I’ve seen and done a lot of things in Hawaii and seeing the manta rays after dark on the Big Island is hands down one of the most special.

While manta rays can be found throughout the Hawaiian Islands, they are particularly prolific off the coast of Kona on the Big Island. It’s actually one of the top places in the WORLD to see manta rays.

Manta rays are migratory and follow their food source (plankton), but the Kona coast is home to almost 300 permanent manta residents.

Manta feed on plankton which are drawn to the surface of the ocean to feed off of sunlight. But by accident, a new nighttime feeding pattern was established in Kona in the 1970s. A hotel in Kona had floodlights set up by their restaurant so diners could watch the waves and it turned into a plankton hotspot, which in turn, attracted the mantas.

The mantas learned that they could feed at night on a higher concentration of plankton, and hotels around the island learned they could set up lights to attract the mantas.

Now, over 50 years later, nighttime dives and snorkeling tours to see the mantas are one of the island’s top offerings.

Because the island has a large resident manta ray population (they don’t migrate), you can swim with the mantas all year round and most tours have a high success rate (85-90%) of seeing them.

This post may contain some affiliate links, which means I’ll make a little money on anything you choose to purchase. But of course, I only recommend my absolute favorites to you. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Mousin’ Around possible.

Swimming with Manta Rays on the Big Island

I’ll admit…I haven’t quite worked up the nerve to do this yet. I’m normally all about snorkel tours and the list of critters I’ve swam with is ever growing (dolphins, sharks, PIGS), but by the nature of this particular ecosystem, these manta rays only come out at night. In the ocean. EEK.

Everyone who does this (including people who were TERRIFIED before) absolutely loves it and says it’s not bad at all once you get in the water, but I’m still not completely convinced. Maybe someday I will, but in the meantime, here’s the scoop on where to go.

There are two main spots where the mantas hang out at night…

“Manta Village” at Keauhou Bay (near the Sheraton) and “Manta Heaven” near the airport.

Manta Heaven has more mantas but is more crowded with boats. Manta Village statistically has fewer mantas showing up every night, but also fewer boats. I think it all evens out. And here’s the thing…the mantas are very social and curious (plus they’re eating) so they pretty much stay in the area and swoop and circle the entire time. So even if there’s just ONE manta, you’re going to be seeing it pretty much continuously.

There are a bunch of companies that run snorkel tours via boat from Kona, and it might just come down to availability, but here are some ones to check out:

Adventure X Boat Tours – $175/person – 1.5 hours

Anelakai Adventures – Hawaiian style paddle boats! $180/person – 1 hour tour

Coral Reef Snorkel Adventures – $99/person – 1.5 hour tour

Manta Discovery Adventures – $120/person – 1.5 hour tour

***Want to save major $$$ on your trip to Hawaii? I get asked ALL the time how I’m able to travel so often to Hawaii and stay at really nice resorts. Well, my favorite travel hack is cashing in points to score free airfare and free nights at some of Hawaii’s most high end resorts. Read my full guide on the exact system I use to max out credit card rewards here. Seriously, it’s going to save you soooo much money.

The Manta Snorkeling Tour I Would Personally Do

 

NOW…if and when I do this, I will go with Manta Ray Advocates on their “Moonlight Swim with the Mantas.” This is the only (that I’ve found) company that departs from a beach to a private manta location. $145/person.

They leave from the beach at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel and swim (not too far) to a spot that’s rigged with a permanent light to attract the mantas.

It’s in a small group of about six and it seems like the way to go. I actually watched the whole thing from the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel several times and I’ve really impressed.

How to See the Mantas WITHOUT Getting in the Ocean After Dark

So like I said I’ve watched the Manta Ray Advocates tour several times from the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel. And that’s because they have a place where you can see it all happen FROM DRY LAND.

The Mauna Kea Beach Hotel has a private light set up over a manta feeding station that you can view from a platform above.

The first time I came here, I stood for almost an hour and watched them and it was PHENOMENAL. One of my favorite things I’ve seen in Hawaii. They are so close to where you stand and they just loop back and forth constantly.

From the hotel lookout you can watch the snorkelers come out from the beach (they swim in the water just below where you stand), and there’s usually a few boats further out in the bay too.

I get asked a lot of questions about coming to the hotel to see the manta rays (I think a lot of people don’t love the idea of getting in the ocean after dark but still want to see them) and here’s what I know:

The manta ray viewing platform is primarily set up for hotel guests but it’s not monitored really.

But there is a guard shack to come into the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel so it’s kind of self regulating.

If you’re not staying at the hotel, I would recommend making a dinner reservation at Manta, the hotel’s signature restaurant, and making an evening out of it.

Side Note: If you’re looking for a rental car for your trip, I LOVE Discount Hawaii Car Rentals. They’re seriously the only company I ever use. They’ll give you the very best prices, you don’t have to reserve with a credit card or pay until you show up, you can cancel and re-book anytime if you find a better rate, and they usually have a special that adds additional drivers for no fee. It’s a no brainer. Click here to check rates for your trip.

The hotel also hosts a luau a couple of nights a week and that would be a great way to kill two birds with one stone.

There is very limited public beach parking here (40 spots) and it’s all run by the hotel so when you pull up to the guard shack, you can ask about free beach parking (it usually fills up pretty early in the morning). Otherwise, you can pay to valet park ($40 but I think they’ll give you a $20 credit if you shop or dine at the resort).

Dinner at Copper Bar or Hau Tree is less expensive than Manta and overall a real bargain compared to the price of the snorkel tours.

If you want to see the manta rays, I really like the idea of coming to the resort for a sunset dinner (cheaper at Hau Tree, more expensive at Manta), and then making your way down to the viewing platform. Consider dinner the price of admission.

Want to read more posts about the Big Island? I’ve got plenty!

Things You Can ONLY Do on the Big Island // 7 Day Big Island Itinerary // One Day in Hilo // One Day in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park // Where to Eat on the Big Island // Stargazing at Mauna Kea

Kona vs Hilo // Big Island’s Best Beach Resorts Ranked // Big Island Travel Tips