5 Best Manta Ray Night Snorkel Tours in Kona: Big Island 2026
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One activity that is truly unique to the Big Island is night snorkeling with manta rays. It’s an experience you won’t soon forget. We have been out six times, and each time we are awestruck by these animals and the crazy, close encounters we have.
In our list of the best manta ray night snorkel in Kona, we share tours that go to places that skip the crowds in the water. We also share tours in Kohala, north of Kona, for those staying above Kona Airport.
All these areas offer reliable manta sightings because lights shining into the water attract plankton, manta rays’ primary food source. Manta Village in South Kona even boasts a 96% sighting success rate.
We don’t recommend every tour — we stick to tours that offer great experiences for guests and work to keep the environment and the manta rays safe. Not all tours are affiliates.
6 Best Manta Ray Night Snorkels in Kona: Click the links to learn more! We provide direct booking links. That means the best price with local tour operators, no middleman.
- Best all-around manta ray night snorkel: Sea Paradise is a great price with a quality tour, near the Outrigger Kona (Keauhou Bay), $130 for ages 13 and up; $115 for ages 6 to 12.
- Best small group tour in Keauhou Bay: Hawaii Oceanic full review, near the Outrigger Kona; $139 for ages 7 to 70.
- Best tour to avoid the crowds & small group tour: Puako Dive Adventures full review, from Kohala Coast, 18 mins north of Waikoloa; $150 for ages 10 and up. Only 6 guests! Snorkel, dive, or ride-along.
- Best unique manta ray night snorkel in Kona: Anelakai Adventures in a double-hull outrigger canoe from the Outrigger Kona; $180 for ages 2 and up
- Best from the beach: Manta Ray Advocates at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel to skip the crowds; $169 and minimum age is 12
Manta Guarantee: All tours, except Manta Ray Advocates, provide a Manta Guarantee. If you don’t see manta rays, you can rebook another tour at no cost. All these tours follow Hawaii Ocean Watch’s manta ray standards.
I bet you have questions about Big Island manta ray night snorkeling! Jump down to our FAQ section to learn the best time to go at night, whether you have to be a swimmer, and guaranteed sighting policies!
Also, see our Manta Ray Night Snorkeling in Hawaii Guide.
What is Big Island Manta Ray Night Snorkel?
Manta ray night snorkeling is a Big Island-only activity! You can’t snorkel or dive with manta rays on any other Hawaiian island.
Manta ray night snorkeling is a thrilling experience. It made my top-five thrilling life experiences list. Manta rays now sit alongside skydiving, bungee jumping, Serengeti safari, and marrying Erica.
In our opinion, that makes going on a tour a can’t-miss Big Island activity. We can’t get enough of screaming through our mouthpiece as a giant manta ray gracefully glides inches from our mask.
Here is what to expect on a Big Island manta ray night snorkel.
What to Expect on a Manta Ray Night Snorkel Tour
Here is a quick overview of what you can expect on these awesome manta ray snorkeling tours.
- Choose a manta ray tour operator that is close to your hotel or vacation rental. See our map of manta ray snorkeling locations below.
- The operator will provide wetsuits, quality snorkel gear, and perhaps even foot floats. You can rent a GoPro or bring your own underwater camera.
- Board the catamaran, power raft, or outrigger canoe with excited anticipation!
- The experienced crew will share safety tips for the snorkelers and how to safely snorkel with manta rays. This is important because you don’t want to hurt the manta rays.
- You’ll be in the water for 45 to 60 minutes. The overall tour duration is about 2 hours
- You will hold onto a flotation device with lights underneath it. The lights attract phytoplankton, which then attracts the manta rays to feed. This is usually a modified SUP board. You will superman-hold onto the raft, so foot floaties are helpful.
- Age limits typically start at 6 years old. Younger kids can do a ride-along where they stay on the boat with a guardian to watch. Your child should be comfortable snorkeling in the ocean at night.
