roll. THIS IS AN UNBELIEVABLE EXPERIENCE. The crew are very careful not to damage the environment with their anchor placement and so respectful of the Mantas. I cannot recommend this experience or this operator enough.
STILL SMILING

  • Taken from my GoPro video.

Reply from activity provider

Thanks for coming out with us Adam and for taking the time to write this great review! Sounds like you had a fantastic manta showing, we're happy to hear it. We appreciate you noticing all we do to provide this experience to the public as safely and respectfully as possible. We hope to get the opportunity to have you out with us again sometime soon.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2019/08/15
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Great experience!

Reviewed by: Mbowma, 2019/08/20

Great experience knowledgeable guides. Whole operation runs smooth. Definitely touristy but there is a reason it’s so popular! Book it! 10/10 would recommend. Beautiful experience. Such great animals.

Reply from activity provider

Thankyou for the kind review and getting to experience this with us, we hope you can join us on your next visit. Mahalo Nui Loa!

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2019/08/17
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Amazing!

Reviewed by: Alex, 2019/06/02

My family and I greatly enjoyed this experience! Even my in laws who just stayed on the boat and watched from above enjoyed the view. These creatures are majestic and beautiful! We saw 8 rays and almost all of them got within a foot of me! I would recommend doing this activity for anyone just remember to take motion sickness meds as sometimes the water is choppy....

Reply from activity provider

Thank you for joining us and taking the time to review your manta tour. We're glad the family both on board and in the water got the chance to experience the rays.
Mahalo Nui Loa!

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2019/05/25
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Great journey!

Reviewed by: CHIEH, 2019/04/11

Wonderful experience! Crews were nice and the sailing and snorkeling were so much fun!

Reply from activity provider

Thank you for taking the time to review your manta tour with us. We're happy to know you had a great time!

Mahalo Nui Loa!

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2019/04/07
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Great trip

Reviewed by: malby, 2019/01/08

The crew and boat delivered for us and found the mantas. Would definitely do again.malby

Reply from activity provider

Thank you for taking the time to review your tour. We're happy you had a good time. We hope you join us again next time you're on the Big Island. A Hui Hou!

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2019/01/05
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Hoped for better but overall a good time

Reviewed by: Steve, 2018/12/04

Didn't see anything at the first spot unfortunately.
Saw a few mantas at a second spot which was cool.
It was great that the group has a significant discount for doing another outing with them so we also did the day snorkel adventure a few days later.

Reply from activity provider

Thank you for taking the time to review your manta tour. We are happy you got the opportunity to see them and took advantage of the multi-trip discount.
We hope to get the chance to serve you again. Aloha!

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2018/12/01
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We were able to meet Manta Ray as soon as we entered the water.

Reviewed by: Gold lan, 2018/08/23

We were able to meet Manta Ray as soon as we entered the water. ~ I was surprised at the big size but it was a very enjoyable experience. I would like to enjoy Manta Ray by diving after winning the scuba diving certificate

Reply from activity provider

Thank you for taking the time to review your manta snorkel. We are happy to know you enjoyed the experience. Aloha!

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2018/08/11
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I would do it again!

Reviewed by: Ricardo L, 2018/08/05

It is a must! It is worth! I would do it again. At the beginning, I did not know what to expect, it was a friend recommendation and I thought it would be similar to swim with dolphins actitiviy I did before, but no, it is 10 times better! Getting into the water at night and be so close to these gentle giants was an experience that I will never forget. In less than 10 minutes in the water, we had mantas approaching us. They get very close to you thanks to the powerful lights attracting plâncton. I recommend you take your cell phone in a waterproof case and film. Just keep filming uninterruptly because you don’t know when the mantas will show up. Great experience!

Reply from activity provider

Thank you for taking the time to review your manta tour. Mahalo!

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2018/07/30
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I.N.C.R.I.D.I.B.L.E.

Reviewed by: M Pinto, 2018/07/31

The night was perfect. We saw 6-7 mantas ! The captain (Tony) and the crew (I don't remember everyone's name :() were great as well giving clear instructions and making sure everyone made the most out of te experience. Prescription snorkling equipment was available which was even better.

