Big Island
The boat ride was so much fun and such an adrenaline rush. The waters were beautiful and perfect temperature for swimming. The captain and crew were so friendly and had so much information about the land. Would definitely do it again and you get so much for the price!
People in bite me were very friendly and fun!
Highly recommend to join their tour!
It was an unforgettable and amazing experience to see the volcano's crater and valleys up close! The knowledgeable pilot (Kai) who spoke Japanese provided a very clear guide, which made it even more enjoyable. This is definitely a tour you should join!
火山の火口や谷の中を間近で見ることができて、忘れられない素晴らしい体験でした!
日本語の話せる知識豊富なパイロット(カイさん)のガイドも、とてもわかりやすく、より一層楽しめました。
絶対に参加した方がいいツアーです!
It was May 2nd, so the night sea was still cold. But the manta rays were so beautiful that I forgot about the cold! I saw just one, but it kept spinning right in front of me, so I could see its mouth wide open and observe its skin closely; it was almost within reach if I stretched out my hand. (If you touch them, you will be forced to return to the boat. I thought it was wonderful that there is a strong attitude of respecting them.) The mystical time continued, and I was so absorbed that I forgot about the cold.
It seems that the manta rays get startled and swim away if they see human feet in the water, so you need to keep your feet on the float while lying face down and kicking to stay afloat. It can be quite challenging until you get used to it, but the large "ロ" shaped float allows small children to sit on it and look through the opening. Since it’s not cold, and you don’t need to float, and the manta rays don’t swim away, I thought it was a good method (as children tend to splash their feet in the water). The Japanese guide was kind and attentive, moving around to help us, and he gave us all the photos he took for free. I even saw a seal in the pictures! (It seems there was actually a seal very close by. Guests are not allowed to let go of the float, so he went instead to take photos.)
5/2でしたのでまだ夜の海は寒かったです。でもそんなことを忘れるくらいマンタが美しかった!見られたのは1枚ですが、ずーーーっと目の前でクルクル回転してくれていたので、口の中も丸見え、肌感もしっかり観察でき、手を伸ばしたら触れるほどです。(もし触ったら強制的に船に戻されます。彼らを尊重する強い姿勢が素敵だと思いました)神秘的な時間が続き、寒いのも忘れて夢中で見入ってました。
人間の足が水中にあると驚いて逃げてしまうようで、フロートの上に足を乗せながら、うつ伏せに蹴伸びをした姿勢で浮き続ける必要があります。慣れるまで結構大変ですが、手でつかまってるロの字フロートは大きく、小さなお子さんはその上に乗っかって、ロの字の中から見てました。寒くなくて、浮く必要もなく、マンタも逃げないので、良い方法だと思いました(どうしてもお子さんは水中で足をバタバタさせてしまうので)。ガイドの日本人の方は親切で色々と気づいて動いて下さり、また撮った写真は無料で全部下さいます。見たらアザラシまで映ってました!(すぐ近くに実はアザラシが居たみたいです。ゲストはフロートから手を離してはいけないので見に行けませんが、代わりに行って写真を撮ってくださってました)
Aloha
Many people may think that night snorkeling is dark and scary in the ocean, but you can enjoy snorkeling in a beautifully enchanting atmosphere illuminated by blue lights.
Thank you for your consideration and cooperation regarding wildlife during the tour.
Mahalo
Aloha
ナイトシュノーケルは夜の海で暗くて怖いと思われる方も多いのですが、ブルーライトに照らされて美しく幻想的な雰囲気の中でのシュノーケルを楽しんでいただけます。
ツアー中、野生動物へのご配慮、ご協力ををいただきましてありがとうございます。
Mahalo
This is a great outfit to take you to see Manta Rays. The boat is a medium size so the group size is much smaller than the big boats. Crew are very professional and knowledgeable in the Manta Ray habits and behaviors. The boat ride to the site is short (<15 min) then it's into the water.
On our trip a single manta showed up after about 5 minutes in the water. As the sky darkened the plankton seemed to multiply and the show really began. The single ray made several passes within inches of our masks. Then another showed up and it was like a graceful dance being performed right beneath you. Another two rays showed up and things really got interesting. What fun watching that ballet!
