Page 10) Things to Do in Big Island in 2025 – Tours & Activities

Keauhou Bay Manta Ray Night Dive Tour & Snorkel Adventure from Kona - Sea Quest

Best activity

Reviewed by: Terry

This trip was awesome. I have done several before with other companies and this is the best. Within minutes, four or five mantas started feeding. Others soon joined. Then flips and near surface swimming by the mantas continued the whole time. Excellent and I highly recommend. The crew were incredible.

Helpful

Rating:
Packages:	Swim with Mantas
Attended as:	Families
Posted on:	2022/06/10
Activity Date:	2022/06/08

Hawaii Manta Ray Sunset & Night Time Snorkel Experience from Kona - Iruka

Fantastic!

Reviewed by: Brenda

I cannot recommend this trip with this company enough. The guides were fantastic and the experience was amazing.

Reply from activity provider

Aloha Brenda,

We're glad to hear that you were satisfied overall during your time with us! Repeating customers are offered a 20% discount when booking directly with our company, so we hope to see you in the future.

Mahalo,
Team Iruka Hawaii

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Rating:
Packages:	Manta Ray Night Snorkel with Sunset Cruise
Attended as:	Families
Posted on:	2022/06/04
Activity Date:	2022/05/13

Dolphin Quest Hawaii - Dolphin Swim & Encounter at Hilton Waikoloa Village

Very good

Reviewed by: Ray

So cool the dolphins were amazing and it was awesome to interact with them and the dolphin trainer couldn't have been more friendly and knowledgeable definitely would do it again.

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Rating:
Packages:	30-min Encounter Deluxe (Ages 5+)
Attended as:	Couples
Posted on:	2022/05/28
Activity Date:	2022/05/08

Hawaii Manta Ray Sunset & Night Time Snorkel Experience from Kona - Iruka

Sunset/Rays

Reviewed by: Julz

Overall, great experience! First the check-in process was easy. Scott was friendly. There was 20 of us on the boat. Bryce and Diego were funny and entertaining. It was super cool having the manta rays swim up so close for feeding. I wish we were out there longer! The sunset was beautiful!
I'd recommend if you are visiting for the first time. The waters were a bit chilly, but we were in for 30 or so minutes.

Reply from activity provider

Aloha Julz!

We love to hear all the positive feedback about our Manta Ray Experience and the crew! Mahalo for joining us and we hope to see you again soon, we offer a 20% discount for repeating customers.

Best,
Team Iruka Hawaii

Helpful

Rating:
Packages:	Manta Ray Night Snorkel with Sunset Cruise
Attended as:	Couples
Posted on:	2022/05/25
Activity Date:	2022/05/23

Kona Manta Ray Night Snorkel Tour - Small-Group Adventure from Keauhou Bay

Awesome experience: see quite a lot manta ray

Reviewed by: Rui

Scheduled with 7:30 manta ray tour, checked in at 7:30, crew provided snorkeling equipment and wetsuit, our boat (have around 16 people) leave around 8 and after 5 mins we arrived the view point. And finally we spend around 40-45 mins in super man mode.

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Rating:
Packages:	Night Manta Discovery Adventure
Attended as:	Couples
Posted on:	2022/05/23
Activity Date:	2022/05/21

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

Another Great memory of the Big Islands trip!

Reviewed by: Islands Lover

It is Amazing!!! In person always better than in the pictures!!! I would definitely do this again (on the nice current ) The ride from the pier was short which was really nice so we wouldn’t be so cold for a long time. The cost of this is great! Better than other deals I was searching.
We saw so many Manta and they were all under us and swam up close to us for the plankton ❤️

It is for sure one of the best memory for my Hawaiian trip!
We will be back!!!

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Rating:
Packages:	Standard Package
Attended as:	Friends
Posted on:	2022/05/21
Activity Date:	2022/04/28

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

10/10 for adults and kids

Reviewed by: Lemmies

It’s really hard to go wrong with a sunset/early evening swim with manta rays in Hawaii. 100% worth the $. Our 8 and 10 yr old loved it. 8 yr old was nervous but boat captain and crew explained everything, made it fun, and he was way less stressed once we got out there. Canoe ride is short, water isn’t too cold either. Actually, I don’t really remember the water temperature because I was too busy watching for manta rays and freaking out over how amazing it was.

