All Reviews for Marine Wildlife Encounters

We went out to sea under the setting sun.
Everything was perfect.
Lots of huge manta rays came close. Sometimes up to few feet away!!
The crew; Diego and Ryan were pampering us and taking care of our every needs.
Would recommend them anytime without a doubt.

-David L

We had a great afternoon on the boat. Took a seven and two year old out with us to see the whales and the captain was very accommodating to both of them. Once we got the area where the whales were we saw a couple different pairs breach multiple times and certainly didn't need binoculars to see them. On our way back to the harbor a few bottle nosed dolphins decided to swim out front of the boat and in the wake for about 10 minutes which was every bit as cool as seeing the whales.

I'd highly recommend Aloha Kona Tours.

The captain and crew are so nice
The boat is very clean and comfy!

the experience was really good.
We got to see bunch of dolphins and whales breaching really close to.

Thank you so much!

We had an awesome time viewing the Manta Rays. We were able to see the spinner dolphins in the sunset as well. The staff was great and very accommodating. Definitely worth the trip to the big island!

Night snorkel with manta rays was recommended to me by a coworker who lived on Kona. We booked this for our vacation based on her recommendation. We brought our ‘kids’ ages 30, 16, 13. I think it would be hard for younger kids. In fact, one child I’d say about 6 sat on a float the entire time. Swimming in ocean at night even with a wetsuit (a MUST), a noodle, and holding on to a raft is trying even for an adult. That being said, it was so cool! We were fortunate to see many manta rays! I wish I could’ve taken pictures. It was plenty long enough time. Any longer would’ve been too much. We had perfect weather and the light of the full moon. The crew was awesome and fun. You could tell they loved their job and were friends. Shout out to the girl on our crew named Ryan, who took extra care and patience helping my 30 year old daughter swim back to boat.

Captain Trevor and his crew were outstanding!! The manta rays were incredible and while we were watching them the crew gave us facts about these amazing creatures.

We had a great experience on board! The guides were educational and friendly! Our children (3y & 14m) had a lot of fun and enjoyed being able to see all the creatures! We saw turtles, an eel, and so many fish!

My family loved this tour. Great for kids. We loved not having to get in the water to see coral and fish.

It was perfect! The crew was really kind and helpful. The captain was really funny and entertaining. And the star of the show - the Manta Rays - we're absolutely breathtaking. We were lucky to find a group of Manta Rays en route and decided to drop anchor and just spent all the time there. That gave us more time with the Manta Rays. We weren't the best swimmers so the crew helped us with life jackets and they helped to and fro the float. We had a great time and I would absolutely recommend them.

Liked the smaller boat vibe! we saw a lot of manta rays

I participated in a tour on October 30. I had originally planned a different night tour, but it was canceled on the day due to bad weather. I had been recommended the manta ray tour by a local Lyft driver, so I hurriedly booked the evening tour for that day. In the end, it was a great decision.

Listening to the explanations from the Japanese guide made for a reassuring boat trip. It was also a wonderful memory to see the sunset sinking into the sea and to spot baby whales along the way.

As for the mantas, I was able to see about six of them. They shared the videos and photos taken with a GoPro, which allowed me to focus on the mantas in front of me without getting distracted by filming. The mantas gracefully swam just a meter away, and after watching them for a while, I completely lost track of everyday life and felt as if there was only the mantas and myself in the world.

After returning to the boat, we were served warm cocoa. It was soothing and comforting for my slightly tired and chilled body.

Since this seems to be an experience you can't have on Oahu, I highly recommend participating in this tour if you visit the Big Island.

10/30にツアー参加。
元々別の夜ツアーを予定していたのですが、それが悪天候で当日キャンセルとなりました。
マンタツアーのことは、事前にLyftの地元運転手からお勧めされていたので、急いで当日夕方のツアーを予約しました。
結果的には大正解でした。
日本人のガイドさんの説明を聞きながら、安心した船旅となりました。
途中で海に沈む夕陽や、子どもの鯨を見ることができたのも良い思い出です。

肝心のマンタは、6枚ほど見ることができました。
GoProで撮影した動画や写真を共有してもらえたので、撮影に気を取られず、目の前のマンタに集中することができました。
1mの距離で身を翻し、優雅に泳ぐマンタ。
しばらく見ていると、日常は完全に頭から消え、世界にマンタと自分だけしかいないような錯覚に陥りました。

船に戻ってからは温かいココアを振る舞ってもらえました。
少し疲れて冷えた身体に染み渡るココアでした。

オアフ島では体験できないイベントらしいので、ハワイ島を訪れたらぜひ参加してもらいたいツアーです。

I booked the Manta Ray Night Snorkel Canoe for my 12 year daughter & I. This totally exceeded my expectations! I still cannot believe how many mantas we saw & how close they were. Our crew took great care of us & had a great sense of humor.

In addition to a wonderful manta ray sighting experience, we were also treated to a spinner dolphin show on the way. The crew were friendly, knowledgeable and great with our 7-year old. We really appreciated the smaller boat for a more intimate and personal experience. The hot chocolate on the way back was a really nice touch! Would absolutely recommend Iruka and we would go again with them next time we are back in Hawaii.

Just be patient with the sightings! We didn't get much activity with the mantas until right at the end and it was totally worth it.

