Ocean Encounters Manta Ray Snorkel Tour - Sunset & Moonlight Cruise from Kona reviews, Big Island tours & activities, fun things to do in Big Island (With pictures only)

Amazing experience. Great crew!

Reviewed by: Steve712, 2023/03/25

If you do one thing on the west side of the big island this is it. Words and pictures don't do the experience justice. The crew of the boat was safety conscious and the captain ran a tight ship. As a passenger we felt in good hands. Do your homework about what this tour involves. If you cannot swim and/or are afraid of the water this is NOT FOR YOU!!!. This tour had 1/2 a dozen non-swimmers on the tour. They were miserable and the crew had to spend an inordinate time catering to them.

Rating:
Attended as:	Families
Activity Date:	2023/03/22
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Epic

Reviewed by: CLK, 2022/10/27

We had the greatest time on this tour! Ocean Encounters has the best crew and they made it so much fun! They were super nice and very knowledgeable! Not only that but the mantas put on a great show for us!! Highly recommend!! Mahalo Ocean Encounters!!!

Rating:
Attended as:	Friends
Activity Date:	2022/10/25
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Manta Ray Snorkel!

Reviewed by: Rob, 2022/10/09

The crew was fun, safe and respectful as well as extremely fun! We saw a minimum of 3 and a max of well… it was 7 or 8 at once. We were all so pleased with this even and I highly recommend going at sunset.
The rays were magnificent and gentle for such large creatures. They truly are a sight to see.
Will do this again on our next visit.

Rating:
Attended as:	Couples
Activity Date:	2022/10/05
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Awesome

Reviewed by: Chelsea, 2022/09/13

This was an amazing once in a lifetime experience. Highly recommend going on this tour. The moonlight tour would be my recommendation because there are less boats in the cove. The crew on this trip were great and very helpful the entire trip. They had drinks and snacks available when on the boat. The mantas were constant the entire time we were in the water and I was able to get great footage on my GoPro!

Rating:
Attended as:	Families
Activity Date:	2022/09/03
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Must do activity!

Reviewed by: Kendikane, 2022/07/02

This was a great experience! Highly recommend doing!

Rating:
Attended as:	Couples
Activity Date:	2022/06/09
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Awesome!

Reviewed by: Alberto, 2022/03/12

Everything was on point. Staff was very friendly and knowledgeable. The day was gorgeous and the sunset was incredible too. Manta-rays we’re a real show!!! They looked so beautiful and out of this word, like dancing in the water and playing with us. Definitely a must at the Big Island.

Rating:
Attended as:	Couples
Activity Date:	2022/02/19
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Great experience with awesome crew

Reviewed by: big island lover, 2021/12/29

We took the cruise last Thursday. The cruise time from the harbor to the site was a little long but worthful. The sunset view was beautiful. And we were so lucky to see a group of dolphins. The two girls were super nice and very helpful. Also, they offer a different price for people with ride-only. It was a great experience. I regret for not giving tips because my wallet was left in the car. I hope they could accept Zelle/Apple pay of tips later.

Rating:
Attended as:	Families
Activity Date:	2021/12/23
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Manta Ray night snorkeling

Reviewed by: Awale Farah, 2021/12/16

The experience was amazing. A big ray came so close touched my elbow.

Rating:
Attended as:	Solo Travelers
Activity Date:	2021/12/14
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Fantastic

Reviewed by: Montalvo Family , 2018/08/01

We were a family of 7 visiting Hawaii for the first time in July 2018 and swimming with the Mantas sounded like a dream. We went out and was disappointed when only 2 Mantas showed up but I only saw one. To our surprise the captain announced that he planned on going back out later and anyone who wished to go back out was welcomed to stay onboard. Well needless to say we went back out to the south side of the island and to our amazement we were blessed to not only swim with one but with seven Mantas. The experience was outstanding one I will never forget. The captain and crew was courteous and professional and I highly recommend Ocean Encounters.

Rating:
Attended as:	Families
Activity Date:	2018/07/23
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Equally awe-inspiring and nerve-wracking

Reviewed by: Darra, 2018/07/29

I only add the nerve wracking part as it was something I did with a little trepidation - the idea of swimming in the ocean, in the dark, in the cold with a little tube to breathe through... However, I like to do something that scares every once in a while as the fear usually is nothing when actually doing the activity and this one was definitely the case in this experience. The guides were excellent and talked everyone through and kept everyone relaxed. You had a half wet suit to help with the cold; the water was lit up (to attract the plankton and mantas); the snorkel you soon forgot once you were floating in pure amazement and smiles as these giants swooped below you and then treated to the bright white display of them underneath as they rolled to eat up the plankton. Complete gentle giants; and not at all scary but just delightful

Still shot from a video (recommend taking a gopro or similar if you can!)

Rating:
Attended as:	Couples
Activity Date:	2018/06/23
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Highlight of my trip to Hawaii!

Reviewed by: Margarita, 2017/05/15

Swimming with Manta Rays has been on my bucket list for a very long time. Seeing these beautiful creatures swimming next to you was absolutely unreal! As you can only spot Manta Rays at night we went for a short boat trip first where we watched the sunset, enjoyed the weather and had a few drinks. Our captain was a great guy who showed us something I couldn’t believe existed – a green flash right before the sun disappears below the horizon – thought it was a myth! Crew did everything they could to make us feel comfortable and to enhance our experience throughout the entire trip. Manta Rays were swimming right next to us and I managed to get a perfect footage on my GoPro camera which I am going to use for my video. This experience is a must do if you are visiting Big Island – this was definitely a highlight of my trip to Hawaii!

Reply from activity provider

Mahalos for the wonderful review. Hope you all have a great vacation in HI

Rating:
Attended as:	Friends
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Overall Rating	Attended as	Language
★★★★★ ★★★★ ★★★ ★★ ★	Couples Families with Young Children Families Friends Solo Travelers	All (49) English (49) Japanese (0) Simplified Chinese (0) Traditional Chinese (0)

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