Big Island Manta Ray Night Snorkel
Overview
Available languages
2 hours 30 minutes
Mobile ticket
A must do while in Hawaii! It's a lifetime opportunity to see up close manta rays feeding and interacting with other ocean creatures under the neon lights. Join us for a memorable and magical moment of a night snorkel with beautiful manta rays gracefully gliding through the water. We guarantee Manta Ray sighting or your next trip is on us!!
Additional Info
Service animals allowed
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
MUST HAVE PREVIOUS SWIMMING AND SNORKELING EXPERIENCE OR WILL NOT BE ABLE TO GET IN THE WATER!!!
MUST BE comfortable in the water, be comfortable using floatation if needed (we have Ride Along option available for non-swimmers)
Must be in good health and fit condition, must be able to climb a short ladder
Due to the nature of this tour and the safety of all guests, the tour operator reserves the right to refuse service to passengers who are intoxicated or show signs of intoxication. If, as a result, your tour is canceled, you will not be entitled to a refund.
Subject to favorable weather conditions. If canceled by the supplier, you will be given the option of an alternative date or full refund
Recommended to bring towel, clothes for change, sweatshirt or light jacket
Age restriction: minimum age allowed is 2 years old; maximum age allowed is 70 years old (unless approved by the supplier)
Not recommended for participants with back or neck problems or injuries within the last 3 years
Not recommended for pregnant travelers in an advanced pregnancy
What To Expect
Manta Ray night snorkel is a MUST DO while in Hawaii. It’s a lifetime opportunity to see up close giant manta rays feeding and interacting with other ocean creatures under the neon lights. Join us for a memorable and magical moment of a night time with beautiful manta rays gracefully gliding through the water. We guarantee seeing Manta Rays or your next excursion is on us!
Options
Ride Along Option-non swimming
Moonlight Manta Ride Along: THIS IS A NON-SWIMMING OPTION! This is a perfect option for those that want to come for a boat ride with their families but don't want to get in the water and snorkel.
Moonlight Manta Snorkel
Join us for a memorable moment as we snorkel with beautiful manta rays gracefully gliding through the water, feeding and interacting with other manta rays under the beautiful neon lights.
What‘s Included
For snorkeling option: Snorkeling gear, jacket style wetsuit top, floatation device
Bottled water
Professional guide
Light Snacks
Live commentary on board
Gratuities
Hotel pickup and drop-off
GoPro rental (upon availability -call to reserve)
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Reviews
6,040 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Manta Ray Extravaganza
Maryjo u,Jun 17, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00So interactive and mesmerizing!! You see an amazing and breathtaking view of mammoth sea creatures feeding. A memory that you'll never forget!!
This was such an amazing...
LISA M,Jun 17, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00This was such an amazing experience! The captain was funny and made the boat ride enjoyable. We saw huge manta rays that brushed up against us and even saw a shark below. Would definitely do this again!
So fun!!
Bruce C,Jun 17, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Definitely worth doing! Professional, friendly crew and the experience is amazing. Seeing these majestic creatures that close is really something to behold
Unique & amazing! Worth it, despite the rough ride!
andampersand,Jun 17, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00When planning our big Island trip, I’d heard that swimming with mantas was a MUST do! We booked on Viator with Hang Loose Boat Tours for a party of 4… the youngest being 14 years old. I’m rating this “experience” highly because it’s so unique & special to Hawaii! We all really enjoyed seeing the rays feed inches from us… close enough to touch! Amazing! That said, this experience is NOT for the faint of heart. It’s a rough & tumble ride that takes some guts if you’re not used to boats or snorkeling. The description indicates snorkeling experience is recommended… I read this as “preferred” but assumed there would be some instruction provided for those without experience as is typical for tourist excursions where people of all experience levels participate. Not the case here! The rest of this review is a description of our experience in hope that others feel more prepared & comfortable. We arrived at the dock parking lot for pick up in Kona & were checked in, signed waivers, removed shoes [water shoes allowed], given a wetsuit top & snorkel mask [no wetsuit bottoms], & boarded the boat with about 40 other guests. The crew announced we’d be taking a 20+ minute ride to the manta ray site & a quick review of emergency procedures before we set out. The boat ride was along the west coast of the island, a pretty fast, windy, bumpy ride with music playing. Upon arriving at the site, we see a number of other boats already snorkeling at the same site. Our boat anchored & the guides let out the boards & immediately invited guests to line up at the back & start jumping in. Again, no guidance provided on using the gear or what to do if the mask takes in water. The boat is anchored & rocking side to side violently at this point. We were given a pool noodle for floatation & ended up the last four to jump into the cold churning ocean. The guides were helpful in swimming us over to the boards & then positioning the noodle under our ankles to keep legs floating. This is finally the point when mantas were visible thru the snorkel mask, feeding underneath the board apparatus & swimming right underneath us! Wow! Us being last in line to jump in meant we were closest to the rocking boat & we felt it! We got very jerked around making it really difficult to hang on, to keep the floatation noodle under our feet, and we were getting splashed above the mask which meant we were sucking ocean water. At this point some members of our group had reached their limit & we headed in. The guides were helpful swimming us to the boat ladder but again, really choppy seas getting there. We brought our own towels to dry off, handed the gear back in, & then had to sit & wait another 15-20 minutes for the rest of the guests to come in. Several of the guests were actively getting sick over the edge of the boat. If you or a member of your party has had any past motion sickness issues I highly recommend prepping with Dramamine. Everyone finally loaded in the boat, wet & cold[ish], we took the 20+ minute ride back to the dock. We found this to be an amazing & worth it experience! If you choose it for yourself, don’t expect any hand-holding or a pleasure cruise… this is a high-adrenaline, out of the comfort zone, swallow your fears & jump in deal.