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Rating:
Packages:	Standard Package
Attended as:	Families
Posted on:	2022/05/19
Activity Date:	2022/05/16

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

Amazing tour

Reviewed by: Cindy Z

Amazing tour with superb crew. Once in a life should do it to see manta ray. I saw two mantas because of seasick, I had to return the boat at earlier time, but my daughter really enjoyed it and saw a lot of mantas. The girl of three crew was really nice, she stayed with us when she knew we were first time snorkeling, and carried me back to the ship when I felt nausea and showed her that I would like to go back. Definitely recommend this tour to my friends. Just remind to have seasick pills ready if you worry about it.

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Rating:
Packages:	Standard Package: Sunset Manta Snorkel
Attended as:	Families
Posted on:	2022/05/17
Activity Date:	2022/04/25

3-Hour Spirit of Aloha Kohala Coast Morning Snorkel Tour with Lunch & Drinks - Hawaii Nautical

Incredible crew!

Reviewed by: Caitlin

This was by far the best excursion we did on our trip. The crew was so accommodating and put this adventure over the top. This was my first time snorkeling and they were able to provide excellent training as well as guidance throughout the swim. They dove down to bring up starfish, sea cucumbers, & other creatures for us to check out. We were served lunch and delicious drinks after spending time in the water. The boat was clean, & we had a comfortable ride to and from the snorkeling location. This is a trip you can’t miss!

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Rating:
Packages:	Snorkel Sail
Attended as:	Friends
Posted on:	2022/05/16
Activity Date:	2022/05/14

4.5-Hour Sea Paradise Premium Kealakekua Bay Snorkel Tour with Breakfast & Lunch

The best adventure of my Hawaii trip!!

Reviewed by: Patricia Ponce

First time in Hawaii and snorkeling chose the best crew to experience this adventure with. The whole crew was awesome very knowledgeable and the nicest people I have ever come across in the whole world. Captain Eddie help me with my dizziness advice best way to feel better so I could continue to enjoy our trip. Loved the whole experience and I would recommend this crew to anyone and everyone if they truly want to enjoy their trip.

Reply from activity provider

Aloha Patricia,

Mahalo for your wonderful recommendation! We are so glad to hear you enjoyed the company of the crew. We hope to have the pleasure of seeing you in the near future!

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Rating:
Packages:	Deluxe Morning Snorkel Cruise with Lunch - Group of 6 or More [4.5 hours]
Attended as:	Families
Posted on:	2022/05/11
Activity Date:	2022/05/09

Hawaii Manta Ray Sunset & Night Time Snorkel Experience from Kona - Iruka

Such a cool excursion!

Reviewed by: Maegan & Liz

Bryce and the crew were amazing!! We weren’t able to see any rays the first trip, so they had offered to bring us back to the later scheduled ride that evening, and we were able to see them then! This was such a cool excursion for us, we truly enjoyed every second of it. We will definitely be back!! Thank you guys :)

Reply from activity provider

Aloha Maegan & Liz!

We love to hear all the positive feedback about our captain and crew! Mahalo for joining us and we hope to see you again soon, we offer a 20% discount for repeating customers.

Best,
Team Iruka Hawaii

Helpful

Rating:
Packages:	Manta Ray Night Snorkel with Sunset Cruise
Attended as:	Friends
Posted on:	2022/05/05
Activity Date:	2022/05/03

Kona Manta Ray Night Snorkel Tour - Small-Group Adventure from Keauhou Bay

Best adventure of our lives!

Reviewed by: The Foster's

We were a little skeptic about where we met, but we were assured by the guy checking us in. We got to the landing station and were told step by step what was going to happen. We got to the snorkel site, we had to jump in from the side of boat which took my facemask off. After regrouping and getting it back on we swam to the float. Wow, what an experience! So many mantas swimming right under us giving us a great show. I had one rub on my arm. It was nonstop mantas for 45 minutes! We all loved it! The highlight of our trip! Thank you all!

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Rating:
Packages:	Night Manta Discovery Adventure
Attended as:	Couples
Posted on:	2022/05/02
Activity Date:	2022/04/21

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

Most awesome experience ever!

Reviewed by: Trose

This was money well spent. The crew was very nice and sent emails for confirmation reminders and directions. They were very knowledgeable and gave a ton of information about rays through the evening. While I would love to have stayed in the water a bit longer it was a good amount of time to watch the rays swimming around. Plus it started to get a bit cold since you are not actually swimming.

This girl did 5 loop-to-loops right in front of us! AWESOME!

