Big Island – Manta Ray Tour

*Sadly, this post is void of any pictures from our tour. I only took the one because it was dark and we were all in the water together.*

We did the night snorkel with manta rays. It was super fun, but kind of scary. I do not like swimming where you can’t see anything below you. I grew up in Austin and we have a few lakes in the area. I would still go skiing or swimming, but I was terrified the whole time. Manta ray tours are at night and we happened to be going on a night where the moon was nonexistent and the sky was cloudy. So, it was pitch black outside except for the lights from the island and I was pretty scared. Our six and nine-year-olds came along and did great. 

You take a 30-45 minute boat ride to a spot just off the shore where the tour boat puts in surfboards with lights on the bottom that attract the manta rays. The lights actually attract the plankton that settles on the ocean floor at night. When the lights are present, the plankton rise up, which creates a feeding ground for the manta rays. 

Manta rays are similar to their cousin the sting ray except they do not have a natural defense, so they are not dangerous to you. What is dangerous is the sea sickness you get from not being able to see anything on the boat ride over. So continuing on, you are holding onto the surfboard and watching these huge creatures do backflips right in front of your face. Sometimes you are looking straight down and then a manta ray is brushing up against your arms 1 inch from your snorkel mask. 

Brixton wanted to go back a little early and not stay out the full time, so I went back with him, but Knoxton and Zach stayed out the whole time. Highly recommend going on this snorkel tour, but I would say only confident first timers. Quite a few people were getting into the water and hopping right back out. It can be intimidating, especially in the dark with rough seas (like the night we were out). Probably 6-8 people were getting sick off the front of the boat at one time, so also probably not for people who get sick easily. We took the tour with Hang Loose Boat Tours via TripAdvisor. We really enjoyed our trip and the guys were super nice and entertaining. Also, if the manta rays are not out the night you go, you can do another tour for free! We left at 7:30pm and got back at 11:00pm, so super late. Keep in mind that this is Hawaii time and if you are coming from the mainland (lower 48), it can be quite late, so definitely don’t plan the trip on the first or second day you are in Hawaii. 

Have you been on a manta ray tour or are wanting to go? What is something that you have tried that is out of your comfort zone?

Have any questions for us? We would love to hear from you!

Follow us @conquer.the.thrill on Instagram and Facebook.

Mahalo,

The Fabulous Life of an RV Wife

Make sure and subscribe on our home page for updates when we post more articles like this one!