While I understand there is no guarantee to see and experience manta rays feeding on plankton, I was extremely disappointed with this experience, the crew did not provide a good experience for all. There were a lot of people on this adventure (more than what I felt should be) and as result, the crew had to use three different boards to accommodate everyone. As a result the board with most of the lights, it attracted the manta rays, leaving the others without. The other two did not attract any. I feel the crew should have maneuvered the other two boards or people on those boards to the larger board area so that they could experience the Mantra Ray feeding. I was also very disappointed that there were no lights at the bottom pointing upward. On other manta ray snorkels I joined, when there are lights from the top and from the bottom many more manta rays appear and feed.
The crew also did not provide insights and interesting facts on the Mantra Rays, at least I didn’t hear anything.
The one nice thing I enjoyed about this trip was that the experience allowed me to enjoy nighttime boating.
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Attended as: | Families |
Activity Date: | 2022/06/10 |
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An incredible adventure for the family and I! I knew I wanted to see the Captain Cook memorial but I never anticipated such an immersive aquatic experience.
Mahalo Nui Loa for the wonderful review. We hope to see you on your next visit to the Big Island!
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Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
Activity Date: | 2022/06/16 |
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We had a great time. Seth and Colleen were wonderful. Kay was extremely helpful. The Manta's were beautiful and amazing.
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Attended as: | Families |
Activity Date: | 2022/06/17 |
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This trip was a wonderful introduction to the great snorkeling in two of the bays on the west coast of Hawaii. Our guide provided all the gear we needed for the water. Our guide was friendly, patient, and knowledgeable about local sea life and the culture and history of the coast we explored. As a family, we were novices at snorkeling but our guide stepped us through getting into and out of the water and directed us to the best areas of the bays to explore. Right out of dock, a pod of spinner dolphins crossed in front of the boat! Flying fish appeared along our route and there were many species of fish and many black sea urchins in both bays. The snacks hit the spot and the cultural history of the bays and coastline were very interesting. After the excursion, we felt we were ready to set off on our own snorkling adventure!
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Attended as: | Families |
Activity Date: | 2022/06/17 |
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The tour was great. The sunset was amazing. The boat ride out was super fun with water and sodas. The guides worked hard to get us positioned for the rays. We got to see several rays with one completely in the center of our group doing several flips while eating. Afterwards we got hot chocolate.
Aloha Hilari,
We're so glad to hear all the positive things you had to say about your trip with us, and thank you for sharing your pictures! All returning customer's receive a 20% repeater discount if you folks plan on returning!
Mahalo,
Iruka Hawaii Team!
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Attended as: | Families |
Activity Date: | 2022/06/17 |
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This experience is 100% worth it and is a must do if you are visiting the Big Island. The Manta Rays are magical and come so close to you that they sometimes even touch you. It is a once in a lifetime memory that you will never forget. Sometimes the image of them doing their barrel roll pops into my head during work and I am taken back to a moment that didn't even seem real. It was so special. While I would recommend this tour to someone who has snorkeled before, we had a member in our group who was a first timer and they did great and had a wonderful experience. Don't let anything hold you back and just book it. The tour guides are very knowledgeable and all about keeping you safe and comfortable. You will not regret it!!
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Attended as: | Friends |
Activity Date: | 2022/05/16 |
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The night manta ray snorkel was sooooo cool!! We saw many manta rays and the guides were very helpful with information.
This was one of the highlights of our trip to Kona!
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Attended as: | Families |
Activity Date: | 2022/06/12 |
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Length of trip perfect for first time snorkelers (12 yr old children). Crew knowledgeable, attentive and fun.
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Attended as: | Families |
Activity Date: | 2022/06/07 |
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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.
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Attended as: | Families |
Activity Date: | 2022/06/08 |
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I cannot recommend this trip with this company enough. The guides were fantastic and the experience was amazing.
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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Attended as: | Families |
Activity Date: | 2022/05/13 |
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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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Attended as: | Couples |
Activity Date: | 2022/05/08 |
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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
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Attended as: | Couples |
Activity Date: | 2022/05/23 |
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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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Attended as: | Couples |
Activity Date: | 2022/05/21 |
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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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Attended as: | Friends |
Activity Date: | 2022/04/28 |
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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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Attended as: | Families |
Activity Date: | 2022/05/16 |
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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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Attended as: | Families |
Activity Date: | 2022/04/25 |
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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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Attended as: | Friends |
Activity Date: | 2022/05/14 |
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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!
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Attended as: | Families |
Activity Date: | 2022/05/09 |
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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
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Attended as: | Friends |
Activity Date: | 2022/05/03 |
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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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Attended as: | Couples |
Activity Date: | 2022/04/21 |
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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.
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Attended as: | Friends |
Activity Date: | 2022/04/18 |
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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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Attended as: | Families |
Activity Date: | 2022/04/18 |
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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.
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Attended as: | Couples |
Activity Date: | 2022/04/21 |
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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
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Attended as: | Friends |
Activity Date: | 2022/04/21 |
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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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Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
Activity Date: | 2022/04/15 |
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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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Attended as: | Families |
Activity Date: | 2022/04/07 |
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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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Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
Activity Date: | 2022/04/14 |
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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
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Attended as: | Families |
Activity Date: | 2022/04/13 |
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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.
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Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
Activity Date: | 2022/04/09 |
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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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Attended as: | Couples |
Activity Date: | 2022/04/07 |
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Reply from activity provider
An unexpected error has occurred. Please go back to the previous page and try again, or wait a few minutes and try once again.
Aloha Sandles,
Thank you for taking the time to leave a review. We extend our deepest apologies for the experience you had on our tour. We would like to hear more details about it. Could you email us at info@hawaiidolphin.com and elaborate further? We would like to rectify this situation. Thank you.
Best,
Iruka Hawai‘i ‘Ohana