Hawaii Island And Ocean Tours -manta Ray Snorkel

They are the best! Just went on a manta ray snorkel tour tonight and the first area we checked out wasn’t as active as we thought, therefore the captain and other crew members agreed to take us somewhere else. When we arrived, there were 4! Absolutely a prime example of putting the customers first and making sure we’re happy when we walk off their boat. Great people, great price and great service. Definitely recommend!

Really unique experience. Apparently there’s only three places in the world where you can see manta rays (a prehistoric sea creature); and the big island is one of them. They are awe inspiring.
Def recommend this business. Very professional and fun time. They provide snorkel mask and wetsuit. Short 5 min boat trip to the site. One hour total adventure.

I’m the consummate «non-​planner» but I heard you need to plan ahead for Manta Ray snorkeling experiences as they book up… plus there’s never a guarantee you’ll see any. I broke from my normal MO and turned to Unilocal to see what people had to say about the tour operators. Some of the bigger operations have heaps of reviews but I liked the fact Hawaii Island and Ocean Tours seemed like the ‘small’ guy. I figured I’d start with them. and I’m glad I did!
We were only on day 2 of 6 of our trip, and when I spoke to LeAnne, she advised me it was «fire worm» season in the water so she wasn’t running tours until they cleared (she was covered in welts as a result!) Some of the other groups were probably still running, but after googling what a fire worm is, I didn’t want to chance it. (Apparently it’s only 5 – 7 days out of the year these critters show up and of course I called in the middle of it! LOL!) LeAnne told me I should check back in a few days to see if they’ve moved along but we were also running the risk of a hurricane slamming into the Big Island at that point. It seemed like a long shot.
On our last day of our trip, the hurricane had changed course (headed away from the island) and I thought I would check in with LeAnne to see if those pesky fire worms had gone away??? I was pleased to hear they were going to start up tours again that night so I sheepishly asked if by chance they had room for two adults to go out? LeAnne was in the middle of building a wall (?!) but managed to check their schedules and said they could get us onto the 8:30pm trip. Sold!
Suffice it to say, we lucked out and got quite the show! I uploaded some stills from the video the BF shot as it was amazing how gracefully the manta rays feed. It’s a quick tour (about 45 min) as this crew takes people out in shifts — you don’t have to dedicate a few hours to the tour (which is nice). I’m not sure what the other tours do to have you out for a few hours but this team had some delicious goodies and hot chocolate for us once we got back to shore! It’s a small operation but it was a fabulous experience for us. I highly recommend! Just make sure you keep your expectations in check and know what you’re in for.
Some interesting bits of info I gathered from my research and experience:
— The groups before us only got a «fly by». It *seems* the later you go, the better the chances of seeing the manta rays??? (We were out there after all the other tours left so that may have something to do with it? Again, another reason to go with a small operation like Hawaii Island and Ocean Tours!)
— Go as close as possible to a new moon (so there’s less light from the sky) also helps draw the manta rays to the lights from the tours. Of course, we were there right after the full moon! LOL!
Have fun and enjoy. Aloha!

A couple weeks ago my family and I were taken out by John and LeeAnn to swim with the manta rays. What a treat! One of their sons described what we would experience as «swimming with butterflies». He was right. Only one showed up the night we went out, but it was enough. We were enthralled with its water aerial acrobatic display. It repeatedly glided and somersaulted within 10″ of us. You could see down its mouth and gills opening and closing on its underbelly. Thank you for sharing your world with us. It was a definite highlight.

Exceeded my expectations, I thought I’d see the mantas from 5 – 10 feet, it actually was more like 2 – 5 inches. LeAnn the owner clearly loves these peaceful, majestic sea animals. She had a name for each one, and they approached our group the minute we entered the water, it was a major highlight of our vacation and we’ll be returning in the future. Thanks fo LeAnn and her entire team.

Awesome experience! Immediately saw multiple manta rays upon entering the water. The staff was great at answering questions. 3 minute boat ride to area. Great equipment, nothing cheap or old. Provided everything you need for a great time! Bring towels and dry clothes, it can feel a bit chilly when you get out but staff back at dock were ready with hot chocolate and treats! It is a must do!
We were originally booked with Splashers but our trip was cancelled earlier in the week due to weather and we had rescheduled for another night but never actually got booked by the company so we were so thankful that Hawaii Island and Ocean Tours was available to accommodate us on our last night here! Plus, this was only a short boat ride vs. a 20 min boat ride.
Very personable friendly crew! Highly recommend this company! We stayed at the Marriott and the local experts that sell the tours were not familiar with this company, will FOR SURE be spreading the word so other guests of this resort know how great these guys are!

