Manta Ray Dives of Hawai‘i — Attraction in Hawaii

NIGHT SNORKELING WITH MANTA RAYS

Quick summary: smooth boat ride at sunset, joined by 2 dolphins for a big part of the ride, drinks and snacks provided; warm waters, saw about 11 manta rays throughout the night, great information shared, beautiful stars on the boat ride back, would do again!

There were multiple companies to pick from for our snorkel with manta rays and I'm glad we went with Manta Ray Dives!

TIME and WEATHER: I picked a mid-day week in the beginning of October. The weather was warm and clear. I got to go with my dad and it was a first time for both of us! There are no shoes on the boat, so we left our water shoes at the dock. We enjoy boat rides, so we appreciated the nice ride out with the sun setting. We also were joined by two bottlenose dolphins for a good chunk of the ride!

BOAT RIDE: Neither of us get sea sick, but if you are sensitive, consider taking dramamine. One kid on the boat did get a little sick and another individual got sick in the water. Out of a group of 22, that is great. Compared to our Zodiac boat ride in Kauai, this boat ride was very smooth! You also have the option to go on the upper deck or move to the front of the boat to get fresh air. Shout out to Captain Pena who made the ride smooth and found the perfect tempo for the dolphins to stick with us for a long part of the ride! There is an emergency toilet on board, so definitely use the restroom before you board! After departure, it's all about using the "blue loo" ;)

SNACKS: In the main deck area, they have snacks (small chip bags, Amos cookies, mints, ginger chews, pretzels, etc) and drinks (sodas and canned juices).

SNORKELING: Riley and Mike were in charge of our snorkeling tour. They divided up the group into two. When we got to the location, Riley gave us a debriefing about the nature of manta rays, the guidelines, and what to expect. I love the dad jokes. Riley made the presentation very informative and entertaining! We were given our short-sleeved wet suits (snorkels and fins given at the beginning) and they had defogging spray for our masks. I think I saw some people who brought their own.

DIVERS: were in a separate group, so I did not hear their debriefing. But I do know that you need to have completed at least 5 dives prior and completed one dive in the past 3 years. You can chat with their rep online if you have more questions. When I go back to the Big Island, I definitely want to make sure I qualify to join their dive!

SNORKEL: in the water, once you got to the paddleboard, Riley did all of the work. We held onto the handles and he tugged us from spot to spot. At first, there were not a lot of mantas, but once it got completely dark, the plankton became concentrated underneath the lights and the mantas came for their feeding! Riley was super enthusiastic about all of them and knew them by name! He would point out their defining features so that at a certain point I was able to call them out by name, too.

GOPRO: I brought my own and got some awesome footage! They're still on my GoPro, though, so I won't be able to upload any here, but have the settings ready for some wide angles as well: the mantas come RIGHT up to you. I got an amazing look into their gills, mouth, eyes... they're centimeters away from the board. I had one hand on the GoPro and the other holding on to the paddleboard. I did start to cramp after awhile, so find a position that is comfortable for the full time. We spent about 45 minutes in the water (not including trips to the "blue loo" heh heh).

POST SNORKEL: One towel was good, I dried off afterwards. I had some dry sweatpants and a rash guard to put on. I also brought a jacket because reviews said it was cold. I hung out on the front bow the whole ride back and did not get cold at all. The breeze was warm and dried me off. The stars were BEAUTIFUL and the ride was quicker. We had a proposal (wow!) and a great end to the night.

Pro-tip: ask about military or...

We have been on two separate excursions with Manta Ray Dives to snorkel and see the Manta Rays. Once in 2021 during the pandemic and then again in January 2023. In 2021 during the pandemic we called and easily got an appointment for the late afternoon early evening trip out and we went down by the outrigger hotel.

In 2021 it was a beautiful cruise out that evening and dolphins swam alongside the boat and we saw whales breeching & tales splashing as well. It's kind of a bonus actually when you think about it because you get whale watching potentially dolphins as well as the manta ray snorkel trip or scuba dive all in the same trip.

OF COURSE YOU UNDERSTAND THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL SEE MANTA RAYS ON THIS TRIP. That said, we have been out two separate times and have been blessed to see double digit manta rays on both trips! They also told us the night before, on one trip, there were not any. Unfortunate but they obviously have no control over sea creatures.

