Small group tour experience with Manta Rays
Manta Ray Night Snorkel Tour
Come join us on our small group manta ray night snorkel tour out of Kawaihae Harbor on the Big Island of Hawaii. Our tour offers a smaller more intimate group setting with a maximum of 12 passengers. Liquid Hawaii strives to be more educational and personal with our tours delivering the top rated manta ray tour for the last 10 years!
#1 Manta Ray Night Snorkel located near Waikoloa
We are located in the Waikoloa area less than 10 minutes from most hotels such as Hilton, Marriott, Fairmont Orchid, Mauna Kea and Westin Hapuna. Save the drive to the crowded manta ray tours in Kona. Our location offers a safe less crowded manta ray snorkel experience.
What’s the difference between Manta Ray Tours in Kona vs staying near Waikoloa?
When it comes to location we are unmatched with only a few other operators in our area to create a calm and safe environment to view the manta rays. We offer a smaller educational setting to view the manta rays in a more intimate one on one setting. Kona has many operators in the same 2 manta viewing sites leading to a crowded experience. Check out our ratings and reviews from past guests to see how we separate ourselves from the crowds in Kona.
Want to see what a tour is like? View our video!
Quick notes about our trip
- Check-in time: 5:30pm for the Manta Ray Night Snorkel Adventure but changes depending on time of sunset so be sure to confirm when booking.
- In the event the first trip is full we do open a second manta tour. Call to inquire about going with us for our second trip. Both trips have great manta viewing experiences!
- Bring towel and extra clothes for after getting out of the water
- Departs From: Kawaihae S Boat Harbor (follow directions in email or on website)
- Boat Charter: 2 hours (45 minutes in the water)
- $189 per person, plus tax and gratuities. Includes all snorkel gear, snacks, juice, bottled water & soda
- We provide masks, snorkels, fins, shorty wetsuits and flotation devices.
- We recommend that you take medication or natural remedies to prevent seasickness to optimize your enjoyment of the trip. We do not offer medication on the boat. To ensure best results of avoiding seasickness, take medication the day before the trip and 2 hours prior to trip departure so it is in your system.
- MINIMUM 4 PASSENGERS for the Manta Ray Snorkel Tour
- We have an over 90% success rate in viewing manta rays on our trips, in the event we do not see one we are unable to provide refunds due to being a small operator and the costs from operating the tour.
What People Say
About Our Tour
After leaving the boat ramp it is a quick 10 minute ride over to our manta viewing site. Upon arrival, we give a thorough and educational briefing and get comfortable with our gear before we slide in and hold onto our light board. We hold on and watch as giant manta rays dine on tiny plankton just below our light board or as we like to call it our “Manta Luau”. The mantas are safe and completely harmless with no stingers, barbs or teeth. The Manta Ray Night Tour is rated the #1 night snorkel activity in the world! It’s on the list of the Travel Channel’s Top Ten “Things to Do in Your Life,” and we worked with them to film the video!
Additional Manta Ray Information
The Big Island of Hawaii is the only place in the world that has resident Manta Rays that consistently come to feed at the same locations throughout the year. Hawaii Manta Rays have a wingspan of 4-16+ feet across and can weigh up to 1000 pounds. Unlike other rays, Mantas have no teeth, stinger or barbs, so they are completely safe to be around. They are filter feeders, with plankton as their only source of food. We place lights in the water, which attract the plankton, which then attracts the Manta Rays. Along the West Coast over 320 Manta Rays have been identified since 1979. The sight of these gentle giants is breathtaking and the experience of swimming with these large, peaceful creatures is exhilarating.
Want TO LEARN MORE?
CHECK OUT MORE Manta Ray research
Ecotourists can be citizen scientists through Manta Identification Project — have fun learning about your Manta Ray while the data in your photos builds our understanding. Follow the link below to learn and upload your photos.
Manta Ray Facts
(Mobulidae)
Manta Ray Encounters
Manta rays are large sea animals that live in tropical, sub-tropical, and temperate waters worldwide. Their side or pectoral fins have evolved into wide triangular wings that they use to easily propel themselves through the water. With a diamond shaped body and wing spans reaching over 20’ across, manta rays are one of the largest animals in the ocean. Their broad blanket-like bodies earned them the name manta that means cloak or blanket in Spanish. In Hawaiian, they are called hahalua. Like many other open ocean animals, manta rays have countershading coloration – dark on the topside (dorsal side) and light on the underside (ventral side).
Manta Ray Snorkel Kona, Hawaii Tour
Manta rays are related to sharks. Sharks and rays are cartilaginous fishes and belong to the scientific classification Chondrichthyes. Sharks and rays are grouped together in a sub-class called Elasmobranchii. Unlike many shark species, manta rays do NOT have sharp teeth. They do possess a tooth band that is more like sandpaper along the lower jaw only.
Manta rays are related to stingrays. Both have flattened body shapes and wide pectoral fins that are fused to the head. One of the biggest differences between manta rays and stingrays is that manta rays do NOT have a tail “stinger” or barb like stingrays. There are other differences as well. Stingrays dwell on the ocean bottom, but manta rays live in the open ocean. A stingray’s mouth is located on the underside of its body whereas the mouth of the manta ray is along the front edge of its body.
Manta rays belong to the family of rays referred to as devil rays, scientifically called Mobulidae. Devil rays share the common characteristic of cephalic or head fins. When unfurled, the fins help to funnel in food and water into the mouth. To make the fins more streamlined, devil rays can roll up these flexible appendages. When furled, these fins were thought to resemble a devil’s horns.
Manta Ray Species
Based on a study conducted by Marshall (2009), manta rays are divided into two different species: Manta birostris and Manta alfredi. Manta birostris typically roam the open ocean and are migratory. They are regularly sighted at offshore islands, oceanic seamounts, and submarine ridge systems. Manta birostris are located in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans. This species can reach up to 22’ across. Manta alfredi is a smaller species that has an average size of 11’ across. This species is commonly sighted near shore around coral reefs, often times in residential groups. The species is widespread in tropical waters and found in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific oceans. Manta birostris is occasionally sighted along the Kona Coast. Manta alfredi is the species of manta ray that is sighted on the Kona Manta ray night snorkel & dive tour.
Excerpts taken from www.MantaPacific.org Mahalo to Keller Laros the MPR Crew & www.MantaRaysHawaii.com that do our manta ray research in Hawaii.
Call us at 808-854-5757 today to reserve your spot with Liquid Hawaii Charters and experience the top-rated manta ray night snorkel on the Big Island!