- Non-swimmers can do a ride-along
- The manta rays come in to feed close to the light. At first, you will see them 30 feet under you, near the seafloor. Then they will come up in swooping barrel rolls to feed. It is amazing!
- The crew will be in the water with you to keep you and the manta rays safe!
- Go back onto the boat for juice, snacks, and sometimes hot chocolate.
The worst thing that has happened to me on a manta ray night snorkeling tour is getting cold in the water. Even with a wetsuit, floating stationary in 70 to 75-degree water in the winter can get chilly.
Video on Manta Ray Night Snorkeling
Check out our video on manta ray night snorkeling in Kona. We frame the video around mistakes to avoid, but it also serves as a great guide to what you can expect.
How Much Does Manta Ray Night Snorkeling Cost?
The cost of a Big Island manta ray snorkeling tour is $130 to $180 per adult plus taxes and fees. For example, expect an additional $20 on a $180 ticket for taxes and fees.
You can get discounted tickets for children and for staying on the boat as a non-swimmer, called a ride-along.
In our list of the best manta ray night snorkel tours, our cheapest option is Sea Paradise at $130 for ages 13 and up, $115 for ages 6 to 12, and $65 for a ride-along (4 years old and up).
A mid-priced tour ($150 to $180) will be a small-group tour or a unique experience, like departing from the beach or on an outrigger canoe.
I recommend only booking a tour that offers a Manta Guarantee. You don’t want to pay this much for a manta ray night snorkeling tour and not see manta rays.
I have been on a tour where the 8% chance of not seeing manta rays happened. The amazing owner-operator, Flipper of Puako Dive Adventures, rebooked the family on our tour for later that week, and I will do the tour again on my next trip to the Big Island.
Manta Ray Night Snorkel Locations
There are three popular locations for Big Island manta ray night snorkeling and diving. Manta rays return to these locations every night as humans have lit the waters to attract phytoplankton. The manta rays consume pounds of phytoplankton every night!
Click the links below for Google Maps directions.
- Manta Point is at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel on the northern end of the Kohala Coast. Tours will leave from Mauna Kea Beach, like Manta Ray Advocates. Or leave from Kawaihae Harbor, like Puako Dive Adventures. This is the least crowded area for manta ray night snorkeling in Kona.
- Manta Heaven is near the Kona Airport. Tours will go to Garden Eel Cove. This is a popular site for scuba divers. If scuba diving tours have poor sightings here, they will go south to Manta Village. Tours depart from Honokohau Small Boat Harbor.
- Manta Village is located at the entrance to Keauhou Bay. This is the most popular location for manta ray night snorkeling in Kona. Tours depart from the small harbor in the bay. The OUTRIGGER Kona is located less than a 4-minute walk away.
Are you staying at Waikoloa Resorts, Mauna Lani, Fairmont Orchid, or Mauna Kea Beach Hotel? Then, I recommend going out with Manta Ray Advocates or Puako Dive Adventures.
Keeping the Manta Rays Healthy & Safe
Hawaii Ocean Watch (HOW) suspended its green list in 2023 because of concerns about severe overcrowding at popular locations like Manta Heaven and Manta Village. These locations still see 20 or more boats in the water, along with hundreds of divers and snorkelers. To keep manta rays safe and healthy, HOW developed a way to review tour operators.
The manta ray night snorkel tours below follow the Hawaii Ocean Watch’s Five Questions to keep the manta rays safe. This includes no live-boating, a 1-crew-to-8-guests ratio, and experienced crews.
The Best Manta Ray Night Snorkel in Kona
After plenty of research and enjoying a number of different tours, these are our top picks for the best manta ray night snorkeling in Kona. Read our manta ray night snorkel reviews below and then click the buttons to learn more.
1. Best All-Around Manta Ray Night Snorkel: Sea Paradise
If you are going for a high probability of manta ray sightings, Sea Paradise is our pick. They operate conveniently in Manta Village, departing from a spot in Keauhou Bay, which is near the Outrigger Kona Resort.
Jordan, my husband, went out with Sea Paradise on a manta ray night snorkeling tour in 2024.
