All Reviews for Marine Wildlife Encounters

Our family’s first experience whale watching was truly impressive. The crew was professional with information and safety. They did not leave out the fun and had a nice variety of refreshments. We did take the 1:30 pm tour and saw many whales.
The confirmation email as to directions to find them was not so great. They are not in front of the Lava Lava restaurant ( which kept us circling for 10 mins) they are to the right of iLava Lava down along the beach 100 yards aprox, is 2 palm trees on the beach w/ small orange sign to check in. You should notice the platoon boat and catamaran out in the water awaiting for you.
Have extra cash available for tip they are worth it.

We had attempted two times previously 9 years ago to see the Mantas and were unsuccessful. We warned our group this time that we may be bad luck. Our experience was over the top, well over 10 Mantas and Justin and Connor were great at sharing their knowledge of these fascinating creatures. We would definitely recommend to anyone wondering about this novel opportunity.

We had a great trip! We had non stop manta ray action! Apparently we were very lucky. I left my phone on the boat because the current was a little rough. It was an awesome experience, would do again!! They were literally belly to belly with me. It was a really cool experience!

It was awesome! As soon as we got in the water we had Manta rays doing barrel rolls around us. Captain Kai, Justin and Jaz made the experience alot of fun. They know their Manta rays. An experience I recommend. Lady's I did this solo, don't hesitate. The night I went was well worth the money. Aloha!

Captain Cindy was delightful and funny a. And we saw plenty of whales. Thank you

Justin was so knowledgeable about the manta rays - we learned many interesting things. The equipment provided was very good quality and most comfortable. The most unforgettable part of the experience was seeing so many beautiful manta rays! And they came so close that we were touched by them as they swam.

This was the coolest experience of my life, and that is not an exaggeration at all. Plus that is saying a lot as we are world wide travelers and have done epic things. Every person living on the Big Island or traveling to the Big Island should do this! If you are considering it and wondering if it will be kinda cool or maybe sorta lame (like I thought it might be) let me assure you it is beyond cool!
We literally had to have close to a dozen manta rays swimming around us, most would swim within inches of us. Some VERY large ones also! No need to fear they have no teeth or stingers and are harmless (unless you are plankton). These creatures are truly magnificent!
The crew onboard was wonderful and knowledgeable. When we were done there was hot tea and a snack which was an added bonus.

The tour was excellent even if the surf had made the water a little cloudy. The guides were excellent and knowledgeable.

Super competent captain and crew who were helpful with gear, getting on/off the boat, assisting those who were uncomfortable once in the water. The manta viewing was amazing, close up and continuous. Our guide provided background information on the mantas. Several other species of smaller fish were present also. Definitely recommend this activity!

The manta rays were inches from us, and all four in our group had an exceptional time. The guides were knowledgeable and really added to the experience. Highly recommend.

The crew was knowledgeable, friendly and fun. The surf didn’t allow for good visibility on the day we chose to go, but they informed us ahead of time and gave us the option of rescheduling. We chose to go anyway and they worked hard to still make it a great experience.

Great staff and fun little outing for my 6year old :)

It's true, discovering the Manta's is a must do on Kona and the best place is Keauhou Bay with the "Dolphin Discovery" crew. I chose this company based on their reviews and it was the best decision I made! Our family numbered 6 among an intimate group of 12, plus the crew. Everyone of the crew from the "in-water" guides (Justin & Chaz) to the Capt. and shore staff were AMAZING. Super helpful, patient, approachable, knowledgeable and everything a group could ask for and more! Equipment is top notch and the hot, lavender/chamomile tea & cookies after the swim/snorkeling is the perfect touch!! Thank you very, very much for making this one of the most memorable experiences we had in Kona!!

Whale watching with Hawaii Nautical was a great experience. The crew was very friendly and they had a great offer at the bar. We also got a lot of information on the whales and their habitat.
Don't have too high expectations when you go out in December. We only saw two whales, their backs and a few times their tails. From what we heard, January might be a better time to go whale watching.

Crew, equipment, boat, customers and experience were all AWESOME

We took the cruise last Thursday. The cruise time from the harbor to the site was a little long but worthful. The sunset view was beautiful. And we were so lucky to see a group of dolphins. The two girls were super nice and very helpful. Also, they offer a different price for people with ride-only. It was a great experience. I regret for not giving tips because my wallet was left in the car. I hope they could accept Zelle/Apple pay of tips later.

The manta ray night snorkel was AMAZING! Our guides were so friendly and knowledgeable. They took the time to meet each one of us individually. Being in the dark ocean with these amazing creatures is a breathtaking experience that can’t be put into words or explained with videos. You just have to do it. We have 5-6 rays that barrel rolled under us continuously for about 20 minutes.

I paid for and experienced the sunset Manta Ray Night Time Snorkelling on Dec. 23, 2021. I completely understand that these are wild animals and that it's extremely unpredictable whether or not you'll get a good chance to see them up close and personal. That said, that is what this company is selling and what we are paying extremely good money for. if you are going to charge for it, then every effort should be made to deliver on that experience.

The crew overall did a decent job, but once we arrived at the area where the Manta Rays were supposed to be, I was surprised to see a huge number of boats of various sizes and setups. I then realized that perhaps our setup was not ideal. I noticed that some arrange the snorkelers in a circle or square formation, making it more likely for everyone to get a good view of the Manta Ray if it shows up. Our setup was just some floating paddle boards, and our particular location was not ideal. I would say all of us on our particular paddle board barely caught a glimpse of a Manta Ray, whereas others I believe based on what they said got a much better view. This was extremely disappointing. I'm sure those who did catch a good shot will talk about a different experience, but all of us who were on the boat paid good money, not just those who got a good view of the Manta Rays.

This makes it hard to recommend this particular outfit to others

Was thrilling and informative. The crew were friendly and helpful and made every effort to make sure the experience was enjoyable. The mantas were so close and very impressive. Also saw dolphins as a bonus.

We saw two whales during our trip! We went on a tour in December, when the whale watching season just started, yet we were lucky to encounter two whales. The tour departed from Waikaloa, which was a bit of a drive from our place in Kona. However, it is supposed to be a better area for spotting whales. Overall, we had a very pleasant experience.

The experience was amazing. A big ray came so close touched my elbow.

Our entire family had an amazing evening swimming with the Manta Rays, it was magical. The crew, with Captain Bryce were fantastic, knowledgeable, and fun. Highly recommend this trip!

Perfect activity for kids or those with limited mobility. Great crew and fun experience.

Pirate Wednesdays - Would highly recommend. You get a comedy show as well as the manta rays

Tour was professionally done, we saw to many Mantas to count...was such a beautiful experience:). Hot tea and good discussion afterwards was great! Thank you so much!!

We saw so many mantas!!!! It was amazing and awesome!!!! The hot tea was nice as well. Thank you!

This Manta Ray Night Snorkel was near the top of my husbands life list! It was very well organized and the guides were very informative. We saw at least 5-7 Rays. Many came up quite close to check us out. We would definitely do this again, but next time we will bring the camera! I felt very safe the whole time and for me, 45 minutes was just the right amount of time.

It was a smaller boat, so I felt a little bit squished, but I guess that is how submarines must feel!

Learning about the manta ray and watching them feed was amazing! The crew is hawaii is always so helpful assisting me and caring for us! I would recommend this to anyone and love all my excursions here- MAHALO!!

Everything went very smoothly. Our crew was wonderful & very helpful. I had trouble getting into the boat after climbing the ladder & Trevor was so kind to help me in the boat. We had a wonderful time. The Manta Ray experience will be hard to top! So great of them to share pictures they had taken from below!