On our 2023 trip we went out to a different location and we left the harbor around 8:00 p.m. in the dark. Obviously a completely different experience the second time. Hard to really see where you're going, but obviously the boat captain has GPS and drove us out to an entirely different spot (far away from the hotel that we had previously gone a couple of years earlier). When we arrived there was another boat or two that were there and they had some swimmers & snorkelers already in the water with lights and you could immediately see a few mantas swimming around.

Our boat captain navigated around and found a separate area to anchor and then we immediately began getting in the water around our surfboards with our lights that shine down to attract the plankton.

Within a couple of minutes the mantas were already there. And they just kept coming! We probably saw I think 15 different Mantas that night! There were some big ones in there probably 8-10 feet wide wing tip to tip! AMAZING!

The Mantas of course came up super close and swam right underneath our surfboards & lights so they were within a foot of our faces!

You are snorkeling for about 40 minutes total. If you happen to get sick or you've had enough before that time, the boat staff will help you get back to the boat or whatever you need in terms of assistance. I think everybody on our trip had a great time and I think there are about close to 20 per boat.

After your snorkel you take off your wetsuit and snorkeling gear and there is a hose at the back with a nice hot shower to wash the salt water off. Can you go back to your seat and you can grab some snacks and drinks that they have available on the boat. Depending on the weather you will likely want some dry clothes, towel and maybe even a jacket if you're coming back later in the evening and it will be a little bit chilly if the wind is blowing on you. If you get seasick I would recommend the seats toward the back of the boat the further you get inside the boat. It seems like some people might get a little more sick there. I didn't get sick but I know some other people up near the front got a little claustrophobic. I think it's better if you can kind of stand up and look out and see the horizon or keep your eyes on the lights along the shore.

The staff were nice and talkative and explained a lot about what we were seeing so I thought it was just a great trip overall.

Would highly...

My review of the manta ray dive is separated into two parts, which must be clearly distinguished: a) The manta ray experience – 10/10. These gentle giants are majestic and mesmerising. Truly, an experience of a lifetime. b) The tour company experience – far less impressive, for the reasons below. Note: We dived on July 31, 2025, from 5:45 pm to 8:45 pm.

Customer Service At check-in, my partner asked whether the waters were choppy so we could decide if we needed a seasickness pill. We were laughed at. The exact comment was: “Too late. If you wanted to take those pills you have to take it for the whole day to reach saturation. Too late to take it now.” (followed by a smirk). As a Board-Certified Physician, I can confidently say this statement was incorrect. Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics make it clear that “saturation” (steady-state plasma levels) typically requires five half-lives, which is relevant for chronic medications, not for intermittent seasickness medicines such as cyclizine or metoclopramide. For these, timing peak plasma levels to match the roughest sea conditions matters far more. My advice to the company—be cautious when dispensing medical “facts” (especially with a smirk), because one day you might say it to someone who knows more than you.

Wetsuit Sizing We had entered our height and weight in advance, which clearly indicated we would need medium wetsuits. On the boat, however, only large wetsuits were available. When we asked about this, the response was: “It’s all we have.” Why collect sizing information if it is ignored? The oversized suits failed to trap water close to our skin, leaving us cold for much of the dive.

Manta Ray Briefing The night we went out, the ocean was rough, with a noticeable southerly swell—conditions that can easily trigger seasickness. To make matters worse, the manta ray briefing was conducted on a stationary boat, and we spent a long time bobbing on the waves waiting for sunset. Unsurprisingly, one lady vomited repeatedly. I would have as well, had it not been for the seasickness pill I took. Would it not be more comfortable and efficient to conduct the briefing on land? The tour lasted from 5:45 pm to 8:45 pm, but most of that time was spent idly waiting on the boat. Starting later and briefing on land would have made the experience far more pleasant.

Overall experience with Manta Ray Dives of Hawaii: 3/10 The manta rays themselves were unforgettable, but the tour company made us feel like canned sardines on a conveyor belt. The experience lacked personal touch; the boat felt overcrowded compared to the number of dive masters/guides, and the staff seemed jaded, with little interest in ensuring guests had a...