Ocean Encounters Manta Ray Snorkel Tour - Sunset & Moonlight Cruise from Kona

Highlight of my trip to Hawaii!

Reviewed by: Margarita

Swimming 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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Kona Sunset & Moonlight Wild Manta Ray Snorkel Tour - Wahine Charters

Captain Tim Strike's Again!!!

Reviewed by: Josh Mishkin

This was our second trip snorkeling with Tim. This time we brought my wife's family (from Miami). They absolutely loved it, and we can't thank Tim and crew enough for making it, yet again, a once in a lifetime experience for our family.

You guys rock!!!

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

Awesome!!!!!

Reviewed by: Stacy R

We saw several manta rays and they were amazing! Some came up to the surface and could be seen from the boat. Captain Morgan and Troy were awesome! They were funny, personable and told some great stories. While in the water, Troy and Cory were always making sure everyone was doing okay. I would definitely recommend this excursion with Sea Paradise and this crew.
March, 2017

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

Super Cool

Reviewed by: Larissa

Totally awesome experience, did the moonlight snorkel with the manta rays. The crew was awesome it was a nice small size of 6 people and such a great experience. They swim so close to you and are so incredibly cool

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Deluxe Kona Manta Ray Night Snorkeling Cruise from Keauhou Bay - Hula Kai

Manta Rays @ Night

Reviewed by: Jan B

Fantastic experience!! I loved the shorty wetsuits as it was cool at night. Water was quite choppy, but still happy the event was not cancelled. A few people did get motion sickness. 5 manta rays gave wonderful viewing.

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Deluxe Kona Manta Ray Night Snorkeling Cruise from Keauhou Bay - Hula Kai

Unbelievable!

Reviewed by: caseypaul@aol.com

You have to do this activity! If you love sea creatures, and have not done this before, go for it! The Hula Kai is the way to go. Other tours are available, but the Hula Kai us the best outfit. Plan it early in the trip. It is highly unlikely that the Mantas will not show up, but if they don't, go again. It is only a couple of hours, and a reliable great time. You don't need to be an experienced snorkel / scuba person, they have a system all worked out. Very easy in and out of the water. Go for it!

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Big Island Manta Ray Night Snorkel Tour Adventure on a Hawaiian Sailing Canoe

Close Encounters with Huge Mantas

Reviewed by: Celia L

My husband and I enjoyed the evening of going out on a canoe and then getting in the water and holding on to a lighted surf board to observing the huge mantas come right up to you! The young crew members were very friendly and helpful. They did provide a wet suit top but I regretted not having my full wet suit. Although it is in the "warm" Hawaiian water- after 30 minutes the water does steal your bodies warmth. So that would be my only suggestion to the average tourist. Despite the cold near the end, it was such a unique encounter that the amazing mantas- we were thrilled!

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

Manta Ray Swim

Reviewed by: The Leiths

We would like to thank the staff of veltra for their outstanding services with helping making our dream vacation a reality, we really enjoyed the swim with the Manta Rays - the staff on the boat were perfect, snacks were provided and we saw lots of Manta Rays, the sunset was beautiful.

Thanks Again

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

Simply amazing

Reviewed by: Pernille

We didn't have the best start for our manta ray snorkeling - trouble checking in for our flight the day after stressed us a lot, so we were not really in the mood. But despite me getting pretty seasick, being in the water and experiencing these magnificent and majestic fish feeding was an amazing experince. I so much wanna do it again - but next time without being seasick :) Thanks to the crew and captain for being so nice to me

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Kona Sunset & Moonlight Wild Manta Ray Snorkel Tour - Wahine Charters

Mantas

Reviewed by: Barb

Very cool experience. There were 12 Mantas swimming around us. The crew were safety conscious and handled a guy that freaked out in the water very professionally. No shame and wanted everyone to have a good time. Hot Chocolate provided with fresh fruit.

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Big Island Manta Ray Snorkel Cruise from Keauhou Bay - Sunset & Night Tours

manta adventure

Reviewed by: Bill Nott

It turned out to be just the two of us on the cruise,,,It was great fun and swimming with those sea behemoths is magical! Our two person crew were very gracious and gave a wonderful view of the rays and other island animals...and it included sushi!