Reply from activity provider

Thank you for taking your time to write a review. We are so happy you had a good time on the Manta Tour! We hope to be able to serve you again soon.

Mahalo!

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2018/07/22
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Out of this world experience

Reviewed by: KL from NJ, 2018/07/30

The crew were terrific. We had a long lengthy talk about "safety" and what to do and what not to do to keep us and the manta rays safe. Initially, the area looked crowded as there were a handful of boats out in the same area. We booked this excursion early on in our stay as Sea Paradise offers 100% guarantee that we will see manta rays. If we don't, we can come back for free. As we started, the manta rays were swimming underneath us immediately. We had an unusually fantastic night as we were told that normal nights, there were 4 manta rays. Our night, we had 6-8, I loose track. They were so close to us, tumbling and doing their ballets. We had at least 30 minutes of their bellies being 2 inches away from our faces. What an unforgettable night! Hot chocolate as we came out of the water to keep us warm. Lots of snacks on board.

Reply from activity provider

Thank you for taking the time to review your manta tour with us we are so happy you enjoyed it and thank you for joining us!

Aloha!

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2018/07/22
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Definitely a memorable experience.

Reviewed by: Diana T, 2018/07/18

We thoroughly enjoyed the Manta Ray excursion. The tour guide was great with telling us about the history of this tour and details about the behavior and nature of these Manta Rays. My daughter was most impressed. Although she’s 9yo and a good swimmer, she was still a little nervous about snorkeling at night and meeting these Manta Rays that could come inches to your face. However, the tour guide has made everyone felt safe and she was able to enjoy the magnificence of these gentle sea creatures. Highly recommended

Reply from activity provider

Thank you for joining us and thank you for taking the time to write a review. We are happy to hear you and your family enjoyed the manta excursion. Aloha!

Rating:
Attended as:Families with Young Children
Activity Date:2018/07/13
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Absolutely Amazing!

Reviewed by: Robin J, 2018/07/11

One of the coolest things we’ve done. The Manta rays would get so close and were so graceful and gentle.

The crew, including Capt Mike Morgan, was awesome and ensured we had a fabulous time. I would rate this as a MUST DO on the big island! Experience of a lifetime!

Reply from activity provider

Thank you for reviewing your trip with us. We are happy to know you enjoyed it. A Hui Hou!!

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2018/07/08
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Unforgettable trip!

Reviewed by: Greg, 2018/05/20

Had an amazing time on the manta ray snorkel. Definitely worth it. The manta rays get within inches from you, and the experience is unlike anything else. Crew and boat were also awesome. Ended up loving the snorkeling experience so much we went out on a day trip a day later which was also amazing!

Reply from activity provider

Aloha and thank you for sharing your experience. We look forward to seeing you next time you visit the Big Island.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2018/05/17
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Interesting but very commercial

Reviewed by: Mic, 2018/05/19

It was great seeing these amazing creatures but this is not so much a see the great manta ray in nature as much as it is a highly commercialized, 'we've figured out how to give you a manta-ray petting zoo experience'. They boat you out, extend a floating ladder with lights (to attract plankton), and then have you float and hold onto the ladder as the rays swim below you. They do come very close to you (and may brush against you) as they eat the plankton. Pretty neat for the first several passes but since you are surrounded by other boats doing the same thing with their own floating ladder-like structures the rays will spend their time with whomever has the brightest lights. After about :30 minutes of this people start getting bored and getting back on the boats. It was fun and interesting and glad we did it but not really "swimming with the rays".

Reply from activity provider

Thank you for taking the time to write a review. We're glad you found it fun. Being stationary at the surface of the water is the safest way for us to view the rays.

Mahalo

Rating:
Attended as:Friends
Activity Date:2018/04/26
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Seriously glad we did this!

Reviewed by: Sharon, 2018/05/11

The Sea Paradise crew gave us a great experience, from setting us up with wet suit and snorkel gear to teaching us how to "behave" in the water (#1 rule - Don't touch the Manta Rays, #2 rule - don't pee in the wetsuits - haha! - they provide a bathroom on board), providing drinks and snacks, including hot chocolate which was welcome after the snorkeling. They also made sure we weren't needlessly floating around in the water before the rays showed up, but got us in there in plenty of time to see 4 different rays swimming literally inches below our faces! So cool to see them somersault and glide beneath you. Completely worth the cost! Do this!