Afterward, hot soup and warm drinks helped fuel the conversation with the other participants. A most delightful and memorable experience.
P. Burke
I was able to see a manta ray just at the last moment. Since I easily get seasick, I took some medicine before joining, and I was fine, but others were unfortunately getting sick. Also, it was colder than I expected. It's essential to have measures for warmth after coming out of the sea.
最後ギリギリにマンタに会えました。
船酔いしやすいので薬を飲んで参加したら、大丈夫でしたが、他の方はどうにももどしてらっしゃいました。
後、想像以上に寒いです。海からあがったあとの防寒対策必須です。
Thank you for the advice.
Even in warm Hawaii, the temperature drops significantly at night after the sun sets.
Especially after coming out of the ocean, the wind can make your body feel cold, so please bring a large bath towel or a jacket that you can throw on.
アドバイスありがとうございます。
一年中暖かいハワイも、夜、日が落ちた後はぐっと体感が下がります。
特に海から上がった後に風にあたると体が冷えますので、大きめのバスタオルや上から羽織れるジャケットなどをお持ちください。
Diego, Trevor, and Tamae were incredible! They were fun and upbeat and super helpful. We got in the water and we say more than a half dozen different manta rays swimming around right beneath us! It was an experience we’ll never forget!
Aloha Brian! We thank you for choosing Iruka and leaving such kind feedback! We hope to see you again in the future. Mahalo
Great experience! This was a fun time on a very nice, new catamaran with a crew was friendly, knowledgeable and informative. Tho food was great and the snorkelling at the stop by Captain Cooks monument was awesome!
Aloha G-Rex,
Mahalo Nui Loa for joining us and sharing your lovely photo. We hope to see you soon!
This trip was great. Outstanding crew constantly catering to our every need and ensuring the best experience. Captain Trevor, first mate Diego and Joe and everyone else were so accommodating to all. Would love to come back and visit the mantas again!
Aloha! We are so happy to hear that you had such a fantastic time on our Manta Ray tour. We thank you for choosing Iruka and leaving such positive feedback. Come back soon! Mahalo
One of the top 5 experiences of my life! A must do on the big island. Captains Trevor and Diego were helpful. Storm was coming in so water was choppy. Climbing out of the water was the hardest part.
Aloha! We are so thrilled that you had such a great time on our Manta Ray tour! Thank you so much for choosing Iruka Hawaii Dolphin. We hope we have a chance to welcome you back on our boat soon. Mahalo
This was such a great adventure! The crew was super nice, friendly, knowledgeable and gave us all the important information ahead of time. I am glad we rented wetsuits (the long sleeve, short legs version - $10), because the amount of time we stay in the water and specially at sunset, made it for a very cold attraction.
Nonetheless, we saw at least 4 manta rays, they were swimming around and under us for the entire time and it was such an incredible experience!!!
When we got back to the boat, we were treated to some really yummy hot chocolate.
Tamae, one of our guides, also had some pictures and videos that she shared with us!!
Aloha! Thank you so much for joining our sunset Manta Ray tour. We are so glad you had a great time and were able to see the mantas. We hope you have a chance to come back soon for more fun. Mahalo
Excellent adventure, was very well organized. We enjoyed it alot and definitely recommend this excursion. The excursion was on time the staff was super friendly and informative.
We are typically do-it-yourselfers and were initially skeptical about going on a guided tour. This tour turned out to be so worth it! Captain Brendan and crewmember Tuliz were very knowledgeable, competent, and friendly. We happened to see whales at close range along the way, and our guides made the most of it. The snorkeling at Captain Cook is magnificent. A fantastic experience all around!
Great crew, beautiful bay. The cruise ship was super equipped with everything you need to have a great time. The food was delicious, the snorkeling gear was great and the restrooms were clean. We highly recommend this tour!
Delightful crew. Simple food always available. very well organized. Had reef-safe sunscreen available. Even had prescription goggles for me. Captain told great stories. A great morning's adventure.
Aloha,
Mahalo Nui Loa for taking the time to leave us a review. We hope to see you on your next visit to the Big Island!
Departure in the rain
By the time we arrived at the manta sea, the rain had stopped.
Underwater, the mantas spun around several times, and we couldn't help but cheer.
