Hawaii Oceanic Manta Ray Review: Our Small-Group Tour (+video)
Snorkel in the dark with manta rays from Manta Village in Kona for an epic adventure! You’ll be with a smaller group than most similar tours making this experience extra special and personal.
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Activity Overview
Hawaii Oceanic Manta Ray Tour Highlights
- Verdict: After doing larger manta ray night snorkeling tours, I really enjoyed the 11-person maximum on Hawaii Oceanic manta ray tour. One guide was in the water with one flotation board (we were hanging on). The tour pace was great too. They get you in your wetsuit with ankle-floaties and in the water fast. It is all about being in the water with the manta rays for as long as possible.
- 50-minute duration
- 92% sighting rate!
- Three evening departure times between 6:30 pm and 10:30 pm daily
- There is no statistical evidence that you will have a better chance of seeing manta rays on an early or late tour. Pick the one that is convenient for you!
- This manta ray tour is perfect for OUTRIGGER Kona Resort guests. As a guest at the hotel, I could walk down the driveway (2 minutes) to the entrance sign to start the tour.
- Departs from Keauhou Harbor, just 15 minutes south of Kailua-Kona (click for directions). I first went out with Hawaii Oceanic from their old location near the Kona Airport. This new location is a lot better.
- Small group experience with a maximum of 11 guests per tour
- Swim and snorkel with manta rays, watch them perform, and get up close and personal with these beautiful creatures!
- All snorkel gear is provided, including wetsuits, floaties, and nonalcoholic beverages and snacks
- Ages 7 to 70 are welcome!
Hawaii Oceanic Manta Ray Tour Review
Take a 5-minute slow boat ride to the snorkel destination, and slip into the water at sunset or in pure darkness to swim with manta rays. A night snorkel is a truly unique experience, as darkness adds an exciting element.
This tour leaves from Keauhou Harbor in Manta Village, next to Kona Outrigger Resort. It is a smaller group than other manta night snorkels from Manta Village, so you get an extra intimate experience. It will be just your tour members hanging onto the SUP board. They won’t string a bunch together for this tour.
You will have one guide with your SUP board, making it easy to hear the guide provide facts and details on the manta rays you are looking at while you snorkel.
Tips on booking with Hawaii Oceanic
Book the tour early in your trip! If you don’t see a manta ray, their Manta Guarantee lets you rebook, subject to availability.
Also, book this tour a week or more in advance! It can sell out for the date and tour time you want.
More Manta Ray Tours to Compare: We share five more of our favorite manta ray tours here if you want more tour options and prices: Manta Ray Night Snorkel in Kona
Parking Tip: Arrive early to find parking and the tour operator, as several other night snorkel tours leave from the area. This tour operator has a white van at the Outrigger Kona Resort and Spa entrance. Follow the meeting location instructions that they will send you after you book!
Get to the meeting spot for Hawaii Oceanic 30 minutes before tour departure for a wetsuit fitting, put on your floaties, and check in. You will want to wear a wetsuit as the water is 75 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit, and it still gets chilly during the long snorkel.
Pros for Hawaii Oceanic
- It is a great price for only having 11 guests per tour
- As Manta Village is a busy place, it is comforting to be on a small group tour
- The guide in the water with us was excellent! While we waited for manta rays, and while they were there, he entertained us with manta ray trivia and stories.
- Hawaii Oceanic correctly answers all the questions Hawaii Ocean Watch requires for an eco-friendly tour.
- Check-in, wetsuits, and the boat guide were smooth and easy. I really like the ankle-floaties to keep my feet up and away from the manta rays.
- With three tours a night, it is convenient to book a tour.
- I did the sunset tour, which gave us a gorgeous sunset view before we got in the water.
Cons for Hawaii Oceanic
- The tour pace is fast as they do three tours a night, so if you want a leisurely tour, check out my Sea Paradise Manta Ray Review.
- Manta Village is the busiest location for manta ray night snorkeling. You may be one of a dozen or more boats in the water.
What Tour Time is the Best for Hawaii Oceanic?
We frequently receive this question, and it is a great question. I ask the guides this on every trip to see if I get a different answer.
The tour time, early or late, doesn’t matter when it comes to seeing manta rays. There is no statistical evidence that they come later or earlier in the evening to feed.
