The Kona manta ray night snorkel from Kona Ocean Adventures lets each guest choose surface snorkeling or a 1-tank dive kneeling at 30–35 feet, both at $250, departing Honokohau Harbor around 5:30 pm on a 12-guest boat. It suits mixed groups of divers and non-divers; the drawbacks are a higher price than most manta boats and no sighting guarantee.
Highlights
One booking, two formats: snorkelers float on LED light boards while certified divers kneel on sand patches at 30–35 feet under the same lights
Flat $250 per person for adult snorkelers, children and certified divers on the operator's site in October 2026
Wetsuits, snorkel gear, flotation, light boards and GoPro rentals are included, per the operator
Maximum 12 guests, minimum 4 to sail; the operator says children as young as 8 regularly join the snorkel
The operator's manta listing on Viator and TripAdvisor shows 4.9 from 280 reviews as of October 2026, with 4 ratings of 2 stars or lower
What to Expect
Check in at Honokohau Small Boat Harbor, about 10 minutes from Kona airport, for a 5:30 pm start; summer departures shift to 6:00–6:30 pm.
Pull on a wetsuit on the boat, get the briefing, and watch the sunset on the short ride to the manta site.
Snorkelers enter the water holding an LED light board that attracts plankton; mantas feed in the light directly beneath you.
Certified divers descend with the guide to 30–35 feet and kneel on sand while the same lights draw the mantas overhead.
Time in the water is about 45 minutes at most Kona manta sites; the operator does not publish its exact in-water time.
Return to the harbor about 2.5 hours after departure, based on the 150-minute duration shown on the Viator-fed listing.
What's Included
Guide
Snorkel equipment and flotation devices
Wetsuits
LED light boards
Underwater GoPro rental
Tank and weights for the dive option (per the dive option's price)
What's Not Included
Hotel pickup (Four Seasons and pier pickup mentioned on reseller listing only)
Gratuity
What to Bring
Reef-safe sunscreen
Towel
Waterproof camera (optional)
Leave dangling jewelry behind
Restrictions and Requirements
Underwater viewing requires scuba certification
No formal minimum age for snorkelers published; the operator says children from about 8 join regularly
Minimum 4 travelers for the boat to sail, maximum 12
Manta sightings are not guaranteed
Cancellation Policy
Call at least 48 hours before departure for a full refund on bookings of 6 or fewer; groups of 7 or more and private charters need 72 hours. Later cancellations are not refunded. Weather cancellations and trips below the 4-guest minimum are rescheduled or fully refunded. Checked October 2026 on konaoceanadventures.com.
Honokohau Small Boat Harbor, Kealakehe Pkwy, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740 (boats kept on trailers in the open lot by the boat ramp, per the Viator-fed listing)
Check-In
At the designated check-in time sent with your booking; departure about 5:30 pm, 6:00–6:30 pm in summer
Ratings from every source we could find
Viator
4.9
280 reviews
Google
4.9
490 reviews
Google Maps — Summarized by Our Team
Flexible snorkel-or-dive manta trips are valued specifically by mixed-certification groups wanting to share the experience together.
Last checked 2026-09-15
Ratings and review counts are checked periodically and may not reflect same-day changes on each platform.
What the Reviews Say
We have not yet read individual reviews for this tour. The ratings below are the public scores shown on each platform's listing as of October 2026; the 280-review figure is for the operator's manta night listing on Viator and TripAdvisor, which may combine the snorkel-only and snorkel/dive products.
About the Operator in General
Across 280 Viator/TripAdvisor ratings for its manta night listing, Kona Ocean Adventures shows 273 five-star, 3 four-star, 1 three-star, 1 two-star and 2 one-star ratings as of October 2026. Its Google profile shows 4.9 from 490 reviews with 13 ratings of 2 stars or lower.
Our Verdict
Tripreviewall's Take
At $250 this is one of the pricier manta trips in Kona, where snorkel-only boats commonly list between $150 and $210, so it earns its price only if your group genuinely needs both the snorkel and dive formats on one boat. For a mixed family where one person is certified, that convenience is real. If everyone is snorkeling, the operator's own Manta Ray Snorkel Tour from $210 is the cheaper choice.
Book This Tour If…
Your party mixes certified divers and non-divers who want to be on the same boat
You want a 12-guest boat rather than the larger manta boats
You are happy to pay a flat $250 whether you snorkel or dive
You can commit 48 hours out, since there is no refund after that
Skip This Tour If…
Everyone in your group is snorkeling; the same operator lists a snorkel-only manta tour from $210
You want a sighting guarantee or a free return policy; none is published
Your group is fewer than 4 and you cannot absorb a minimum-not-met reschedule
You are flying early the next morning and choose the dive option; allow a surface interval before flights
Tips From Reviewers and Operator Notes
Departure time shifts with sunset (5:30 pm in winter, 6:00–6:30 pm in summer), so reconfirm the day before
Bring a towel and warm layer for the ride back; the water is calm but the boat ride after dark is cool
GoPro rental is included, so you do not need to buy an underwater camera for this trip
Cancellations must be made by phone at (808) 930-9861; the policy does not mention email
Assessed by the Tripreviewall editorial team, last reviewed October 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is the Kona Ocean Adventures manta snorkel or dive?
The 1-Tank Manta Snorkel & Dive was $250 per person on konaoceanadventures.com in October 2026, the same price for adult snorkelers, child snorkelers and certified divers. The Viator-fed listing for the operator's manta night snorkel showed $236.82 to $270.28. Gratuity and hotel pickup are not included.
Can I dive with the manta rays on this tour without certification?
No. Kona Ocean Adventures allows only certified scuba divers to take the underwater option, which involves kneeling on sand patches at 30–35 feet under the light boards. Non-certified guests snorkel at the surface holding an LED light board, where the mantas feed directly below them. Both options cost $250.
What time does the manta night tour leave and how long is it?
The tour starts around 5:30 pm from Honokohau Small Boat Harbor, moving to 6:00–6:30 pm in summer because departures track sunset. The operator does not publish a total duration, but the Viator-fed listing for its manta night snorkel shows 150 minutes, so plan on roughly 2.5 hours.
Is the manta ray snorkel suitable for children?
Kona Ocean Adventures publishes no formal minimum age but says children as young as 8 regularly join the snorkel. Each guest gets a wetsuit, flotation and a light board, and the boat carries a maximum of 12 people. Children pay the same $250 as adults on this combined snorkel/dive product.
What happens if the manta rays do not show up?
Kona Ocean Adventures does not publish a sighting guarantee or a free-return policy for this tour on the pages we read. Mantas are wild animals and absences happen on every Kona manta boat, so budget for that possibility. Weather cancellations by the operator are rescheduled or refunded in full.
Contact
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TripReviewAll is an independent review site and does not operate this tour. For changes to an existing booking, contact Kona Ocean Adventures directly.
