Go home and tell your family you did something they’ll hardly believe, you joined a nighttime feeding frenzy in the warm Pacific alongside manta rays up to 16 feet across and 1,000 pounds. Named by The Travel Channel as one of the top 10 things to do in your lifetime, this rare and astonishing experience can only be found in three places on Earth.

Manta Ray Village, Hawaii

All of our snorkel tours depart from “Manta Ray Village,” named for the large population of manta rays that inhabit Keauhou Bay. It’s widely known as the Big Island’s most successful and consistent manta viewing location, making it the ideal place for a nighttime snorkel.

Because the snorkel site is only a 5 minute boat ride from our departure point, you’ll spend more time in the water and less time traveling. Once there, you’ll float above giant mantas as they glide and barrel roll beneath you in the warm Pacific, an unforgettable experience found only here. We keep our groups small to ensure an intimate, safe, and truly awe inspiring encounter with these gentle, prehistoric looking creatures.

What You’ll See While Snorkeling With Manta Rays

Our manta ray snorkel takes place at night, so reef activity is quieter than during the day, but the mantas more than make up for it. With wingspans reaching 10–12 feet, they sweep, circle, and barrel roll below you in a mesmerizing, up close display.

Manta rays feed on phytoplankton attracted by our specialized lighting system. Your in water guide will help you get comfortable on our state of the art flotation device, which beams light into the water to draw plankton and the mantas right beneath you.

You may see multiple mantas gliding over rocks and reefs at the ocean floor, illuminated beautifully by our lights and the natural glow around Keauhou Bay. It’s a spectacular, immersive view of their nighttime world.

Are Manta Rays Dangerous to Snorkel With

The shortest and best answer is, no! Unlike their cousin, the Sting Ray, Manta Rays are gentle giants with no spear-tipped tails, or any threatening body part for that matter. The only thing that we emphasize to ensure the safety of our guests as well as our crew, is that you have prior swimming and snorkeling experience. While we won’t be doing a lot of active swimming once in the water, the basics of knowing how to breathe and maintain a calm while the mantas swim around us are important for their safety and ours.