My family of four embarked on an extraordinary underwater adventure one recent fall. We snorkeled at night with manta rays in Keauhou Bay on the Big Island of Hawai’i.
The experience was genuinely adventurous, incorporating a swim in the open ocean, snorkeling, and photographing reef manta rays in their natural environment on the Kona Coast.
In this family adventure guide, I’ll explain how we booked our nighttime manta ray snorkel trips, what to bring, how to stay warm, and other tips for a successful family adventure.
Most importantly, I’ll tell you about my family’s experience snorkeling with manta rays. You might think you’re not brave enough or that your kids won’t be safe, but I want to assure you that you, too, can swim safely with manta rays and benefit from the experience.
3 Reasons why You and Your Kids Should Snorkel with Manta Rays
1. The feeling that there’s something bigger than yourself: There’s not many places in the world you can snorkel with manta rays at night, and if you’re on the Big Island, you should do it while you have the opportunity. This interaction leaves you feeling small and appreciative of what else is out there.
2. Going out of your comfort zone: Snorkeling or swimming at night is scary, especially with something as big as reef manta rays. I get it. I saw firsthand the apprehension our daughter had who eventually chose to swim with them. Doing so removed any fear she had of snorkeling in daylight.
3. Shared family experience: This is one of those adventures you cannot describe without experiencing it. When the rest of your family sees manta rays doing tumble rolls right under you and sees what you know, you’ll reflect on those memories for a lifetime.
When we initially considered booking a trip to snorkel with manta rays off the Big Island, not everyone on our family team was as excited as I was.
Snorkeling with Manta Rays Is Safe For Kids
When we initially considered booking a trip to snorkel with manta rays off the Kona Coast, not everyone on our family team was as excited as I was.
Indeed, my wife was terrified how cold she might get, and my daughter thought manta rays could swallow her whole. What I thought would be a fun adventure, was met with a lot of apprehension and fear.
I cannot say I blame them. Swimming in the open ocean to look for Hawaiian reef manta rays, sea creatures weighing over 3,000 lbs and some spanning 15 feet long, doesn’t sound safe.
As with most of our family adventures, it took some patience, research, and time to convince some on our family team to commit to swimming with manta rays at night. I’ve found that pressuring anyone to do an adventure usually results in distrust and never doing an activity again.
Instead of pressuring my wife and daughter to swim with manta rays, I did something that ultimately resulted in them giving it a try. I told them the truth. Swimming with manta rays is safe.
I’m not sure whether it was FOMO (fear of missing out) or the fact that they trusted me, but the next day, they hopped on a nighttime manta ray guide boat, and off we went into the open ocean of Keauhou Bay on our quest to look for reef manta rays at night.
Our Favorite Big Island Underwater Adventure
You can call it what you want, but this is the best Big Island adventure hands down. However, I will say that swimming with manta rays faces stiff competition on the Big Island.
On one hand you have one of the most incredible snorkels in Kona over in Captain Cook just off the Captain Cook Monument trail, and on the other you have the trip up to the summit of the iconic Mauna Kea Observatory. With that said, I’d still pick swimming with manta rays at night as my number one Big Island adventure.
Best Time of Day Swim with Manta Rays in Kona
Snorkeling with manta rays is a nighttime activity. That’s because manta rays eat plankton and plankton are attracted to light. By using LED lights attached to the underside of floatation devices, manta ray tour guides can predictably attract reef manta rays for swimmers.
You can typically book a trip in two time frames. One is the sunset trip, which departs just before sunset, and the second is just after that, once the first group returns to the pier.
I’ve been on a few guided nighttime manta ray trips and found that the second trip brought the most action. But you just never know when or if these animals will show up.
Best Time of Year to Go Snorkeling with Manta Rays
Viewing manta rays is good year-round. I wouldn’t necessarily plan your trip around a particular date, but if you were going to do so, then go on a new or a crescent moon phase.