Seeing Mantra rays glide gracefully beneath you was a highlight of my trip to Hawaii. I highly recommend Iruka.

Very friendly staff and fun facts about manta rays throughout the snorkel trip. We got to see 4 different mantas throughout our trip and they come up so close to you it’s amazing. 10/10 would recommend.

Hands down a memorable experience. I absolutely loved it and want to go back ASAP. I went in September and I still can't stop thinking about it. The parking was right in front of the loading area. The crew was welcoming right away. They got us set up with gear and even let us use our own gear if we brought. They had snacks and beverages on board. We got to watch the sky light on fire for sunset as we sailed out to where the mantas were. Lots of other companies were around in the harbor as well but the crew made sure to stay a safe distance away without disrupting the other experiences. And !!for the main event!! we saw SIX manta rays! Maybe more. They were so beautiful and flipping right underneath us. The captain also shared some knowledge atop the floating mat while we snorkeled so we could hear her stories while appreciating the creatures. The mantas stuck around the whole time. When it was time to head back in, the crew treated us to hot chocolate. They were also happy to share footage they took during the experience. I fully appreciated their generosity. I would definitely go back and do this again with Iruka! And a BIG MAHALO to HawaiiActivities.com and the Hawaii Reef Hero contest for making this possible for me and my friends <3

We had the greatest time on this tour! Ocean Encounters has the best crew and they made it so much fun! They were super nice and very knowledgeable! Not only that but the mantas put on a great show for us!! Highly recommend!! Mahalo Ocean Encounters!!!

We had a great time on the boat. The staff were friendly and knowledgeable and it was the perfect activity for a group with kids and grandparents. Everyone got to see fish and turtles up close in a way that was easy and enjoyable for a group not up for snorkeling

The Manta Ray Night Snorkel by Sea Quest is well worth the expense for the unique opportunity to get up close to the beautiful rays. There are a lot of different companies doing this type of tour. Sea Quest really has the entire process dialed in to make the most of the experience and to maximize your viewing time. Very professional and just downright nice. They truly care about delivering. Would highly recommend.

The boat was old and had not enough power. On the way there we were passed by many boats of same size. Then the boat wouldn't start at all and we were towed back to port. 3 passengers were very sea sick.
The crew didn't provide any information about the manta reys while we watched. Other boat crews were very informative.
Would not recommend.

The crew, the equipment and the atmosphere were fantastic. But all topped by the giant Manta Rays that we saw on the trip. Once in a life time experience and was one of our favorite things we did while in Kona!

We had an amazing experience, the mantas were huge and plentiful. Seeing the amount of plankton, no wonder the mantas stays in that area. The crew was awesome, the hot chocolate was great. Finding Sea quest was easy, and getting out to the swim site was quick. The only downfall was when water would get into the mask, and you go to readjust the mask, because there’s a lot of plankton around, could there be a possibility that you may have swallowed some as well, or may have gone up your nose. My friend had a serious sinus infection the day after our tour. She’s doing ok now. Otherwise, we had a blast and will cherish this moment forever. Thank you for the experience.

This experience was awesome and you dont even need to be a great snorkeler!

It was OK. Nothing was explained well. Water was cold and did not expect to be hanging by the side of board for half hour to watch them coming at you! Very inconvenient, cold and ill-explained activity. Although staff was helpful. Wished they listened to the individual difficulties to understand. Could have enjoyed better with help.

The crew was fun, safe and respectful as well as extremely fun! We saw a minimum of 3 and a max of well… it was 7 or 8 at once. We were all so pleased with this even and I highly recommend going at sunset.
The rays were magnificent and gentle for such large creatures. They truly are a sight to see.
Will do this again on our next visit.

The canoe was a very cool option and keeps the number of people in the group low. The boat sailed a very short distance to the manta viewing area- great for me as I tend to get motion sick. The water was warmer than I thought- again great for me bc I think I’m allergic to cold water. I wore my own wetsuit but they provided everyone with a proper wetsuit top. I wore both and was fine. Our 12yo said he was cold but didn’t complain.
We were all provided snorkels and masks. We all got into the water and held onto a floating device equipped with an underwater light. There we’re several mantas in the area and a few of them swam within inches of us! One touched my arm with its belly. We were in the water about 30 minutes at best guess which was plenty of time in my opinion. I specifically booked a shorter tour for fear of getting sick or freezing but none occurred.
Overall it was a very cool experience and our guides were friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful! Definitely recommend this adventure!

The journey was well organised and on time. The team was really cheerful and fun.
We could see Manta Rays swimming below us all along our time in the water. I liked to learn about Manta Rays while seeing them. It was one of the best moment on the island, Magic!

We had a great time. The Manta Rays gave us a great show! I was a little worried about getting in and out of the water but that was no problem with a little help from our guide. I highly recommend this tour.

I chose this boat because my group had 2 little ones, 3yrs and almost 1yr old. This was perfect for them. We all enjoyed the lessons and the guide who was very attentive to everyone! I highly recommend this tour

Amazing experience for the four of us (mum, dad & two teenage boys!). The crew has the right balance of humour, sensitivity & business like manner! The snorkelling experience was just phenomenal, one of the best experiences of our lives! Captured on go-pro, so a memory we can re-live time & time again!