You’ll board their new 50-foot catamaran and set off for your snorkeling spot. Then you’ll get to spend 45 minutes in the water with the majestic manta rays. The total duration is 1.5 to 2 hours.
They offer two tours per night and a sighting guarantee: if you don’t see any mantas, you’ll be able to rebook on another tour.
Jordan, my husband, enjoyed this tour as it takes less than 15 minutes to get to the snorkel location. The crew is wonderful at getting everyone prepared to keep guests and the manta rays safe. They end the tour with hot chocolate and refreshments, a delight for the kids.
Why we love Sea Paradise: They offer a consistently great experience thanks to their experienced and large crew, and they have the lowest price. This is a great tour for ride-along (can’t swim) guests, as the floating group is close to the catamaran. Bonus! They offer a discounted price for kids 6 to 12 years old, and the ride-along price is only $65 for kids 4+! Not full price, like other tours.
The drawback is that there are a lot of people on this tour. They link multiple lighted SUPs.
How much does Sea Paradise’s manta ray snorkeling tour cost? Tours are $130 for ages 13 and up, $115 for ages 6 to 12, and $65 for ride-along passengers 4+ years old. This is the lowest-priced tour on our list because of the large group size of 49 passengers.
2. Best Small Group Tour in Kona: Hawaii Oceanic
This was the very first Manta Ray night snorkeling tour Jordan did, and he loved it. So much that he has gone out with them twice. Jordan went out with Hawaii Oceanic in 2021 and again in 2025.
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.
Multiple tour times are available each night, so you can choose what works best for your schedule.
They 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 92% of their tours, so you have only about an 8% chance of missing out. Book your tour early in your trip so you can rebook if needed.
Why we love Hawaii Oceanic: The one small boat with one flotation device makes for an intimate experience. The guide stays with you, sharing fun facts and stories while you wait or watch the manta rays. You get in your wetsuit outside the Outrigger Kona, board, and you’re in the water in no time. The drawback is that they move fast, as they do tours hourly.
How much does Hawaii Oceanic’s manta ray snorkeling tour cost? Tours are $139 for all passengers. Ages 7 to 70 are welcome to go night snorkeling. You can rent a GoPro for $50. This is a great price for a maximum group size of 11 passengers. For comparison, Sea Paradise has 49 passengers.
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3. Best Manta Ray Night Snorkel with No Crowds: Puako Dive Adventures
This is a list of the best manta ray snorkels in Kona, but I have to share this one. Owner-guide Flipper runs his boat out of South Kawaihae Small Boat Harbor on the Kohala Coast and moors well north of the packed Kona sites. You get the same famous manta encounter with six people in the water instead of sixty.
My husband, Jordan, went out with Puako Dive Adventures in August, 2026.
You can scuba dive, snorkel, or ride-along with Puako Dive Adventures.
On the big Kona boats, you’re one of dozens gripping a shared flotation board, angling for a view while lights and fins crowd the surface. Here, the board is attached to the raft, the group is tiny, and the mantas barrel-roll inches beneath you without a wall of bodies overhead. If you’re traveling with kids or someone who gets nervous in open water at night, that difference is the difference between a great night and a stressful one.
If you’re staying in Waikoloa, Mauna Lani, Mauna Kea, or anywhere along the Kohala Coast, this is also the closer drive.
Why We Love Puako Dive Adventures
Six guests, and nobody else in the water. That’s the pitch, and after doing manta tours all over the Big Island, it’s the one that keeps standing out.
But Flipper is what makes it feel like a private charter, not a tour. He called the day of to confirm the time, check what gear I needed, and answer every question. He told manta stories while we waited for the sun to drop.
The best Manta Guarantee on the island. If you don’t see manta rays, Flipper will do his best to get you on another tour during your visit. Or (this is the best part), he will reschedule you for your next Big Island trip.
Jordan is taking him up on his Manta Guarantee, as Jordan was in the unlucky 8% who didn’t see manta rays. He will be back soon for another manta ray snorkel!
