Can You Swim with Manta Rays on the Big Island?
Yes — and it’s one of the most extraordinary things you can do in Hawai‘i. The Kona and Kohala coasts host one of only a few places on Earth where wild manta rays regularly feed close enough to shore for visitors to snorkel above them. On a good night you’ll float over 8-to-16-foot, totally harmless animals doing lazy backflips for plankton.
Here’s what to know before you book.
Where it happens
Two main viewing sites. Keauhou Bay (just south of Kailua-Kona) — the original spot, named ‘Manta Village.’ And the ‘Manta Heaven’ site up the Kohala coast, off the Fairmont Orchid and the nearby resorts. Sightings happen at both, with slightly different seasonal rhythms.
What actually happens on the tour
You go out on a boat around sunset, get fitted with a wetsuit top and snorkel gear, and once it’s dark the boat clips you into a lighted floating ‘campfire’ platform. You hang on with your face in the water. The lights attract plankton; the mantas come in to eat. When they show up, they glide within a foot or two of you, mouth wide open, turning in graceful loops. You are not allowed to touch them — the slime coat on their skin is their immune system — and the guides will correct anyone who reaches.
Snorkel or scuba?
Both are offered. Snorkeling is cheaper, accessible to non-swimmers in a wetsuit, and gives you the best ‘manta going over your head’ view. Scuba gets you eye-level with the animals on the bottom, which is its own incredible thing if you’re already certified. Most first-timers do the snorkel.
Guarantees, seasons and weather
These are wild animals — no operator can guarantee sightings. Industry sighting rates run roughly 70–90% across the year, with the best odds on calm, new-moon nights. Most reputable operators offer a second night free if mantas don’t appear. Fall and winter can have a few canceled days for wind and swell, but trips run year-round.
Book a certified operator
The Manta Ray Advocates and Hawai‘i Ocean Tourism’s Green List identify operators that follow the manta ray code of conduct — keeping distance, limiting lights, briefing guests on no-touch rules. Choose one of those. The animals’ long-term health depends on it, and the experience is measurably better with guides who care about the site.
Tips for the night
- Don’t eat heavily before the trip — it’s easier on the stomach.
- Bring a warm layer for the boat ride back.
- Motion-sickness meds are worth it if you’re prone.
- Wear reef-safe sunscreen that day so residue doesn’t end up in the water.
- Leave the GoPro flash off — it stresses the animals.
Explore the Big Island with Ohana Tours
Our manta ray night snorkel partners with a small-boat operator on the Manta Ray Advocates list and caps groups at a size that keeps the experience calm in the water. We’ll match you to the right site and time based on conditions the day of — it genuinely matters.
Manta night swims pair perfectly with a land day: many guests do our Circle Island day tour early in their trip to get the lay of the island, then book the mantas for a later evening.
Ready to plan your trip? Browse our Big Island experiences at ohanatours.com or reach out at aloha@ohanatours.com — we’ll build the itinerary around you.
Mahalo for reading — the Ohana Tours team