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Rating:
Packages:	Standard Package
Attended as:	Friends
Posted on:	2022/05/02
Activity Date:	2022/04/18

Kona Morning Makalawena Snorkeling Cruise to Puu Alii Bay - Ocean Encounters

Liked this trip!

Reviewed by: Cari

The crew was excellent. We saw dolphins on the way out. Only disappointment was we were expecting to go to Kealakekua Bay for snorkeling as advertised, but due to weather conditions, they chose to go north of the airport. We went to a beach area that you can only access with 4 wheel drive or by boat. Beautiful location. The crew took us to shore, and took us over to the queens bath for a bit. Nice time over all.

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Rating:
Packages:	Morning Snorkeling Cruise (4 Hours)
Attended as:	Families
Posted on:	2022/04/25
Activity Date:	2022/04/18

Keauhou Bay Manta Ray Night Dive Tour & Snorkel Adventure from Kona - Sea Quest

Good easy experience

Reviewed by: Nikki B

They were very nice. I did expect more manga rays but honestly didn’t know what I was expecting. Got to see a shark though so that’s cool.

Helpful

Rating:
Packages:	Swim with Mantas
Attended as:	Couples
Posted on:	2022/04/23
Activity Date:	2022/04/21

Hawaii Manta Ray Sunset & Night Time Snorkel Experience from Kona - Iruka

A very exciting and entertaining adventure!

Reviewed by: Juliann

Trevor, Allie and Diego were excellent hosts, both informative and entertaining. They provided all safety info in a clear manner, all the manta ray facts you could wish for, and a good laugh as well! We saw so many rays!! Allie was helpful with participants having trouble with positioning, Diego took great photos and shared them, and Trevor kept us all afloat and played great tunes. Would recommend, would go again! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Reply from activity provider

Aloha Juliann!

We love to hear all the positive feedback about our captain and crew! Mahalo for joining us and we hope to see you again soon, we offer a 20% discount for repeating customers.

Best,
Team Iruka Hawaii

Helpful

Rating:
Packages:	Manta Ray Night Snorkel with Sunset Cruise
Attended as:	Friends
Posted on:	2022/04/23
Activity Date:	2022/04/21

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

Exhilarating Experience

Reviewed by: Ashley M.

So amazing!!
Amount of time was perfect!
I'm not a person who gets seasick but I did in the water after laying horizontally with the waves for so long.

Saw so many manta rays.. at least four. They came close many times. Enough to record and to turn off your camera and just live in the experience.

Would recommend to anyone!

I liked this company because it's a small group and you get to ride a canoe.

The guide in the water was very nice and gave lots of information about the mantas. Small enough group that even though I was on the very end, I could hear him.

So cool! 5 stars from me!

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Rating:
Packages:	Standard Package
Attended as:	Solo Travelers
Posted on:	2022/04/18
Activity Date:	2022/04/15

Sea Quest Kealakekua Bay Snorkel Tour & Rafting Sea Cave Expedition

Perfect beginner's snorkel adventure

Reviewed by: Bruce L

Our family did the Captain Cook snorkel trip in early April. The boat takes less than 15 people (11 on our trip), it is a small but stable inflatable type. The water was a little choppy for our trip, but not enough to prevent the go-ahead. We had to hang on as the boat jumped and rolled its way through the waves making hte journey unexpectedly exciting. We had a relaxed, informative and personable captain and one other crew member. The boat zipped out towards the Captain Cook monument area which has excellent snorkeling. Pretty much everyone on the boat was snorkeling for the first time. Sea Quest supplied full snorkel gear including prescription masks for one of our party. Inflatable Snorkel vests and pool noodles were also made available for those who prefer a little extra buoyancy. We stopped a couple of times on the way to check out a large pod of spinners dolphin and for an overview of the Big Island as viewed from out at sea. Once we got to Capt. Cook, we had about 1.5 hours to snorkel. The snorkeling was outstanding - clear calm water, tons of fish & coral. Sea Quest supplied snacks and drinks. Everyone had a great time and a lasting fun family memory was made. Great work Sea Quest!

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Rating:
Packages:	3-hour Captain Cook Cruise (1 Snorkel Stop)
Attended as:	Families
Posted on:	2022/04/16
Activity Date:	2022/04/07

Sea Quest Kealakekua Bay Snorkel Tour & Rafting Sea Cave Expedition

Great excursion fun staff

Reviewed by: Michael T.

