Lots of Manta rays....very close to everyone. The captain and crew were excellent. Very rare opportunity to see coastal Manta rays feeding.
What an incredible experience! We saw so many giant manta rays, it was truly a once in a lifetime opportunity. Unfortunately, I got very seasick, but the crew members were extremely helpful and friendly. Captain Bryce even assisted me with fixing my GoPro, so I was able to capture amazing video footage of the manta rays. I highly recommend this activity to anyone visiting the Big Island. It's a must-do!
My husband and I had an incredible experience with Bryce, Avery, and Ryan from Hang Loose Boat Tours! They said on a typical night they’ll get 2-3 manta rays hanging out around the boat, we had 10+ swimming around us the whole time! Absolutely unreal experience getting to be inches away from these magnificent creatures. The boat crew were awesome as well. This is one activity I would recommend spending the extra money on to do while you’re in Hawai’i, we’ve been here almost a week and this has been the highlight of our trip so far!
Truly a life changing experience. Snorkeling with the mantas was such a breathtaking experience that I will never forget. I knew, and expected this to be a larger boat - it was a double decker boat with probably 40 passengers, 2 guides and the captain. I think everyone alleviated the provision of wet suit tops, after sundown the water can feel cold quickly. After arriving at the manta snorkel site, the crew puts the light boards in the water and everyone gets in the water. Each person holds onto the boards, shoulder to shoulder while the crew distribute pool noodles to keep everyone’s feet afloat. Unfortunately, I had to share a noodle, which ended up being taken by my noodle partner midway through the experience. The crew didn’t notice until the final minutes of being in the water. Luckily, I’m a good snorkeler and for the most part was able to keep my legs at the surface. Another note - is that the passengers are of all different snorkeling/swimming abilities- something to keep in mind about your potential neighbor when you line up to get in the water. Our lights attracted half a dozen or more mantas, which spent the entire hour doing barrel rolls and swimming beneath the lights, catching plankton. They would often harmlessly bump into the snorkelers. An amazing experience for sure!
The Manta Ray trip was a fantastic. The crew were knowledgable and helpful and the swim boat trip was smooth. Overall, the experience went quite well and we'll remember it for years to come.