1. Summer months (May to September)
2. Warmer water, peak visibility, plentiful plankton
3. New moon or crescent moon: Lowlight moon, better plankton visibility, increased manta ray sightings
Preparing for Your Family Adventure: How to Stay Comfortable and Enjoy the Water
One of the key things that can make or break your experience is staying comfortable in the water. Here’s how we made sure our family was ready:
Snorkel Gear
Most tour companies, including Naionoa, provide snorkel gear (mask, fins, and flotation devices). However, if you’re particular about your gear or have younger children, you might want to bring your own.
I got my SeaDive mask because it fits perfectly and never fogs up. Plus, it helped me capture some great underwater footage with my GoPro!
Wet Suits or Jackets
The water can get chilly, especially in the evening. Even though my kids were initially hesitant, we all grabbed wetsuit jackets provided by the tour company. If you feel cold quickly, I highly recommend grabbing one—it’ll make your time in the water much more comfortable.
Other Essentials
Remember to bring a towel, a change of clothes, and money for tips if you feel the tour was exceptional. We had a fantastic guided tour, and tipping is always appreciated for excellent service.
How to Have the Best Manta Ray Experience
Swimming with manta rays is incredible, but it’s essential to know how to interact with them safely.
Never Touch the Manta Rays
Your manta ray tour guide will tell you repeatedly that you cannot touch the manta rays! Doing so can remove their slime layer, which can harm them. Manta rays are vital to the local economy, so don’t touch them. The best approach is to let them come to you and observe with your eyes and camera.
Stay Calm and Relax
The more still we were, the more interactive the manta rays became with us. By carefully watching your breathing and body movements, the manta rays stuck around and performed acrobatic movements like barrel rolls and flips. It’s incredible when they opened their mouths to eat thousands of plankton at once. So stay relaxed and enjoy the experience.
Environmental Considerations
Manta rays are protected as a species. They provide a substantial economic return to the Big Island, so choose your manta ray tour guide wisely. Choose a reputable tour guide with good reviews.
Each of our guides did a great job explaining the importance of not touching manta rays, their history and biology, and how vital travelers were to their well-being through economic stimulation.
Book the Best Manta Ray Snorkeling Tour
There are numerous manta ray tour guides to choose from. We initially used Get Your Guide to find a manta ray guide, but Viator and individual websites are available for booking trips. Here are a few that we recommend:
1. Naionoa: Located at Keauhou Bay, they provided excellent service and a seamless experience from start to finish. We used this manta ray tour twice and had a great experience.
2. Manta Ray Dives of Hawai’i: Known for their sustainability efforts and knowledgeable guides.
3. Kona Snorkel Trips: Offers a more intimate, family-friendly experience.
Booking Advice: Make your nighttime manta ray trip at least two days ahead of time to ensure availability. Tours fill up, so consider booking as soon as you get on the Big Island or further in advance if you know your schedule.
Tips and Advice for a Great Manta Ray Snorkeling Experience
Below are a few final tips for making the most of this underwater manta ray adventure.
1. Hydrate: Drink ample water before and after your snorkel with the manta rays
2. Eat light: Don’t eat too much food—just enough to have some energy, but not so much that you’ll get a stomach cramp.
3. Bring an underwater camera or GoPro: You’ll want underwater footage, so bring your GoPro or buy a protective waterproof sleeve for your phone.
4. Be Prepared for the Cold: The water is warm but can get chilly at night. Bring two towels, and a change of clothes, and take the wet suit if possible.
5. Take Your Time: Enjoy the moment and take it all in. Try just to float, don’t tread water or swim.
6. Stay still: Staying as still as possible helps not to scare the manta rays away and keeps the plankton around the lights. If you move too much, it’s harder to float, so stay still.
7. Bring your snorkel and mask: If you have your own, and they fit well, bring them. You never know what quality gear a guide has and it’s better to see with your gear than not with scratched, borrowed equipment.
Related Family Adventures on the Big Island
• Hike the Captain Cook Monument Trail and Snorkel Kealakekua Bay
• Explore Cultural Sites at Pu’uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park
• Go stargazing on the summit of Mauna Kea