Skylar and Aerial were awesome. The trip was perfect. We were even fortunate enough to see a hammer head shark on our way back. These guys do it right!!!! Highly recommend booking with them as me and my family will remember this for a lifetime.

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Rating:
Packages:	5-hour South Kona Expedition with Lunch (3 Snorkel Stops)
Attended as:	Families with Young Children
Posted on:	2022/04/16
Activity Date:	2022/04/14

Hawaii Manta Ray Sunset & Night Time Snorkel Experience from Kona - Iruka

Definitely recommend this manta ray experience

Reviewed by: J. Williams

The manta rays definitely put on an amazing show for us, so I would give them five stars. More importantly though, we would give the crew five stars. They put in a lot of effort to make sure everyone was informed and comfortable, and they were very efficient. We would certainly recommend Iruka for this manta ray experience.

Reply from activity provider

Aloha!

We love to hear all the positive feedback about our Manta Ray Experience! Mahalo for joining us and we hope to see you again soon, we offer a 20% discount for repeating customers.

Best,
Team Iruka Hawaii

Helpful

Rating:
Packages:	Manta Ray Snorkel with Transportation
Attended as:	Families
Posted on:	2022/04/15
Activity Date:	2022/04/13

Kona Manta Ray Night Snorkel Tour - Small-Group Adventure from Keauhou Bay

Amazing, unique experience.

Reviewed by: Sesame family

The Manta Discovery tour was overall, super cool and a definite must-do if you’re planning to visit Hawaii’s big island. Depending on the day, the number of mantas will differ, so don’t expect to see ten of them when you go. If there are rays around, they will do flips and aren’t afraid to swim right up to you, which is an AMAZING experience. The mantas are really friendly, and make the activity almost magical. The crews are very informative and friendly.

Helpful

Rating:
Packages:	Night Manta Discovery Adventure
Attended as:	Families with Young Children
Posted on:	2022/04/11
Activity Date:	2022/04/09

Deluxe Captain Cook Snorkeling Tour at Kealakekua Bay - Fair Wind Cruises

Fun Time in a Historic Setting

Reviewed by: Okiman60

The Fairwind crew is very professional, for they stress safety and they are helpful. In addition, the captain highlighted dolphin sightings and the historical information regarding ancient Hawaiian culture. He also gave facts about the Captain Cook Memorial.

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Rating:
Packages:	Afternoon Kealakekua Snorkel Tour [3.5 hours]
Attended as:	Couples
Posted on:	2022/04/09
Activity Date:	2022/04/07

Hawaii Manta Ray Sunset & Night Time Snorkel Experience from Kona - Iruka

Amazing experience

Reviewed by: Eric

We booked our tour not knowing quite what to expect. We were absolutely blown away. The staff was knowledgeable, professional, and hilarious. I was new to snorkeling and nervous (i had approximately 1 hour practice messing around on a local beach) but i immediately knew i was in good hands with the crew and there was always a crew member close enough so i could relax. Words cannot explain seeing these amazing creature swim inches from you. The rays were super active the night we went and put on quite a show. I think the topper for me was a few days after our tour we saw a crew member at a local farmers market and he remembered us and came up and spoke to us about our experience. I absolutely recommend doing this because we will do it again next trip.

Reply from activity provider

Aloha Eric!

We love to hear all the positive feedback about our captain and crew! Mahalo for joining us and we hope to see you again soon, we offer a 20% discount for repeating customers.

Best,
Team Iruka Hawaii

Helpful

Rating:
Packages:	Manta Ray Night Snorkel with Sunset Cruise
Attended as:	Couples
Posted on:	2022/04/09
Activity Date:	2022/03/18

Kona 2-Stop Snorkel Tour & Premium Ocean Raft Dolphin Watch Safari with Lunch

Fun in the sun!

Reviewed by: June

We had a great time swimming with the dolphins. Wish we had not gotten sea sick and enjoyed the trip more but we did have fun!

Reply from activity provider

Aloha June! We are so happy that you enjoyed our Kona dolphin watch tour. Thank you so much for joining us. We hope to see you again soon. Mahalo!

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Rating:
Packages:	Snorkel Cruise & Dolphin Watch Experience
Attended as:	Families
Posted on:	2022/04/09
Activity Date:	2021/05/16

Kona Manta Ray Night Snorkel Tour - Small-Group Adventure from Keauhou Bay

Big Bertha!