Amazing & worth it… despite the rough ride!
Shonna P,Jun 16, 2026
- Review from Viator
4.00When planning our big Island trip, I’d heard that swimming with mantas was a MUST do! We booked on Viator with Hang Loose Boat Tours for a party of 4… the youngest being 14 years old. I’m rating this “experience” highly because it’s so unique & special to Hawaii! We all really enjoyed seeing the rays feed inches from us… close enough to touch! Amazing! That said, this experience is NOT for the faint of heart. It’s a rough & tumble ride that takes some guts if you’re not used to boats or snorkeling. The description indicates snorkeling experience is recommended… I read this as “preferred” but assumed there would be some instruction provided for those without experience as is typical for tourist excursions where people of all experience levels participate. Not the case here! The rest of this review is a description of our experience in hope that others feel more prepared & comfortable. We arrived at the dock parking lot for pick up in Kona & were checked in, signed waivers, removed shoes [water shoes allowed], given a wetsuit top & snorkel mask [no wetsuit bottoms], & boarded the boat with about 40 other guests. The crew announced we’d be taking a 20+ minute ride to the manta ray site & a quick review of emergency procedures before we set out. The boat ride was along the west coast of the island, a pretty fast, windy, bumpy ride with music playing. Upon arriving at the site, we see a number of other boats already snorkeling at the same site. Our boat anchored & the guides let out the boards & immediately invited guests to line up at the back & start jumping in. Again, no guidance provided on using the gear or what to do if the mask takes in water. The boat is anchored & rocking side to side violently at this point. We were given a pool noodle for floatation & ended up the last four to jump into the cold churning ocean. The guides were helpful in swimming us over to the boards & then positioning the noodle under our ankles to keep legs floating. This is finally the point when mantas were visible thru the snorkel mask, feeding underneath the board apparatus & swimming right underneath us! Wow! Us being last in line to jump in meant we were closest to the rocking boat & we felt it! We got very jerked around making it really difficult to hang on, to keep the floatation noodle under our feet, and we were getting splashed above the mask which meant we were sucking ocean water. At this point some members of our group had reached their limit & we headed in. The guides were helpful swimming us to the boat ladder but again, really choppy seas getting there. We brought our own towels to dry off, handed the gear back in, & then had to sit & wait another 15-20 minutes for the rest of the guests to come in. Several of the guests were actively getting sick over the edge of the boat. If you or a member of your party has had any past motion sickness issues I highly recommend prepping with Dramamine. Everyone finally loaded in the boat, wet & cold[ish], we took the 20+ minute ride back to the dock. We found this to be an amazing & worth it experience! If you choose it for yourself, don’t expect any hand-holding or a pleasure cruise… this is a high-adrenaline, out of the comfort zone, swallow your fears & jump in deal.
Amazing!!
Melissa S,Jun 16, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00This was easily one of the coolest experiences we have ever had! We got to see the amazing Manta Rays and even had a surprise appearance by some dolphins. Our 10 and 13 year old boys loved it as much as we did! The tour guides were amazing as well. Don’t forget to bring a towel! It gets pretty cold on the way back.
Pretty good
Laura C,Jun 16, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
3.00Great to see the gentle giants. Parking is not well marked at the harbor, so ask where to park. Would have appreciated more history on the mantas prior to arriving. They are such cool creatures.
Must do!
Kaeliann H,Jun 16, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00100/10 recommend worth every penny, unparalleled experience. Don’t have to be a strong swimmer. Guides were awesome
Amazing experience and...
Matthew P,Jun 16, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Amazing experience and would do it again. It gets a little repetitive after a while but the initial experience is well worth it!
Fun
Sandra K,Jun 16, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Exciting experience. Well organized. Liked going when it was dark. Water was not too cold. Wished the bathrooms were open when we got back.
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Operated by Hang Loose Boat Tours