The easiest way to access the bay is via boat, allowing you to see the beautiful coastline from the water and ensuring that you can experience the best snorkel spots in the bay. Kealakekua Bay is Big Island’s only underwater state park and is one of the most excellent places to snorkel in all of Hawaii! It’s a bit difficult to access from land, as the parking is 1.9 miles away from the bay, requiring a long hike down to the water in the hot sun, which you will have to climb back up when you are finished with your visit. The wingspan of these manta rays can reach up to 18 feet! Make this your top priority when visiting the Big Island!įair Wind offers daily trips to Manta Village from Keauhou Bay around sunset, the trip taking about 1.5 hours in total. It is a truly magnificent experience and sight to behold. Snorkelers hold on to the sides of these rafts and gaze below as these gentle giants swim and turn in circles to feast on this plankton soup. The light attracts the diurnal plankton to the surface, this way drawing groups of manta rays to come and feed on their nightly snack. The group that lives off the coast of Kona does not migrate and lives permanently in these tropical waters.Īround sunset, boats leave the harbors in Kona and typically travel to one of two sites deemed “Manta Village” and “Manta Heaven.” When arriving, boats shine lights into the water and set up giant rafts with floodlights that point down into the waters. The species frequently seen in Hawaiian waters is Manta alfredi, reef manta rays, and are the second largest species of manta rays on the planet! Mantas are filter feeders, feeding on plankton that they sieve out into their large mouths. Manta Village is undoubtedly the main draw for nature lovers to the waters around Kailua-Kona, to swim with the incredible manta rays. Don’t miss out on daytime explorations into many other exceptional snorkeling sites that Big Island has to offer! 1. The shoreline on the western side of the island (Kona side) is comprised of many sheltered volcanic bays, where corals, reef fish, and larger marine life thrive! Known globally for the exciting opportunity to swim with manta rays at night, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to revel at one of nature’s gentlest giants. They offer a manta guarantee and early bird pricing.The Big Island of Hawai’i holds arguably some of the best snorkeling sites in all of the Hawaiian Islands. Because it’s a snorkel company they may choose to visit Garden Eel Cove or Manta Village depending on conditions, seasonality, and whether the mantas have been showing up at either site recently. They are the top-rated and most reviewed snorkel company in the state of Hawaii with over 5,000 5-star google reviews. Kona Snorkel Trips offers the manta ray night snorkel tour two times a night. Manta Ray Snorkel & Dive Tours visiting Manta Ray Heaven Snorkel Tours While there are over 250 different rays seen along the Kona coastline only some of them will choose to visit Garden Eel Cove / Manta Ray Heaven. But remember, manta rays are wild animals and they do as they wish. On other nights there can be so many mantas they are hard to see them all at once! These are what everybody hopes for. On some nights there may be no manta rays or just a single manta. When combined with the campfire lights the snorkel board lights will also draw manta rays to them. The guests will keep hold of the board which has lights mounted in it. The snorkelers will get in the water usually just after sunset and a guide will tow a large surfboard with handles on it to the campfire. Snorkel tour boats will typically show up later in the evening near sunset and attach to the many dive boats there.
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