Reviewed by: Oscareen

Better than expected! We saw Big Bertha, and 4 other Rays. They were putting on such a show for us, barrel rolling and feeding right in our faces. Was an incredible and unforgettable experience.

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Rating:
Packages:	Night Manta Discovery Adventure
Attended as:	Couples
Posted on:	2022/04/07
Activity Date:	2022/03/29

Sea Quest Kealakekua Bay Snorkel Tour & Rafting Sea Cave Expedition

So many beautiful creatures

Reviewed by: Robin

This was a great snorkel adventure. We made 3 stops and saw tons of beautiful coral and underwater creatures. It was a long half-day, but it went by so quickly. Would definitely do this again.

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Rating:
Packages:	5-hour South Kona Expedition with Lunch (3 Snorkel Stops)
Attended as:	Families
Posted on:	2022/04/06
Activity Date:	2022/04/02

Kona Manta Ray Night Snorkel Tour - Small-Group Adventure from Keauhou Bay

Absolutely amazing!

Reviewed by: Keller Family

Would you like to make amazing memories in Kona? Our family had such an unforgettable experience with Dolphin Discoveries swimming with several enormous manta rays! Wow! Just wow! We planned our trip to Kona because we wanted to experience snorkeling with Manta Rays, so we had high expectations and hopes! We selected Dolphin Discoveries from reviews online and because it was the best deal around. All of the companies were in the same location - but we really enjoyed the experience with Shelly and crew! Eagerly attentive to all of the guests, they made sure everyone was getting the most out of their experience! In true Aloha fashion, they even helped out another company nearby while we were on the water! Book with Dolphin Discoveries and you will be so glad you did!!

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Rating:
Packages:	Night Manta Discovery Adventure
Attended as:	Families
Posted on:	2022/04/06
Activity Date:	2022/04/03

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

One of the coolest things we have ever done!

Reviewed by: Michele

Such an awesome experience! We were surrounded by Manta Rays! So very cool, and the crew were helpful, very good at their jobs! Would love to do it again if we are ever back in Kona.

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Rating:
Packages:	Standard Package: Sunset Manta Snorkel
Attended as:	Couples
Posted on:	2022/04/03
Activity Date:	2022/03/09

4.5-Hour Deluxe Kona Snorkel Tour & Dolphin Watch with Lunch - Body Glove Cruise

Beautiful cruise

Reviewed by: rvaldovinos

The staff is wonderful and provide top notch service. Unfortunately, the day we went out we saw no dolphins.

Reply from activity provider

Aloha,

Mahalo for taking the time to leave such a kind review.
We agree that it's unfortunate that you did not see dolphins; we sure wish you did!
Thank you for joining us! We hope you can join us again in the future.

Best wishes,

Margie Park
Sales & Marketing Manager
Body Glove Cruises

Helpful

Rating:
Packages:	Deluxe Snorkel & Dolphin Watch Cruise
Attended as:	Friends
Posted on:	2022/04/02
Activity Date:	2021/06/08

Sea Quest Kealakekua Bay Snorkel Tour & Rafting Sea Cave Expedition

A 3 hour tour.

Reviewed by: Shelly

The crew was great, helpful and fun. The little bit of history was enjoyable. We loved seeing the different marine life. The water wasn't too cold either. Our ride back was fantastic, Thanks Loren 1, 2 and Alex.

Helpful

Rating:
Packages:	3-hour Captain Cook Cruise (1 Snorkel Stop)
Attended as:	Families
Posted on:	2022/03/30
Activity Date:	2022/03/28

Things to Do in Big Island in 2025 – Tours & Activities | HawaiiActivities.com

All Reviews for Snorkeling Cruises & Tours in Big Island

Overall Rating

Reviews

Best activity

Fantastic!

Very good

Sunset/Rays

Awesome experience: see quite a lot manta ray

Another Great memory of the Big Islands trip!

10/10 for adults and kids

Amazing tour

Incredible crew!

The best adventure of my Hawaii trip!!

Such a cool excursion!

Best adventure of our lives!

Most awesome experience ever!

Liked this trip!

Good easy experience

A very exciting and entertaining adventure!

Exhilarating Experience

Perfect beginner's snorkel adventure

Great excursion fun staff

Definitely recommend this manta ray experience

Amazing, unique experience.

Fun Time in a Historic Setting

Amazing experience

Fun in the sun!

Big Bertha!

So many beautiful creatures

Absolutely amazing!

One of the coolest things we have ever done!

Beautiful cruise

A 3 hour tour.

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