How much does Puako Dive Adventures’ manta ray snorkeling tour cost? Tours are $150 for all passengers. Ages 10 to 99 are welcome. You can scuba dive on the same tour for $180. This is a great price for a maximum group size of 6 passengers!
This is the tour I’d bring my own family on next time. The image below is all you need! Just you and the manta rays in Puako Bay!
4. Best Unique Manta Ray Snorkel: Anelakai Adventures
Head out on a double-hull outrigger canoe for a unique manta ray night snorkel tour. This is an ideal small-group tour. You depart from Keauhou Bay and paddle just 10 minutes to your snorkeling spot. Then you have about 30-40 minutes in the water to experience the manta rays up close.
Kids as young as two are welcome aboard. They can easily watch the rays from the canoe and participate in the family experience.
Why we love Anelakai Adventures: Heading out in an outrigger canoe is an experience in itself. Outrigger canoes first arrived in Hawaii in 200 AD with the Polynesian explorers who set out to establish life on a new territory. Outrigger canoes are culturally significant, environmentally friendly (no propeller!), and allow you to have a truly unique experience with the manta rays.
How much does Anelakai Adventures manta ray snorkeling tour cost? Tours are $180 for all passengers. Ages 2 to 99 are welcome but 2 year olds must stay on the outrigger canoe.
5. Best From the Beach Manta Ray Snorkel: Manta Ray Advocates
Technically this isn’t in Kona; it’s in Kohala at Manta Point. But it’s such a unique tour, and we enjoyed the experience so much that we had to include it.
I went out with Manta Ray Advocates in 2022 from their location on Mauna Kea Beach. We watched them conduct tours in the same fashion when we visited the resort in 2026.
Ditch the boats and snorkel from the shore (with your guide!) out to the manta ray viewing location. Manta Ray Advocates is a Hawaii Ocean Watch Green List member, and the owners and guides truly love manta rays. They spend the first part of the tour educating you on the rays and how to safely view them. Then, after you don your wetsuit, you head into the water, follow your guide, and snorkel into complete darkness.
Why we love Manta Ray Advocates: Walking into the water and snorkeling out from the beach in nearly complete darkness was such a thrilling experience. I really enjoyed not having to board a boat, instead leaving from the beautiful beach at the Mauna Kea resort. The biggest drawbacks are their strict cancellation policy, the 12+ age requirement, and the lack of a Manta Guarantee.
How much does a Manta Ray Advocates tour cost? Tours are $169 for all passengers. Ages 12 to 99 are welcome, and you must be a strong swimmer.
FAQs: Manta Ray Night Snorkel Kona
For even more, check out our full manta ray snorkeling guide with all the need-to-know details.
Can you snorkel with Manta Rays without a tour?
Technically, you can snorkel with manta rays without a tour, but you really shouldn’t. First, your personal safety is at risk if you head out solo. When you swim in the ocean or snorkel at night, it can be very easy to become disoriented.
Second, you put the safety of the manta rays at risk by snorkeling without a tour. Manta rays are large, but they are very sensitive — touching them or otherwise disturbing their environment is a big no-no, and it could result in injury to the manta rays. Choosing a tour that follows safe standards is important.
If you’re looking to snorkel on your own (and not with manta rays at night), we have a list of the best snorkeling spots on the Big Island.
What is the best time to see manta rays?
There is no best time to do a tour. You have equal odds of seeing manta rays on the sunset tour as you do on the last tour of the night. That is why they can offer the Manta Guarantee.
The best time of day to see manta rays is at night. At night, manta rays feed on plankton, which makes up a majority of their diet.
No seasonality: Unlike humpback whales on the Big Island, which are only in Hawaii from December through April, there is no manta ray season. You can see manta rays year-round. However, winter swells and rough currents can make your trip more likely to be canceled during that season.
Related: how many days do you need for your trip to the Big Island?
What should I bring to a manta ray snorkel?