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野生のマンタ　シュノーケリングツアー ＜英語ガイド／軽食付き＞

I really love this tour! やっぱり大好きなツアー！

Reviewed by: たーさん

This is my third time, and it's always great no matter how many times I participate. It's truly a wonderful time, like being in a dream. This time, I didn't see anything in the first half, so I gave up and went back to the boat, took off my wetsuit, and was drinking cocoa when suddenly it appeared! I hurriedly grabbed my camera, put on my snorkeling gear just as I was, and went back into the sea. I'm so glad I got to see it!

今回で3回目ですが、何回参加してもいいですね。
本当に夢の中にいるような素敵な時間です。
今回は前半全く現れず、諦めて船に戻りウエットスーツを脱いでココアを飲んでいたら現れたではありませんか！
急いでカメラ持ってそのままの恰好でシュノーケルギアだけ付けて海に戻りました。
会えてよかったです～！

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Big Island Manta Ray Night Snorkel Tour Adventure on a Hawaiian Sailing Canoe

Amazing time with mantas

Reviewed by: FJC

Eka Canoe provided a great tour. The small group size gave a really good guide/tourist ratio. The fact that the boat sailed from Keauhou Bay meant that we only had a short (about five minutes) ride to the viewpoint. The experience of watching these creatures was fantastic. They are wild animals, so one never knows what to expect. I did not see the "inverted loop" feeding behaviour that is usually shown in promotional videos, but I saw four mantas cruising mid-way between the bottom and the surface. It was a remarkable experience. The crew and guide looked after us well. They were booked up for the remaining evenings that I had on the Big Island or I would have returned for a repeat tour!

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Big Island Manta Ray Night Snorkel Tour Adventure on a Hawaiian Sailing Canoe

Awesome

Reviewed by: Perlyn

This activity was totally worth it. The guides were very friendly and knowledgeable. The canoe was very cool, too. We saw plenty of manta rays. If you like small groups for night snorkel, then this is your best bet. Hot cocoa was provided after the swim. We had a lot of fun! This is definitely a must-do and I highly recommend Eka Canoe for your reservation!

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Kona Sunset & Moonlight Wild Manta Ray Snorkel Tour - Wahine Charters

Best Manta Experience

Reviewed by: Mindy

I've taken three different groups on three different manta swims and this one was the best! I really liked how we were tethered to the boat so that inexperienced snorkelers and people that got cold could easily climb back on the boat while the rest of us could continue to enjoy the mantas. Because we were on the moonlight swim, we were in the harbor by ourselves by the end. All the mantas (four total that night) were ours to observe. It was awesome.

This is really a must-do for your Big Island trip.

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Deluxe Kona Manta Ray Night Snorkeling Cruise from Keauhou Bay - Hula Kai

Manta rays snorkelling cruise

Reviewed by: Calinda

The staff on the boat were fantastic. We were all very patient but only 1 manta ray showed, and stayed for about 1 minute so that was disappointing. we were offered another night on the house but we were flying out the following day, and they don't offer refunds.

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

Manta Ray Spectacular

Reviewed by: Keith

A fantastic experience,the mantas come as close as the say! A great tour with experienced helpful guides.

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

The greatest/worst activity of the trip

Reviewed by: Mountain Man

I'll be honest, overall I didn't have a great time on this trip. We sailed off late and missed the sunset which we were supposed to enjoy, and then spent 15 minutes "sailing" in a circle getting tossed about in the waves in the boat which was very unenjoyable. I wouldn't call it snorkeling either. After an hour of getting tossed around in the waves, you get in your wet suit and get your snorkel mask and get in the water to hold on to a long float, getting beat up by the waves (some more) while playing footsie with your neighbor. Meanwhile, your float is drifting in the current towards the plethera of other boats in the surrounding area leaving you wondering if you're going to get run over or not. Seriously, our floating group ended up almost tangled in another boats anchor line. It was incredibly unsafe.

Why am I rating it a 3 with the description being very negative? Well it's because it's the most incredible thing to see Manta's swimming INCHES from you. We had quite a few come by and it was spectacular to witness for those few seconds.

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Big Island Manta Ray Night Snorkel Tour Adventure on a Hawaiian Sailing Canoe

Awesome activity

Reviewed by: Georgia

This was one of the best activities we did on our two month holiday. The experience was incredible and unforgettable, and the company was easy to book with and great tour guides. Would definitely recommend this to anyone going to Hawaii!

