Manta Magic Snorkeling

You are welcome to bring a camera but it is your responsibility to ensure it is in a waterproof case. The company is not responsible for any damaged or lost items! You are also not allowed to have any extending sticks such as extending selfie sticks. The cameras must remain close to your body and hands. The manta rays cannot see things sticking out and it could injure them. You also must be able to still fully float on the surface calmly and holding on the light board with your camera in hand or you will be asked to leave your camera on the boat.

Manta Rays appear for our tours roughly 92% of the time. While we expect to see manta rays every night, they are wild animals, and we do not see them roughly 8% of the time. If you do not see at least 1 manta ray, we will offer you a free trip on any tour with availability. Our tours typically sell out several days in advance, so we recommend booking your manta ray tour at the beginning of your stay on Hawaii Island. On the rare occasion where zero manta rays are sighted on your tour, you will be issued a credit to attend a future tour at no additional cost. Based on availability. No refunds given.

The main difference between the tours is light. The earliest tour goes out before sunset, and you enter the water when it’s light out. The later tours go out in the dark, and you enter the water when it’s dark out. If you love our Kona sunsets, you may find the earliest tour to be the best option. If you love a thrill, you might find excitement in boarding a boat and entering the water when it’s pitch black. The likelihood of seeing manta rays is similar for the earlier and later tours, which is about 92%. We’ve seen the manta rays show up after the earliest tour has ended, and we’ve seen manta rays leave before the later tours have started. If you’re not a strong swimmer, we recommend the earliest tour. We’ve seen non-swimmers struggle to adapt to snorkeling in the dark, as it introduces a new element to overcome.

Yes, you may purchase a ticket and ride along. Every person on the boat needs a ticket, regardless of whether they are getting in the water. Our boat is certified by the US Coast Guard for 12 passengers, and we can not exceed this limit.

If you can comfortably swim 25 yards in the ocean, you will be able to safely enjoy our snorkel tours. For safety purposes, if you can not comfortably swim 25 yards in the ocean, we ask that you purchase a ticket to ride along on the boat, but not enter the water.

In 2013, manta ray tour companies developed the “tour operator standards” to ensure the safety and sustainability of the manta ray tours. The green list of operators make sizable efforts to improve safety and sustainably for their guests, crew, and manta rays. Companies must sign an agreement annually to recommit to the goals and volunteers from Hawaii Ocean Watch monitor the situation to ensure companies on the greenlist are adhering to their agreements.

No, manta rays are not dangerous. They do not have barbs or stingers, so they can’t sting you. They are also plankton eaters, so although their mouths open wide, they are not interested in you at all and are not even capable of swallowing you.

Our Hawaiian manta rays are unique because they tend to be non-migratory, and are found in individual populations along shallow reef coastlines. Because they are non-migratory, manta rays in Hawaii return to the same feeding locations regularly, which allows for a unique tour with a 92% success rate for seeing manta rays. Our Kona coast manta ray population has been regularly observed by the scientific community for several decades, and for several centuries by the ancient Hawaiians.