  • Sunset did not disappoint on this Sunset Cruise

  • Sunset with palm trees while leaving the bay

  • The boat was very steady and well equipped. Plenty of room for everyone and their stuff. Also has a bathroom on board!

  • Dropping anchor near the other boats - you have to "share" the rays with the other boats, but they still came to us often. Sorry no pics of rays-they are on my husband's GoPro. But they turned out cool!

Reply from activity provider

Thank you for taking your time to review your manta tour with us. We are happy to know you enjoyed it! Thanks for joining us.
A Hui Hou!

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2018/05/05
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Fun Family Adventure

Reviewed by: Tacoma Mom, 2018/04/21

We had a great time watching manta rays! The crew did a great job of instructing us, all of the gear worked great, and we were amazed by how many manta rays that we saw, and how close they came to us.

Reply from activity provider

Thank you for joining us and thank you for taking the time to review your manta tour. Aloha!

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2018/03/27
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It was sick!

Reviewed by: Cheonga kim, 2018/04/11

I had a really wonderful time! Mantaray was really huge...

  • Huge

Reply from activity provider

Glad you had a wonderful time. Aloha!

Rating:
Attended as:Solo Travelers
Activity Date:2018/04/08
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Amazing experience!

Reviewed by: Luca, 2018/02/19

Snorkelling in the night with manta rays was an awesome experience.
Everything was perfectly organized: Captain and "Mermaids" were professional, nice and helpful.
We did it with our two kids (8 and 11) and they loved it.
Big mantas swam a few cm from us: in many occasions it looked like it was better to keep the breath in order to avoid touching them!!
It was super-fun and safe.
I recommend this activity to everybody!!!!
Big thanks to the crew for the amazing memories we will bring with us forever

Reply from activity provider

Aloha Luca!
Mahalo for your review! We are thrilled that you enjoyed your manta experience with us. Next time you are on the island ask about our frequent customer discount!

Rating:
Attended as:Families with Young Children
Activity Date:2018/02/13
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Sunset Cruise and Manta Ray Night Snorkel

Reviewed by: Evar, 2018/01/13

My most favorite experience on Big Island with Sea Paradise! A great crew and we were taken care of from start to finish. You start by checking in at the shopping center, drive 5 minutes to Keauhou Bay to park your vehicle, get fitted for your wet suit, and get on the boat. The sunset on along the Kona Coast was beautiful. The crew were extremely helpful, very knowledgeable about the history of the manta rays, humorous and went out of their way to make sure we spent the most time with the manta rays. We were one of the first boats in and last to leave. Plus, we were given fresh pineapple, juices/sodas and hot chocolate.
I do not know how to swim but the guides took extra care to make sure I made it on and off the boat with flotation devices. I would definitely recommend Sea Paradise!

Reply from activity provider

Aloha and Mahalo for taking the time to review your experience. We are delighted to hear you had such a wonderful time. We look forward to serving you in the future. A Hoi Hou.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2018/01/10
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Loved it!

Reviewed by: Neera Iyer, 2017/12/29

This was a last minute booking so we were glad to get it. We did the 7:45-9:45 PM night tour. The set up is pretty standard. The crew was experienced and knew what to do when didn’t find rays at the first spot. We were towed gently to where we saw two! We had a couple of screamers which was a bit annoying but that apart, terrific trip

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2017/12/26
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Only 1 manta ray spotted

Reviewed by: RMred, 2017/12/16

The ride was too bumpy as there were many waves. We were able to spot only 1 manta ray. Too expensive for 45 min bumpy ride and the whole experience.

Reply from activity provider

We appreciate you taking your time to review your manta snorkel and are sorry to hear you did not enjoy the tour. It is true, some nights are better than others; ocean conditions, weather and the amount of rays seen on any given night is out of our control. What we can control we aim to do our best with the conditions we are presented with.

Aloha
Sea Paradise

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2017/11/24
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