Wear your swimsuit and bring with you a towel and a change of warm clothes. Most tour operators will provide wetsuits and snorkeling gear. You can also bring an underwater camera, like a GoPro.
Do I have to know how to swim?
I recommend going out manta ray night snorkeling if you can swim, for your own safety. You will be in the open ocean at night. It can be intimidating, even for strong swimmers. Plus, if you get separated from the tour, you need to get back to the boat on your own.
Many of these tours do offer ride-along tickets. Non-swimmers can stay on the boat and watch the manta rays in the water.
What is the Manta Guarantee?
Some tour operators offer the Manta Guarantee. They guarantee you will see manta rays on your tour or you can rebook. This has happened to me! I recommend booking your tour early in your trip so you can reschedule. As tours can sell out, you want as many available days as possible to rebook. So tours, like Puako Dive Adventures, let you rebook for an indefinite period of time.
What is the difference between Manta Village vs Manta Heaven?
Manta Village is located at Keauhou Bay in South Kona, near the OUTRIGGER Kona. Manta Heaven is located near Kona Airport, at Garden Eel Cove, in Makako Bay.
Manta Village is popular for manta ray night snorkeling. Most tours come to this location and depart from the local harbor in Keauhou Bay. Manta Heaven is more popular with scuba diving tours. If divers don’t see manta rays here, they head to Manta Village.
What are the age limits for manta ray night snorkeling?
Age limits can start at 6 years old for a manta ray tour. 3 year olds are allowed on Kona Ocean Adventures. Most tours start at ten years or older. Younger kids, starting at 2 years old, can do a ride-along where they stay on the boat with a guardian watching them. Two year olds are welcome on Anelakai Adventures’ outrigger canoe.
Your child should be comfortable snorkeling in the ocean at night to do a manta ray snorkeling tour.
Related reads:
5 Best Big Island Beginner Snorkeling Spots You Shouldn’t Miss
11 Best Big Island Beaches You Need to Visit (+ map!)
Big Island vs Kauai: Which One Is Ideal For Your Vacation
Manta Ray Night Snorkel in Kona Video
We have done so many manta ray snorkeling tours (it’s truly one of our favorite activities!), and we compiled everything into a helpful video guide, so you can know what to expect before you go:
Final Thoughts on the Best Manta Ray Night Snorkel in Kona
There are a lot of tour operators to choose from for manta ray night snorkeling or diving. Jordan and I do our best to recommend only the best tours, with the best record for keeping manta rays safe.
This list offers a diverse range of options for your group. You will have an amazing time snorkeling with manta rays. We feel so lucky that we are able to do this experience with these graceful animals.
Thank you for booking a manta ray night snorkel tour on our website! Your support helps us go on more tours, make videos, and ensure we recommend only the best.
Here is the list of tours again for your convenience. Mahalo!
Best Manta Ray Night Snorkels in Kona (Big Island): Click the links to learn more! We provide direct booking links. That means the best price with local tour operators, no middleman.
- Best all-around manta ray night snorkel: Sea Paradise at the Outrigger Kona (Keauhou Bay), $130 for ages 13 and up; $115 for 6 to 12 yrs old.
- Best small group tour in South Kona: Hawaii Oceanic at the Outrigger Kona; $139 for ages 7 to 70.
- Best tour to avoid the crowds for a snorkel or scuba dive: Puako Dive Adventures from Kohala Coast, 18 mins north of Waikoloa; $150 for ages 10 and up.
- Best for snorkeling, diving, or ride-along: Kona Ocean Adventures departing at Honokohau Harbor; $265 for ages 3 and up
- Best from the beach: Manta Ray Advocates at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel to skip the crowds; $169 and minimum age is 12
- Best unique manta ray night snorkel in Kona: Anelakai Adventures in a double-hull outrigger canoe from the Outrigger Kona; $180 for ages 2 and up
Manta Guarantee: All tours, except Manta Ray Advocates, provide a Manta Guarantee. If you don’t see manta rays, you can rebook another tour at no cost.