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野生のマンタ　シュノーケリングツアー ＜英語ガイド／軽食付き＞

So-so. まあまあ

Reviewed by: 匿名希望

I participated with my sister. At first, there were no manta rays at all, and I was worried about what would happen if it ended like this, but in the last 30 minutes, a lot of them gathered, and we were able to see them quite up close!! When we entered the water, we were handed floats, but I didn't understand the English instructions well and only figured it out by watching the people around me. It might be a bit tough if you're participating alone and don't understand English. Even though it was a reasonably priced tour, I was glad to see the manta rays. It seems like they gather due to the lights from the boat, and the other boats were much brighter, attracting a lot more manta rays. I might want to try that one next time.

妹と二人で参加しました。最初、マンタは全く現れず、このまま終わったらどうしようと不安になりましたが、最後30分くらいでいっぱい集まってきて、かなり間近で見れました!!海に入る際にフロートを渡されたのですが、英語がよくわからず、回りの人をみてやっと理解。。一人参加で英語がわからないとちょっとツラいかもです。リーズナブルなツアーでも、マンタを見れたのでよかったですが、船の明かりでマンタを集める仕組みのようで、他の船の方がものすごく明るくてマンタもよく集まってるみたいでした。次回はそっち乗りたいかも。。

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Kona Sunset & Moonlight Wild Manta Ray Snorkel Tour - Wahine Charters

Great experience with tha manta rays, but service below expectations

Reviewed by: Riccardo

We went on moonlight snorkeling tour and saw four manta rays, two quite big, they are so graceful dancing in the water below the light and passing inches from our bodies without touching us and without any fear. This experience is one to be remembered for the lifetime.
Said that, the service given is below expectations.
Let's start from pricing, no reduced price for the one that is not going off board snorkeling.
We arrived on time for the check in and the boat wasn't in the water yet, due to a problem with the truck. Maybe the info on the tour had been already given to the other participants, but nothing more for us. I recieved the wet suit, even though there was no locker room to change, only the marina restrooms.
Anyhow the boat went in the water just in time to go onboard, no gangboard, assuming people is used to jump on and off board.
We went quite fast to the point where manta rays are usually seen, there was already another boat from a different charter, we stood just aside them.
Gear provided by them, good quality, no water entered during all the visit.
Just few basic rules, do not dive, do not touch them, do not kick them, lay horizontally and stay attached to the plastic board, which hosts lights to attract plancton.
As said at the beginning, the experience is really wonderful and makes me almost forget the service part.
Returning onboard, just a minute to remove the wet suit, get dry, have a glass of hot soup and go back as fast as possible to the harbour.
A formal and quick goodbye and that's it.
Overall you cannot miss the mant rays snorkeling experience, but consider also other service providers with respect to this one.

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

So worth it!

Reviewed by: Julia and Pat

Two mantas came to visit and were incredible. It was definitely something everyone should experience at least once in their life. The crew was friendly and did a wonderful job keeping everyone safe and comfortable.

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

Huge Manta Ray visit

Reviewed by: Deb Stuckey

I was a little leary about swimming with Manta Rays at night in the ocean....but I knew I would regret not doing it. WHAT an experience!! The highlight of our trip. It was amazing to float on the water with those gigantic rays swimming literally inches from your body. I would highly recommend this to anyone!

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Ocean Encounters Manta Ray Snorkel Tour - Sunset & Moonlight Cruise from Kona

Saw A Manta Ray!

Reviewed by: Erin

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

awesome

Reviewed by: Ota

It's a amazing experience!!!
We really recommend!!

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

Fantastic trip

Reviewed by: HHHH

They did a great job with my young kids. Everyone got in the water and had fun. When the 5 year old was ready to get back on the boat, they took her and let the adults stay in the water. Professional and fun.

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野生のマンタ　シュノーケリングツアー ＜英語ガイド／軽食付き＞

Going to the Big Island to see manta rays. マンタを見にハワイ島へ

Reviewed by: Shoko

During my first cruise around the Hawaiian Islands, I had to sadly give up on seeing the wild manta rays in Kona due to a lack of time. This time, as a diver, I stayed at the Sheraton Hotel with an ocean view in Keauhou to see the mantas. The meeting point was conveniently just a five-minute walk from the hotel.

I was torn between diving and snorkeling, but choosing snorkeling turned out to be the right decision. However, since mantas can be scared away, fins were prohibited, and we were instructed to wear a float called a noodle around our feet when entering the water from the boat. This meant I had to hold onto a lighted aluminum bar connected to the boat with my left hand while filming with my right hand. The mantas, swirling and gulping down the plankton attracted by the lights, were truly breathtaking. They came so close that I could almost touch them. It was so moving that I went again two days later! I was thrilled to encounter mantas at such a close distance, something every diver dreams of. Although the photos didn’t turn out well due to the darkness and the mantas moving, the videos were perfect. The staff at Sea Paradise were friendly and made the experience even more enjoyable.