Pick the time that works for your Big Island itinerary. I prefer the early tour time because I like going to bed early in Hawaii. I did it late at night after driving down from Waikoloa Resorts. It let me arrive on time, but it made for a late night.
I like this manta ray night snorkeling tour company because it offers three to four evening tours. They turn the boats around quickly. It is a no-frills, see-the-manta-rays, and never-forget-your-50-minute tour type of experience.
Book a few weeks before your trip to secure your time and date!
If you’re apprehensive about snorkeling in the dark or really want to catch a sunset on the water with this tour, we recommend booking their earliest timeslot. Tour times change slightly throughout the year to stay with the sunset.
Be sure to also check out their Kealakekua Bay Snorkeling tour!
Staying at the OUTRIGGER Kona Resort?
Hawaii Oceanic manta ray tours are a convenient option for Outrigger guests. Hawaii Oceanic also offers numerous tour times each night, making it easy to book the right time for your itinerary.
This is a huge benefit of staying at the OUTRIGGER Kona Resort: you are a short walk to numerous manta ray night snorkeling tours. This is a great tour for resort guests, as it starts at the resort’s entrance sign.
They will park their white van at Outrigger Kona’s sign, making it easy to find and get started. Once the tour is done, enjoy the short walk back to your room while others trudge even further to their car.
Hawaii Oceanic Tour: FAQs
Based on my experience going on manta ray night snorkeling tours, here are frequently asked questions and what to know before you book a Hawaii Oceanic manta ray tour.
Feel free to email Erica or me with any questions; we are happy to help. See our contact us page.
What is the cancellation policy?
Customers will receive a refund, minus the 6% transaction fee, with a minimum of 24 hours’ notice of cancellation. Customers will receive a refund if the operator cancels due to weather, not meeting the minimum required passengers, or other unforeseen circumstances. If your tour does not meet the minimum required passengers, you will have the option to receive a full refund, rebook to a different tour, or pay for additional seats and run the scheduled tour. Contact by phone or email to cancel or inquire about a cancellation. No-shows will be charged the full price.
Are manta ray sightings guaranteed?
They do offer guaranteed sightings, meaning if you do not see a manta ray on your tour, you can book another tour at no cost. They see manta rays on 90% of their tours. In the rare instances when we don’t see any manta rays, you’ll receive a credit for a future tour (pending availability). Be sure to book your tour early in your trip so you can be rebooked if necessary.
What’s the difference between the earlier and later tours?
The primary difference is light. On the first tour of the night, you’ll get a nice Kona sunset, and you’ll still have light as you get into the water. On the later tours, it’s dark, so it is a very different swimming and snorkeling experience. If you’re not a strong swimmer, you’ll want to stick with the first tour of the evening.
What is included and not included with the tour?
What’s included
– Wetsuit top (optional)
– Nonalcoholic beverages
What’s not included
– Towel
– Warm sweater or cover-up
Are manta rays dangerous? What do they eat?
No, manta rays are not dangerous, as they have no barbs or stingers. They eat plankton, and community members have started providing lights that attract plankton for the manta rays.
What if I’m not a strong swimmer or can’t swim?
If you can comfortably swim 25 yards in the ocean, you can safely snorkel on the tour. If you’re not there, you’re still welcome to get a ride-along ticket and not enter the water. Please keep in mind that once the sun sets, snorkeling in the dark adds to the challenge of swimming and orientation, so do what is safest for you.
What is Manta Village?
Manta Village is the most popular manta ray observation location in Hawaii. It is located at the entrance to Keauhou Bay on the South Kona Coast, about 15 minutes south of Kailua-Kona.
Nightly manta sightings are around 90 to 96% at Manta Village.
The non-migratory group of manta rays on the Big Island has reliably visited Manta Village for decades. It started when the hotel on the point, now the OUTRIGGER Kona, installed spotlights on the ocean. The lights attracted photoplankton, which attracted the manta rays to feed on them. See our Manta Ray Snorkeling in Hawaii to learn more.
Manta Village is a calmer snorkeling site compared to Manta Heaven, located near Kona Airport. Manta Heaven is a popular manta ray diving location.
About Hawaii Oceanic
Established in 2013, Hawaii Oceanic has been providing excellent tours. They take off on Pueo Kai 2, their Coast Guard-certified 27-foot Force Marine powerboat with a full cabin and some shade. This charter boat was designed for Hawaiian waters and was built in Hawaii.
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