A Manta Rays + Snorkeling experience by Sea Paradise. Back to all Big Island tours.
Tour Summary: Reef manta rays feed under a lighted float at Manta Village, off Keauhou Bay, on 85 to 95 percent of nights year-round. You hold still on the float while they pass; this is a fixed-position snorkel, not a free swim.
Manta rays are drawn to the lights attached to the flotation board, which attract the plankton they feed on at night. Guests hold the lit frame face-down while manta rays feed in the water below. The swim from the boat to the board is about 30 feet. Manta Village sits offshore of the Sheraton Kona Resort at Keauhou Bay, about 5 to 10 minutes by catamaran. Map credit: Google Maps. Manta rays at Manta Village often pass within a few feet of guests on the float, though how close they come varies night to night. A manta ray scooping plankton at night at Manta Village. The circular feeding motion brings them back through the same lit water again and again. The view from the flotation board as a manta ray passes through the lit water below at Manta Village. Guests on the flotation board at Manta Village. The lights on the frame draw plankton to the surface, which draws the manta rays in close. Image credit: Sea Paradise.
5 Tour Highlights:
- Reef manta rays feed under a lighted float you hold at the surface; Sea Paradise sees them on 85 to 95 percent of nights year-round.
- If no manta shows on your trip, you can rebook free within 7 days on any scheduled departure.
- A held-position snorkel, not a free swim: you hold a plank on the float for 30 to 60 minutes while the guides watch the water.
- Two departures most nights: the first sails out at sunset, the second runs after full dark once the first fills.
- Ride-along seats from age 4 let non-swimmers watch the mantas from the deck; snorkelers from age 6.
Important: Bring your own swimwear (worn under the provided wetsuit) and a light jacket or sweater for the return crossing. An underwater camera if you have one optional (no flash allowed; GoPro rentals available on board)
Tour Information:
| Price: | Adult | Youth | Infant |
|---|---|---|---|
| (excluding taxes & fees) | $130 | $115 | $65 |
Price note: Infant pricing is for ride-along seats, suited for guests age 4 and up who want to watch without getting in the water.
Tour Provider: Sea Paradise
Activity: Manta Rays + Snorkeling
Tour start time: Depending on the time of sunset between 5 pm and 6:30 pm, with when needed a second tour 2.5 hours later
Duration: 2 hours
Location: Kona Coast
Pick-up available? No
Included: Wetsuit. Mask and snorkel (no fins needed). Lighted manta float board. In-water guide support throughout. Pre-snorkel briefing on manta behavior. Hot cocoa and chocolate on board. Water, soft drinks, and local juices on the return
Cancellations: Cancellations require 24 hour advance notice. You must call (800) 322-5662 or 808-322-2500 to cancel your tour. No refunds will be issued if you do not call to cancel in the required time prior to your scheduled check-in time.
Read more: about manta rays in our Big Island manta rays guide.
Read more about the Manta Ray Snorkel
Reef manta rays loop up within a few feet of the lighted float you hold at the surface, feeding on the plankton that gathers around the lights below you. This is Manta Village, a site 5 to 10 minutes by boat off Keauhou Bay, in front of the Sheraton Kona Resort. The crossing is short, so most of the trip is spent in the water at the float.
Sea Paradise sees mantas here on 85 to 95 percent of nights, year-round. These are wild animals, so on some nights you see none, and on others only one or two passing at a distance. If no manta appears on your trip, you can rebook free within 7 days on any scheduled departure.
Two departures run most nights. The first leaves at sunset, roughly 5:00 to 6:30 pm depending on the season, and includes the sunset sail out to the site; it runs about 2 hours. The second leaves about two and a half hours later, after full dark, and opens once the first fills. Both go to the same spot and run the same way.
Check in at the finger pier in Keauhou Bay 15 minutes before departure; the crew wears blue shirts. Parking is free on Kaleiopapa Street, a 3 to 5 minute walk to the pier. The boat is shoe-free, so you’ll leave your shoes on the dock or in your car.
What the snorkel involves
You don’t swim around at Manta Village. Everyone holds onto a lighted float board and stays put on the surface, face down, arms and legs extended in a plank. The guides keep the group together and watch the water below. Mantas pass under and around the float, sometimes brushing close as they turn to feed.
During the tour you hold onto a flotation device to which strong lights are attached. These lights attract plankton which, in turn, attract the manta rays. Image credit: Sea Paradise
Holding that plank position for 30 to 60 minutes tires people out, and the swell keeps pushing you off the float. You don’t need to be a strong swimmer, but a bad back or bad shoulders will feel it. The water is cool and the wet ride back after dark is colder, even in Hawaiʻi, so the crew has hot cocoa and chocolate ready for the return.
This is a large boat, up to 49 guests, and on a good night several boats cluster at the same lit spot, so expect company in the water. On a choppy night, people get seasick at the anchored stretch by the float, more than on the short crossing out. If you are prone to it, take something before you board.
Gear, ages, and the ride-along option
Sea Paradise provides the wetsuit, mask, snorkel, and float board, plus a briefing on manta behavior before you get in. No fins are needed, and full-face masks are not allowed for safety, so you use the standard mask and snorkel. Adults pay $130, and snorkelers age 6 and up pay $115.
For age 4 and up, a ride-along seat lets someone watch from the deck without getting in the water, at $65. From the deck you can still see the mantas at the float, which sits right off the boat under the lights.
Why we list Sea Paradise
Sea Paradise has run manta trips out of Keauhou Bay since 1985, and its founder, Rich Kersten, developed the large-vessel format used to view mantas at this site. The lighted float boards are his design. The company holds a Manta Ray Advocates of Hawaiʻi certification and follows its no-touch, no-chase protocols.
The manta population at this site includes more than 450 individual rays documented with the Manta Pacific Research Foundation. The current vessel is Hoku Nui, a 50-foot sailing catamaran that carries up to 49 guests. Sea Paradise also belongs to the Sustainable Tourism Association of Hawaiʻi and donates to the Surfrider Foundation and the Hawaiʻi Wildlife Fund.
[Video] Short Video of the Manta Ray Snorkel with Sea Paradise
About Sea Paradise
Sea Paradise has run manta trips out of Keauhou Bay since 1985, one of the longest records at this site, and its founder developed the large-vessel format for viewing mantas here. The company holds a Manta Ray Advocates of Hawaiʻi certification and follows its no-touch, no-chase protocols. It belongs to the Sustainable Tourism Association of Hawaiʻi and donates to the Surfrider Foundation and the Hawaiʻi Wildlife Fund. The reef manta rays it visits are among hundreds documented with the Manta Pacific Research Foundation.
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