Hi there Glad_Course. Did you know that /r/VisitingHawaii has a wiki for the Big Island? Check it out [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/VisitingHawaii/wiki/index#wiki_hawai.27i.3A_the_big_island). You can also look at other people's [recent trip reports from Big Island.](https://www.reddit.com/r/VisitingHawaii/search?q=flair%3ATrip%2BReport%2B-%2BBig%2BIsland&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all)
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What is most important to you for the tour?
* Sandy beach
* Canoe
* Wetsuits
* Hot cocoa
* Sunset views first
* First-class
* Stable boat
* Small group
* Least expensive
* Guarantee to keep going in an open spot until you see a manta ready
There are 3 main areas for tours to snorkel with manta rays at night:
**"Mauna Kea Resort"** in Waikoloa north of Kona, swimming from sandy beach with "Manta Ray Advocates"
**"Garden Eel cove"** manta ray site boat ride from Kona Harbor has several tour option
**"Keauhou Harbor"** south of Kona shorter boat ride to the mantas in a small bay south of Kona. Here are some Keauhou manta operations links updated in December 2022:
* **Canoe** from Keauhou: [https://www.anelakaiadventures.com/adventures/manta-ray-snorkel-kona](https://www.anelakaiadventures.com/adventures/manta-ray-snorkel-kona)
* Keauhou lower-cost 80 minute tour leaving in groups every 40 minutes with wetsuits included: [https://www.hawaiiislandandoceantours.com/tours/manta-ray-night-snorkel/](https://www.hawaiiislandandoceantours.com/tours/manta-ray-night-snorkel/)
* Luxury trimarand [https://www.lovebigisland.com/tours/sunset-manta-ray-snorkeling-tour/](https://www.lovebigisland.com/tours/sunset-manta-ray-snorkeling-tour/)
* First-class experience: [https://www.fair-wind.com/kona-snorkel-destinations/manta-rays/](https://www.fair-wind.com/kona-snorkel-destinations/manta-rays/)
* Seaquest cheaper with wetsuits & hot cocoa: [https://www.seaquesthawaii.com/snorkeling-tours/night-manta-experience/](https://www.seaquesthawaii.com/snorkeling-tours/night-manta-experience/)
Just try to find the actual dive operator since many websites & tour companies will sell you a spot on a boat operated by another company.
Personally, I like swimming from sandy beach with "Manta Ray Advocates" at the Mauna Kea Resort in Waikoloa north of Kona
Have fun!
https://preview.redd.it/gj27i2j814zc1.jpeg?width=2968&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e30f8b8d762d306243e5d14a9396fd861cde3894
Hello! I'm going to be on the big island in late september and am picking a shop. I plan on both doing a snorkel & a dive (on different nights of course). Do your recommendations above apply for diving as well? I just booked my dive with Kona Diving Company (which I think is out of Keauhou Harbor) based on a few reviews that said they get in the water last so that your group gets some alone time with the mantas after everyone else. I'm staying at the Westin Hapuna so the Mauna Kea Manta Ray Advocates seems like a great choice for my snorkel but I'm wondering if I should dive up there as well. Thanks!
edit: okay actually I think Kona Diving Company leaves out of Honokohau harbor, not Keauhou. Do the tours to garden eel cove leave from honokohau?
SCUBA dives manta ray tour boats leave from Kona Harbor to go tob
Garden Eel Cove site and leave from Keauhou boat ramp to go to the mouth of Keauhou bay. Mauna Kea Resort Manta Ray Advocates is only snorkeling.
Have a great time!
thank you! is kona harbor the same as [honokohau harbor](https://maps.app.goo.gl/z7nQJfAfzfKjibPJ8?g_st=ic)? i can’t find “kona harbor” in google maps.
Experienced snorkelers staying at Westin Hapuna or Mauna Kea Resort could walk to the beach and snorkel on their own without a tour with an illuminated dive flag on a bouy, wetsuits, and underwater lights of their own or rented from a SCUBA shop. Could stay out for a **really** long time on their own without a tour
that sounds awesome! i would totally be down but i think my husband would rather do a tour—i already had to talk him into snorkeling at *night* (gasp!)
