This is kind of amazing.Įach one can be identified by the markings and there is a ledger of all identified manta rays in Kona. I didn’t even have my snorkel in yet, so I was just holding my breath as this giant water beast swam inches from my face. I guess I was more curious than afraid at that point.Īs soon as I got there and put my face in the water, I was met with the face of a giant manta ray. I did this with little thought as to what may be below me, which later surprised me to realize. The Manta Ray Dives of Hawaii crew put the lighted flotation devices in the water for us to hold onto and told us to jump in and swim the couple of feet over to them. On the surface, the rest of us got our snorkel gear on and prepared to face the manta rays (literally). Snorkeling with Big Island Hawaii Manta Rays in Kona Light attracts plankton and plankton attracts manta rays. The dive master, Jason, instructed them to follow him to the ‘campfire.’ This is what they called the big bright lights at the bottom of the ocean that divers sit around. Once the sky was dark enough, each certified scuba diver on the boat got all their gear on and jumped in the water. And it is one of the best places to do a night dive for scuba divers! This is the only place on Earth that I know of where you have such a good chance of getting an up-close encounter with these majestic wild animals. We met the crew members of Manta Ray Dives of Hawaii a little before sunset at the dock and headed out to the area where the manta rays would be. But surprisingly, I was getting excited to see the manta rays at night. After a relaxing stay on the laid-back isle of Molokai, the volcanic activity and increased traffic on the Big Island of Hawaii had me a little on edge. We had arrived in Kona to a thick cloud of vog (volcanic fog) from the active volcano that had been making the news daily in Hawaii – and on the mainland. Our Big Island Hawaii Manta Ray Dive & Snorkel Toursįast forward to the fateful day of our Hawaii manta ray experience. I wouldn’t be sitting on the bottom of the ocean while the enormous sea pancakes swam around me, but I was still nervous about floating above them in the dark. And then I did my best to put it out of my mind. Since activities tend to book up fast in Hawaii, we signed up weeks before we would actually get to the island. There are multiple tour operators offering these snorkel trips to the manta village, but this one had some of the best reviews. Photo credit: Jason of Alive Underwater on Instagram). So, we came to a decision – we’d sign up for a trip with Manta Ray Dives of Hawaii, but I’d do the manta ray night snorkel while he did the more intense manta ray night dive option. Buddy has been dreaming of the Big Island Hawaii manta ray dive off the Kona Coast since a friend of ours did it years ago. Going into the big, deep ocean AT NIGHT with giant kite-looking creatures at least twice my size was one of these situations. Their natural predators are killer whales and large sharks.When traveling as a couple, sometimes you have to make a few compromises and push past your personal comfort zone to do something your spouse is excited about.They are nicknamed “Devil Rays” for their “horns” which are actually extensions of the fins that help to funnel plankton (their main prey) into their mouths. Because of their enormous size, their only known predators are large sharks and humans.
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