The Sea Paradise office is located near the supermarket in the Keauhou Shopping Center. It opens at 7 AM, so I stopped by after breakfast to hand over my coupon, which meant I didn’t have to call at 4 PM to borrow a wetsuit. Other necessary gear was provided once we boarded the boat.

It was November, but it wasn’t cold at all, and it took only about five minutes from the manta site to the port. I changed and had a meal at the restaurant's restroom at the dock. Next time, I want to go with my daughter.

ハワイ諸島を巡るクルーズで初めてコナに行った時は時間がなく泣く泣く諦めた野生マンタ。ダイバーの今回はマンタを見るためにKeauhouにあるシェラトンホテルのオーシャンビューにステイ。集合場所がホテルの直ぐ側で徒歩5分と便利でした。
ダイビングがいいのかシュノーケリングが良いか迷いましたが、シュノーケリングにして大正解でした。但し、マンタが怖がるのでフィンは使用禁止、ボートから海に入るときには足に引っ掛けるヌードルと呼ばれるフローターを足に付けるように指示されるので、実際には左手でボートに繋がっている照明付きのアルミ製のバーに掴まって右手で動画を撮るといった感じです。照明で集まったプランクトンを回転しながら飲み込んでいくマンタ達は圧巻です。顔スレスレに近づいてきます。あまりに感動的で翌々日にもう１回！ダイバー憧れのマンタにこんな至近距離でお目にかかれるとは感激です。写真は照明があっても暗くマンタは動いているのでなかなか上手に撮れませんでしたが動画はバッチリでした。シーパラダイスのスタッフもフレンドリーで楽しさを倍増させてくれました。シーパラダイスのオフィスはKeauhou ショッピングセンター内のスーパーマーケット付近にあります。朝7時からオープンしてるので朝食を食べた帰りに立ち寄りクーポンを渡したので4時に電話する必要もなくウェットスーツを借りて帰りました。その他必要なギア等はボートに乗ってから渡されます。
11月でしたが全く寒くなく、マンタのサイトから港までほんの5分くらいでした。船着場にあるレストランのトイレで着替えて食事をしました。次回は娘と一緒に行きたいと思っています。

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

Gotta try this!!

Reviewed by: Mike B

This was truly a unique experience that should be done once. It is kind of creepy being out in the open ocean at night, but that is the exciting part and of course the Manta Rays will not disappoint. After about 25 minutes in the water you've seen enough, but definitely a thrilling 25 minutes.

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野生のマンタ　シュノーケリングツアー ＜英語ガイド／軽食付き＞

I couldn't become a diver, but... ダイバーにはなれなかったけど…

Reviewed by: happa

I took a taxi to the Careho Shopping Center, borrowed a sweat suit at the office, and put it on over the swimsuit I was wearing. Then, I got back into the waiting taxi and headed to Careho Bay, where the boat was docked. There were only my partner and me, the only Japanese people there. I felt anxious, but looking at the people around me, I realized it would be fine.

Once we got out to sea, we all took the noodles, which are floating devices, and gradually lowered them from under our arms down to our ankles while putting on our snorkels, waiting for the manta rays to come close to the lights. It felt like being a diver inside an aquarium. The manta rays came so close to my face and body; it was incredibly impressive. That sensation was moving and thrilling, and it's definitely worth experiencing at least once!

　ケアホウショッピングセンターへタクシーで乗り付け、スエットスーツを事務所で借り、着ていった水着の上に着込み、待ってもらってたタクシーで船が停泊しているケアホウ湾へ。
日本人は私とカップルだけ。　不安だったけど、周りの人達を見ていると、どうにかなるもの。船で沖出て、海面に浮かべた梯子状になったロープにみんなでヌードルと呼ぶ浮きを、脇の下から、徐々に足首までおろしシュノーケルをつけ、ライトに寄ってくるマンタを待ちます。まるで、水族館の水槽な中のダイバーになった気分でした。顔や体すれすれに近寄ってくるマンタ、迫力満点です。あの感覚は感動的、スリリング、ぜひ一度は経験する価値は十分あります！

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

manta rays snorkel

Reviewed by: amauri santana

i liked all the atracctions and people live arond island. and hotel and foods

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