Big Island
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.
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
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.
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!!!
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.
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.
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!
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.
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!
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 :)
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
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!
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.
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.
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.
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! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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
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!
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!
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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
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!
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!
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.
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.
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!!
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.
The staff is wonderful and provide top notch service. Unfortunately, the day we went out we saw no dolphins.
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
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.
Pros: You will get as close as possible to many Manta rays, completely safe, even for kids, very informative guides.
Cons: They don't yet have an option to buy underwater photos or GoPro video of your experience, so bring your own.
Overall a great experience, highly recommend!
Captain Cindy and Crew John were awesome! They made this the trip of a lifetime! They were informative, so very helpful, personable, and professional. We had a great time from the beginning to the end!
I’ve never been snorkeling before so this was a first experience for me. This company offers great services. They have an option for you to pay $30 more per person for them to come pick you up at local hotel (within their distance). Great option because we didn’t rent a car for our trip to Hawaii. They offer wet suit for rental $10 per person. We didn’t rent any because it was warm enough but it’s a great option. The boat ride was about 30 minutes each way and they included sodas/a cup of hot chocolate and chips for you. The manta-rays we saw were huge and there were so many of them!! They came super close as well. The best part was that they even recorded the manta-rays and air dropped the videos to us!!! I don’t have an underwater camera so it was a great surprise when she (the owner?) offered to airdrop us videos.
Aloha! Thank you so much for joining our tour and for sharing about your experience. We are so glad that you enjoyed your time with us. Please come back soon! Mahalo