It was amazing to see them glide through the water as if they were flying.
It was just cold; we had two towels with us.
The guides were very kind, and it was reassuring to participate with Japanese support.
雨の中出航
マンタの海に着いたら 雨はあがっていた。
海の中では マンタが何度か回転して 思わず 歓声があがります。
海の中をまるで 飛んでいるかのように去っていくのもすごかったです。
ただ寒かった タオルは2枚入りました。
ガイドさんたちはとても親切で 日本語対応で安心して参加できました。
Thank you for joining us.
The sight of swimming while flipping in the water is breathtaking!
After the night tour, your body may get cold after coming out of the water, so please bring a larger towel or warm clothing when you participate.
Mahalo.
Thank you for joining us.
水中を翻って泳ぐ様は圧巻です!
夜のツアーは水から上がった後に体が冷えますので、ご参加の際は大きめのタオルや防寒着をお持ちください。
Mahalo.
The crew made the cruise fun and enjoyable for people of all ages.
Snacks were included, but you may not want to est if you get seasick easily.
As part of the experience, they even took some pictures during so we could just enjoy the experience ourselves.
Note: If it's the right season, you may even be able to see other wildlife on the Sunset cruise like we did!
Aloha! Thank you for joining our manta ray tour. We appreciate your kind words and are thrilled to hear that you had a great time. Come back soon, Mahalo
We had the best experience with our two five-year olds! They were both got a little nervous about the snorkeling and the crew patiently offered different options until they agreed to the kick boards with lenses. A big hit!! We saw a variety of fish and enjoyed the beauty (and history) of Cooke Cove The slides were also entertaining as the kids watched different people (including mom and dad) zoom down!! If you are concerned about the all veg breakfast and lunch, don’t be. As meat eaters, we all agreed the food was outstanding. To top it off, the Captain’s historical knowledge and witty comments made the ride to and from the coral reefs a lot of fun. We highly recommend tour!
Check in was pretty simple and easy. Trainers were super friendly. Great adventure for families.
If you do one thing on the west side of the big island this is it. Words and pictures don't do the experience justice. The crew of the boat was safety conscious and the captain ran a tight ship. As a passenger we felt in good hands. Do your homework about what this tour involves. If you cannot swim and/or are afraid of the water this is NOT FOR YOU!!!. This tour had 1/2 a dozen non-swimmers on the tour. They were miserable and the crew had to spend an inordinate time catering to them.
Great Capitan + crew! Beautiful views! Very clean and organized! Loved the history given by crew members! Would definitely recommend!!
Aloha Courtney,
Mahalo for sharing your beautiful pictures and for your wonderful recommendation. We hope to have the pleasure of seeing you in the near future!
We arrived slightly late and the crew kindly waited a bit for us. There was only 4 of us which made the experience felt a lot more enjoyable - it was not crowded or noisy! No jostling of people.
Once out there, we got in the water smoothly and saw 2 rays, 3 times. Unfortunately, the ray sightings have reduced in recent years so we considered ourselves lucky! Highly recommend it all round!
Eka snorkeling with manta rays was amazing. The small, personalized tour is a great way to see the rays. Loved the classic canoe. This was perfect for ray family and I can recommend this tour group highly enough. Kai was great - he is so knowledgeable about the rays and he calmed my 9 y.o.’s fears -he on spectrum and they were very flexible in how we got him into the water and to the board. My son can’t stop talking about how great this experience was-he can’t wait to go again. Book this tour - you won’t regret it. The entire group was accommodating and friendly and made this the best adventure of our Hawaiian trip. Thank you Eka.
This activity focuses on the characteristics of plankton that gather around light, allowing you to observe manta rays that come to feed after sunset by setting up lights on the water.
During my visit, I was fortunate enough to encounter more than ten manta rays. Thanks to the lights, the mantas came close enough that I felt I could reach out and touch them, which was truly impressive. Additionally, the graceful swimming of the mantas reminded me of angels gliding through the ocean, making it a mystical and valuable experience.
The staff were all friendly, and I was able to enjoy a fulfilling time. On the return boat, we were even treated to hot chocolate, which showed their thoughtful attention to detail.