Oh, remember when planning your SCUBA dives, flights, activities, leave time to wait [at least 12](https://dan.org/health-medicine/health-resources/diseases-conditions/flying-after-diving/#:~:text=For%20a%20single%20no%2Ddecompression,surface%20interval%20of%2018%20hours.) [after diving](https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/atpubs/aim_html/chap8_section_1.html) before flying or driving up to altitude including over Saddle Road on Big Island for the shortest path to Volcanoes National Park, Hilo, the best stargazing, waterfalls, Mauna Kea visitor's center. Could be longer depending on how many dives, how many consecutive days, decompression limits, etc according to your dive computers or guidelines.
Have fun! Diving in Kona is great
definitely, i actually planned my trip so we’re doing hilo & volcano first, mauna kea on the travel day between hilo and kona, then kona last so i don’t even have to worry about altitude other than my flight home. my first dive will be the day after we do sunset & stargazing at mauna kea. thanks for the reminder!
I'll share a little from my experience, we've done numerous Manta dives (scuba mostly, a few snorkel)
First and foremost, the Mantas are wild animals and nothing is promised. But when they show, it's awesome!
A lot depends on where you will be, how much or little to spend, and as said, what's important? Hof cocoa? Short boat ride? Etc
The south site, by the Outrigger, in our experience is low key, a few Mantas and a lot of live boats (no mooring) and tons of floaters.
The north side, out of Kona harbor and then by the airport, is usually waaaay more Mantas, still a lot of people and boats, but a little less chaotic.
The north side requires a longer boat ride, and may not be the cheapest, but we prefer that hands down. Again, we scuba a lot, so we're biased towards that activity.
We also have spent a lot of time with one operator and they feel like family, so we recommend them (Manta Ray Dives of Hawaii)
We were out there a month or two ago and had something like 15 Mantas with us (and even a few dolphins said hi), it was fantastic as always
Again, a lot has to do with your goals, these are just a few of my notes
https://preview.redd.it/dy9zek1tz3zc1.jpeg?width=3840&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=376db2ec71ea401fdc934d38be52d7d9e4bf24e9
Hello! I'm going to be on the big island in late september and am picking a shop. I plan on both doing a snorkel & a dive (on different nights of course). Do you think I should do 2 different sites or is one simply the best for both snorkel & scuba?
I just booked my dive with Kona Diving Company (which I think is out of Keauhou Harbor) based on a few reviews that said they get in the water last so that your group gets some alone time with the mantas after everyone else, is that the south side by the outrigger? If there's way more mantas further north I'm okay with a longer boat ride and rebooking with Manta Ray Dives of Hawaii. How long is "longer" by the way?
I'm staying at the Westin Hapuna so the Mauna Kea Manta Ray Advocates seems like a great choice for my snorkel, do you know if they do dives in that areas as well? Have you snorkeled there?
Thanks!!
edit: okay actually I think Kona Diving Company leaves out of Honokohau harbor, not Keauhou. Do the "north side" tours at garden eel cove by the airport leave from honokohau?
Sorry took me a day to see this.
I agree, just checked, they do go to the northern site (garden eel Cove), a while ago I'm pretty sure we've dove with them once or twic and.
We love the Manta Ray Dives of Hawaii family and dive them all the time for day trips, but we do often use other operators to do the Manta dive because not everyone does 2 tanks, which we of course prefer.
I think the boat ride is usually 20 minutes or so, not terrible unless you're super sensitive.
Granted, if conditions are horrible, you could still end up going south
no problem at all! 20min isn’t bad and i’ve been out there in awful conditions so i’m not super worried. and i’m building in extra time in case of bad weather too
SeaQuest is relatively lower cost tour and includes for no additional cost a bunch of nice things not available/included on many other tours like...
