Divers will often describe it as one of the best dives they’ve ever done. Kona’s manta ray night dive is easily one of the most popular dives in the world. Every night hundreds of divers gather together to see the Big Island’s most unique night dive.
IN THIS GUIDE
Who is the Manta Ray Night Dive For?
Great for Certified Divers Not Snorkelers
Kona’s world-famous manta dive is a great dive for most scuba certified divers. It is not suitable for snorkelers as you must be scuba-certified to participate. It’s also not great for snorkelers combined with divers because the snorkelers will have to wait an additional 1 hour for the divers before heading back to the harbor. For a better snorkeling experience see our bonus recommendation.
Experience Level
It’s not necessary to have a lot of diving experience to participate in this dive if done correctly. By taking a 2-tank manta ray night dive you can do your first dive in during the daytime. This allows you to get more comfortable with the equipment and gives you one more dive under your belt before jumping back in to do the official ‘manta ray night dive’.
Comfort Level
Many divers hesitate to do this dive knowing it’s a night dive. Also, if a diver hasn’t been in the water in a while, they may not feel comfortable doing this as their first dive back in the water. Never fear! The first dive is a daytime dive so that will help you get used to blowing bubbles again. The ‘night’ dive portion is so well lit it’s similar to being on stage during a performance. Kona Honu DIvers alone brings over 200,000 lumens of light for our divers. That’s equivalent to over 600 flashlights!
Night time with Mantas
Seeing the mantas is best at night as that is when they come to the powerful underwater lights to feed.
So let’s jump into our list of the best Hawaii manta ray night dive tours.
Top 5 Manta Ray Night Dive Tour Companies
1. Top Pick: Kona Honu Divers
This shop has received Scuba diving magazine reader’s choice award 3 years running and is a favorite of serious divers and new divers for it’s top-of-the-line gear, professional staff, attention to safety, and superior boats. They have been doing the manta ray night dive nightly for over 20 years. Kona Honu Divers also has the most and best reviews of any dive company in the State of Hawaii.
2. Aquatic Life Divers
While they may not be as popular as some of the other dive companies like Kona Honu Divers. They’ve earned a perfect 5.0 star rating on Google putting them ahead of the others with more reviews and lower ratings. Their staff and boats put them above the competition. They offer both one dive & snorkel and two dive versions of the manta ray night dive. This is great for groups that are dead set on staying on the same boat. Though their boats only accommodate 14 passengers maximum so book ahead!
3. Runner Up: Kona Ocean Adventures
While they may not have the same 5.0 star stellar rating as Kona Honu Divers, they offer a great Hawaii Manta Ray Night Dive experience for divers looking to go with their snorkeling family members on a 1-tank manta night dive from their smaller, more intimate boats.
4. Big Island Divers
One of Kona’s oldest and most established dive operations. They offer a variety of Hawaii Manta Ray Night Dive & snorkel options including just snorkeling or diving and snorkeling from their older, smaller, boats. You’ll have to go to the shop to sign waivers before you can go to the boat. Some divers like them, others prefer a higher quality operation like Kona Honu Divers.
5. Jacks Diving Locker
Once of the oldest dive shops in Kona town. You will need to go to their dive shop to sign waivers. They don’t run the 2-tank manta every night, so be sure to check the schedule for availability. They use smaller 72 cubic foot tanks so keep that in mind if your air consumption is not tip top.
BONUS: Best Manta Ray Night Snorkel Tour!
Kona Snorkel Trips is by far THE BEST manta ray night snorkel tour company in the state of Hawaii. With thousands upon thousands of 5-star rave reviews you can see for yourself why this company is beloved by snorkelers. We often recommend divers who want to do the manta dive but have friends or family who aren’t certified join Kona Snorkel Trips on their manta experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the manta ray night dive?
Garden eel cove is home to the world famous manta ray night dive in Kona, Hawaii. Located just off shore in a bay near the airport. It takes approximately 30 minutes by boat to get there. Once at the site you will take your first dive with a divemaster during the day. You may see mantas on this dive among many other critters. During your surface interval you will watch the sun set and have a light meal. You’ll watch a manta briefing and then jump back in for the big show.
Is manta ray diving safe?
Only if you’re certified to dive and have been diving in the last 2-years. Otherwise you’re going to need a refresher or a scuba certification. It’s not possible to do a discover scuba dive on this experience because it happens at night. If you’re not certified, or you don’t want to go through a refresher dive or take a course, the manta ray snorkel is the way to go. It’s faster and less expensive than diving and people still rave about the experience. Millions of divers and snorkelers participate in the Hawaii Manta Ray Night Dive & snorkel every year. In fact, it’s Kona’s most popular night-time activity.
Is it better to snorkel or scuba with manta ray?
Both are fantastic. People rave about the manta ray snorkel in reviews. They say it’s one of the top experiences of their lifetime and the best experience of their time in Hawaii. For divers the advantage is you get a lot more time in the water and the opportunity to see more reef critters. Snorkelers mostly only see the rays and a few fish but the tour costs less and is faster.
What time do manta rays come out?
Manta rays are out and about all day and night. You will see them at reef cleaning stations during the day and feeding on the reef at night. They are attracted to small shrimp (phytoplankton) that come out of the reef at night. Light will attract the shrimp and so the mantas like the light.
Where is the best place to dive with manta rays?
Garden Eeel cove in Kona, Hawaii is the best Manta Ray dive spot in the world. Mantas are seen over 80% of the time and the site and mantas work together to deliver an unparalleled experience not found anywhere else in the world.
What month are manta rays best in Hawaii?
There is no month where mantas are seen more consistently. We’ve collected the data and found there is no seasonality to their behavior.
Has a manta ray ever attacked a human?
Yes! If by attack you mean unwittingly bump into them while scooping massive amounts of water into their mouths. Once a manta ray in Kona scooped up an underwater camera rig from a divers hands and swam away with it. The poor manta was as disconcerted as the diver! Fortunately a dive guide from Kona Honu Divers was able to chase it down and recover the camera from it’s mouth. Mantas will even swim to divers for assistance when snagged or hooked. They have massive brains for a fish and seem quite intelligent.
Book your Hawaii Manta Ray Night Dive now while spaces are still available!