I believe this is a unique activity that you won't find elsewhere, so I highly recommend participating if you're interested!
光に集まるプランクトンの特性に着目し、夕暮れ以降に海上に浮かぶライトをセッティングすることで、プランクトンの捕食を目的に集まったマンタを鑑賞できるアクティビティです。
自分が参加した回は、運良く10匹を超えるマンタ達と会うことができました。
ライトのおかげで、手を伸ばせば届きそうな距離までマンタが近付いてくれるので、とても迫力がありました。
また、優雅に泳ぐマンタ達はまるで海中を泳ぐ天使を彷彿とさせ、神秘的で貴重な経験となりました。
スタッフの皆さんはフレンドリーな方ばかりで、充実した時間を過ごすことができました。
帰りの船の中では、ホットチョコレートが振る舞われるなど、気遣いもバッチリです。
他では味わえない貴重なアクティビティかと思いますので、ご興味がある方はご参加をおすすめします!
We had an amazing time as the crew was incredibly prepared and accommodating. They were able to fit all of us on board and bring us out without a problem. The guides were very knowledgeable and were helpful in getting in and out of the water. They work together with the other tours in the same space to attract as many rays as possible. We ended up seeing 10 or more rays with a near constant show. We had my 65-year-old mom and dad, my 40-year old self and wife, and our eight and 10-year-old with us, and it was never a problem. A great activity if your kids can stay up a little later and recover the next day.
It's a short boat ride out, but the darkness set off a little of my motion sickness, So if you're prone to that be sure to take some medication ahead of time. I also had a little issue being in the waves and going up and down in the darkness. One of the other participants got fully sick away from the boat but the crew handled it very professionally.
I would absolutely recommend them!
We could not see any and also the ride was so bumpy
Aloha Shawn,
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
My 10 yo daughter and I did this excursion during a recent trip to the Big Island. It was an incredible and highly memorable evening and I feel privileged to have been able to do this.
We saw humpback whales and dolphins en route to the Manta Ray swim spot, and that made the excursion worthwhile, even before we'd seen the rays.
The crew were knowledgeable and fun and although the activity requires you to jump into the ocean at night without any light, I always felt safe and confident that the crew was looking after us. Having my daughter with me made that essential.
We floated for about 15 mins before we saw the rays, but when we did it was really breathtaking. We had around 30 mins or so floating before we got back on the boat for the ride back to port.
The crew took videos and photos and shared them with us which was a really lovely touch.
Wetsuits were a must as it does get cold. For those with younger children, there was a larger float that they could sit on safely, but older children were able to float in the water alongside adults.
I really couldn't recommend this highly enough. Maybe leave an extra 15 mins to find the dock as we struggled a little as there are quite a few trips leaving from the same marina at similar times.
Aloha! Thank you so much for choosing Iruka Hawaii Dolphin for your Manta Ray snorkel adventure. We are so happy that you and your daughter had such a great experience with us. We hope to see you soon, mahalo
Travelers from all over the world boarded the boat together, and it felt like an attraction on a banana boat until we arrived at Kealakekua Bay, which was truly enjoyable. Given the season, we even spotted whales along the way, and we had plenty of time to enjoy snorkeling. The time spent heading to our destination while being explained in English was also great.
世界中から集まった旅行客同士で混乗してボートが出発。ケアラケクア湾に着くまでがバナナボートのアトラクションのようで、本当に楽しかったです。季節柄途中でくじらも見え、シュノーケリングも充分な時間で楽しめました。英語で説明してくれながら目的地まで向かう時間も良かったです。
This was an amazing experience—the dolphins were incredible. We got to hug them, touch them all over, and swim next to them with our hand on their back but not holding on to them. Maddie, our guide, was so warm and informative. I would recommend bringing goggles (swimming or snorkeling) so that you can put your head underwater with your eyes open to see the dolphins swimming under you. I’m surprised that isn’t recommended. Digital photos are VERY expensive ($170 for all of the photos they took, or $55 for one digital photo). That said, it’s a once in a life time experience, so you’ll probably want some photos.
We saw lots of Mantas. I can't wait to come back and do it again.
Aloha Jim,
We are thrilled to hear you enjoyed the company of the manta's. We hope to see you in the near future!