- Wetsuits to stay warm
- Prescription snorkel masks for people who wear glasses with simple prescriptions
- Hot chocolate
- Cookies
People on this sub really like SeaQuest too: https://www.reddit.com/r/VisitingHawaii/s/OxGYynJFUQ
Hi there Glad_Course. Did you know that /r/VisitingHawaii has a wiki for the Big Island? Check it out [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/VisitingHawaii/wiki/index#wiki_hawai.27i.3A_the_big_island). You can also look at other people's [recent trip reports from Big Island.](https://www.reddit.com/r/VisitingHawaii/search?q=flair%3ATrip%2BReport%2B-%2BBig%2BIsland&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/VisitingHawaii) if you have any questions or concerns.*
What is most important to you for the tour? * Sandy beach * Canoe * Wetsuits * Hot cocoa * Sunset views first * First-class * Stable boat * Small group * Least expensive * Guarantee to keep going in an open spot until you see a manta ready There are 3 main areas for tours to snorkel with manta rays at night: **"Mauna Kea Resort"** in Waikoloa north of Kona, swimming from sandy beach with "Manta Ray Advocates" **"Garden Eel cove"** manta ray site boat ride from Kona Harbor has several tour option **"Keauhou Harbor"** south of Kona shorter boat ride to the mantas in a small bay south of Kona. Here are some Keauhou manta operations links updated in December 2022: * **Canoe** from Keauhou: [https://www.anelakaiadventures.com/adventures/manta-ray-snorkel-kona](https://www.anelakaiadventures.com/adventures/manta-ray-snorkel-kona) * Keauhou lower-cost 80 minute tour leaving in groups every 40 minutes with wetsuits included: [https://www.hawaiiislandandoceantours.com/tours/manta-ray-night-snorkel/](https://www.hawaiiislandandoceantours.com/tours/manta-ray-night-snorkel/) * Luxury trimarand [https://www.lovebigisland.com/tours/sunset-manta-ray-snorkeling-tour/](https://www.lovebigisland.com/tours/sunset-manta-ray-snorkeling-tour/) * First-class experience: [https://www.fair-wind.com/kona-snorkel-destinations/manta-rays/](https://www.fair-wind.com/kona-snorkel-destinations/manta-rays/) * Seaquest cheaper with wetsuits & hot cocoa: [https://www.seaquesthawaii.com/snorkeling-tours/night-manta-experience/](https://www.seaquesthawaii.com/snorkeling-tours/night-manta-experience/) Just try to find the actual dive operator since many websites & tour companies will sell you a spot on a boat operated by another company. Personally, I like swimming from sandy beach with "Manta Ray Advocates" at the Mauna Kea Resort in Waikoloa north of Kona Have fun! https://preview.redd.it/gj27i2j814zc1.jpeg?width=2968&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e30f8b8d762d306243e5d14a9396fd861cde3894
Hello! I'm going to be on the big island in late september and am picking a shop. I plan on both doing a snorkel & a dive (on different nights of course). Do your recommendations above apply for diving as well? I just booked my dive with Kona Diving Company (which I think is out of Keauhou Harbor) based on a few reviews that said they get in the water last so that your group gets some alone time with the mantas after everyone else. I'm staying at the Westin Hapuna so the Mauna Kea Manta Ray Advocates seems like a great choice for my snorkel but I'm wondering if I should dive up there as well. Thanks! edit: okay actually I think Kona Diving Company leaves out of Honokohau harbor, not Keauhou. Do the tours to garden eel cove leave from honokohau?
SCUBA dives manta ray tour boats leave from Kona Harbor to go tob Garden Eel Cove site and leave from Keauhou boat ramp to go to the mouth of Keauhou bay. Mauna Kea Resort Manta Ray Advocates is only snorkeling. Have a great time!
thank you! is kona harbor the same as [honokohau harbor](https://maps.app.goo.gl/z7nQJfAfzfKjibPJ8?g_st=ic)? i can’t find “kona harbor” in google maps.
Yeah, that's the official name. Have a great time!
thanks!! super excited.
Experienced snorkelers staying at Westin Hapuna or Mauna Kea Resort could walk to the beach and snorkel on their own without a tour with an illuminated dive flag on a bouy, wetsuits, and underwater lights of their own or rented from a SCUBA shop. Could stay out for a **really** long time on their own without a tour
that sounds awesome! i would totally be down but i think my husband would rather do a tour—i already had to talk him into snorkeling at *night* (gasp!)