This was an amazing experience!!! Definitely recommend using this local company!!! They were super nice and knowledgeable about the rays and the area. LeAnne, the owner, knew the rays by names she had given them and they responded to her voice. The rays came up so close to us, that they brushed our body. Very cool! A must-​do!!!

Excellent experience. Saw lots of manta rays! They kept us out 30 minutes longer to make sure we saw the manta rays! We were the only boat left so all the manta rays came to us! LeeAnn and the other guide really care about the rays and know them all by name. They are a local company and they love the ocean!!! Lots of aloha spirit here!

WHAT AN AWESOME EXPERIENCE!
If you want to see Manta Rays up close, Hawaii Island and Ocean Tours is what you’re looking for. It is a small business run by Johnny and LeeAnn who were born and raised on the Big Island.
We were welcomed by friendly and young faces at the boat ramp just past the entrance to Kona Sheraton They were ready for the five of us for our 7:30 p.m. reservation. We elected to wear wet suits; they were dry and clean. LeeAnn gave us a quick orientation before we boarded their five-​seater boat with Captain Johnny at the helm.
LeeAnn educated us about the ocean, about the island, and why they operate the way they do. I won’t spoil it. If you want to get educated, just book a dive. During our five– minute ride out to the site, we received our mask and snorkel and completely suited up. They disinfect their equipment; you might want to quickly fill your mask and purge when you jump into the ocean to further rinse the anti-​fog solution. You can always spit into your mask; just as effective.
There were several LARGE TOUR BOATS and all the people floating on the surface looked like a scene from the movie Titanic.
One of my sons was afraid but because LeeAnn spoke calmly, he did not hesitate to jump into the dark ocean. Note: THEY DO NOT DROP ANCHOR BECAUSE THEY DO NOT WANT TO DAMAGE THE CORAL. We swam to a specially designed surfboard which built-​in lights and pvc pipes. We held onto the pipes, placed «pool noodles» under us to keep us floating horizontally, and LeeAnn pulled us out away from the boat. SHE IS STRONG! She did all the work. Notice I didn’t say that they gave us fins. She took us away from the crowd and stopped «at her spot.»
Within a minute, we spotted our first Manta. She knows each of them by name. It was beautiful and they were within reach — but don’t touch them as they protective covering — and one of them rubbed up against my husband. We were out there approximately 45 minutes.
The combination of diesel and the slightly choppy water, I «tossed my cookies». I apologized profusely but LeeAnn didn’t make me feel bad and thanked me for chumming the water. I felt so much better after that.
Because other tour companies knew that the Rays swim toward her, they would have their tour group follow her. Before we knew it, we had fins in our face and we were surrounded by so many people. LeeAnn did not mind «sharing» for a bit but pulled us away from the crowd.
Other tour companies BARKED instructions to their groups. LeeAnn always spoke gently. She would call to the Rays, and they came.
We will definitely book a tour with them again. Don’t forget to bring your waterproof movie camera. My son got excellent footage on his Sony.

My husband and I had a fantastic manta ray snorkel last night here on the big island. Everyone was kind, knowledgeable, and made you feel safe. We went out with a group of 12 (two trips of six, with us in the first group) and all you do it float and wait for the manta rays to come. It is very important to keep your feet up, as they instruct. Unfortunately some of the people we were with were still afraid of the water while wearing a wear suit, having a floating noodle, and holding on to a giant floating board. The kicking was not suitable for the mantas. However, this wonderful company allowed us to stay in the water longer, after these guests wanted to leave, and we were able to get the full experience! A definite must! My husband loved the hot chocolate and snacks afterwards!

We booked the boat on our last day of vacation hoping to see and swim with dolphins and we were treated to that plus whale breaches left and right. There is no guarantee that you’ll see any animals because obviously you cant schedule appearances with wild animals. But Captain Johnny and Rebecca knew where we’d be likely to see them, and we saw not only schools of spinners but also bottle nose dolphins and jumped into the beautiful deep blue with them. Keep your distance and be respectful, don’t chase the dolphins (you have zero chance of catching them anyway:) and they’ll hang around you if you are chill. They don’t come right up to you, rather they swim and circle all around and below you. Its wonderful. Plus added bonus, the whales were jumping out of the water just like National Geographic all around us, they put on an extraordinary show for us that day. Captain J caught a barracuda on his long lines and provided a great oral history of the Island coast as we motored down the shore. Book a day on the water with this great crew!

Most amazing night snorkel with giant manta rays. They take a maximum of 6 people and you lie in the water with a snorkel they provide holding onto a long board with rays feeding on plankton within inches of you. You can’t touch them but they can (and did) gently bump us. Short ride in small boat to feeding area… locally owned business. If you are in Kona it is a must do.