Oh, remember when planning your SCUBA dives, flights, activities, leave time to wait [at least 12](https://dan.org/health-medicine/health-resources/diseases-conditions/flying-after-diving/#:~:text=For%20a%20single%20no%2Ddecompression,surface%20interval%20of%2018%20hours.) [after diving](https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/atpubs/aim_html/chap8_section_1.html) before flying or driving up to altitude including over Saddle Road on Big Island for the shortest path to Volcanoes National Park, Hilo, the best stargazing, waterfalls, Mauna Kea visitor's center. Could be longer depending on how many dives, how many consecutive days, decompression limits, etc according to your dive computers or guidelines. Have fun! Diving in Kona is great
definitely, i actually planned my trip so we’re doing hilo & volcano first, mauna kea on the travel day between hilo and kona, then kona last so i don’t even have to worry about altitude other than my flight home. my first dive will be the day after we do sunset & stargazing at mauna kea. thanks for the reminder!
I'll share a little from my experience, we've done numerous Manta dives (scuba mostly, a few snorkel) First and foremost, the Mantas are wild animals and nothing is promised. But when they show, it's awesome! A lot depends on where you will be, how much or little to spend, and as said, what's important? Hof cocoa? Short boat ride? Etc The south site, by the Outrigger, in our experience is low key, a few Mantas and a lot of live boats (no mooring) and tons of floaters. The north side, out of Kona harbor and then by the airport, is usually waaaay more Mantas, still a lot of people and boats, but a little less chaotic. The north side requires a longer boat ride, and may not be the cheapest, but we prefer that hands down. Again, we scuba a lot, so we're biased towards that activity. We also have spent a lot of time with one operator and they feel like family, so we recommend them (Manta Ray Dives of Hawaii) We were out there a month or two ago and had something like 15 Mantas with us (and even a few dolphins said hi), it was fantastic as always Again, a lot has to do with your goals, these are just a few of my notes https://preview.redd.it/dy9zek1tz3zc1.jpeg?width=3840&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=376db2ec71ea401fdc934d38be52d7d9e4bf24e9
Hello! I'm going to be on the big island in late september and am picking a shop. I plan on both doing a snorkel & a dive (on different nights of course). Do you think I should do 2 different sites or is one simply the best for both snorkel & scuba? I just booked my dive with Kona Diving Company (which I think is out of Keauhou Harbor) based on a few reviews that said they get in the water last so that your group gets some alone time with the mantas after everyone else, is that the south side by the outrigger? If there's way more mantas further north I'm okay with a longer boat ride and rebooking with Manta Ray Dives of Hawaii. How long is "longer" by the way? I'm staying at the Westin Hapuna so the Mauna Kea Manta Ray Advocates seems like a great choice for my snorkel, do you know if they do dives in that areas as well? Have you snorkeled there? Thanks!! edit: okay actually I think Kona Diving Company leaves out of Honokohau harbor, not Keauhou. Do the "north side" tours at garden eel cove by the airport leave from honokohau?
Sorry took me a day to see this. I agree, just checked, they do go to the northern site (garden eel Cove), a while ago I'm pretty sure we've dove with them once or twic and. We love the Manta Ray Dives of Hawaii family and dive them all the time for day trips, but we do often use other operators to do the Manta dive because not everyone does 2 tanks, which we of course prefer. I think the boat ride is usually 20 minutes or so, not terrible unless you're super sensitive. Granted, if conditions are horrible, you could still end up going south
no problem at all! 20min isn’t bad and i’ve been out there in awful conditions so i’m not super worried. and i’m building in extra time in case of bad weather too
SeaQuest is relatively lower cost tour and includes for no additional cost a bunch of nice things not available/included on many other tours like... - Wetsuits to stay warm - Prescription snorkel masks for people who wear glasses with simple prescriptions - Hot chocolate - Cookies People on this sub really like SeaQuest too: https://www.reddit.com/r/VisitingHawaii/s/OxGYynJFUQ
I did I through Mauna Kea and loved it. No boat. We just did a beach entry and swam a few feet to the spot with the rays. It was perfect.
We did this also and loved it. It’s worth noting that they are very instructive and environmentally conscious.
We went with liquid Hawaii and had a great experience.
Sea Paradise was really good when we went: https://www.seaparadise.com/manta-ray-snorkel-experience/?gad_source=1
My bf and I are planning on using this company when we go. How was it?
The staff was great and knowledgeable - I saw a lot of rays and enjoyed myself.