Manta Ray Dive – Big Island, Hawaii

Last updated on November 19th, 2017 at 11:53 pm

During our stay on the Big Island, I went diving with mantas. AH-MAZING!

Highly recommend doing this (if you are a certified diver) just watch my crappy video at the end of this post.

The snorkel – meh.

Dive Company

I booked a tour with Big Island Divers.

Mr. J did the snorkel and I did the dive. Really reasonably priced I thought – $119 for two dives and $99 for the snorkel (wet suit and gear included).

Mr. J really enjoyed his guide both in and out of the water, (that sounded better in my head, but its funny so I am leaving it.) What I mean is, he was a great guide, and they had a good conversation in between snorkels.

I really liked my dive guide and the captain of the boat as well.

Many people will tell you to go on a smaller boat (think 10-12 people) rather than on a large boat (think about 30 people plus crew). Typically, I agree with this statement, but for this dive I really don’t see the point.

My understanding is there are really two main dive sites on the Big Island where you can routinely see manta rays. So, the large and small boats are all going to the same place, why not ride in comfort if it is going to be crowded at the dive site regardless of what boat you take.

Our boat also had a rinse shower with hot water. Amazing after sitting in the dark cold open water for 45 minutes. You don’t get that on most small boats.

Many of the smaller boats I saw seemed to have same number of divers and were the soft side boats (like a dingy, but larger). We had 12 divers total, and we went in groups of six and six. They were also the first to go in and the fist to come out of the night dive.

At this particular dive site, all of the benefits of a small boat seem to be gone (less people, select sites).

However, the smaller operations may know of other sites for mantas.

The Dives

Mr. J did not enjoy the snorkel. Here are the reasons why:

• Too long time-wise with two snorkels.
•  Too difficult to see the mantas. The water was cloudy, and the light created a glare for the snorkelers on the surface.
• Too many inexperienced snorklers flailing about.
• Too crowded on the surface for the manta feeding.

For the manta snorkel, you have to hang onto a modified surf board (for safety, i.e., so they don’t lose idiots). Because everyone is crowded around a board, you can’t really move or adjust your position for a better look.

For the cost, we would say the snorkel isn’t worth it. I think there are better snorkel sites to visit during the day. Although, if the water wasn’t so cloudy, then I think the experience would have been quite different for Mr. J.

The Dives

The Manta Ray night dive consists of two dives, one in the afternoon before sunset and then a second just after sunset when the mantas come out to feed on plankton.

The crew set up all the equipment, so all you have to do is check everything. They also helped adjust my weight belt (it had been a while since my last dive, and let’s just say I am bit more buoyant now).

First Dive

My first dive was great. There were six people and a guide in my dive group. My first dive lasted 50 minutes with a maximum depth of 80 ft.

Everyone in my group ran out of air quickly, so it was just me and the guide for the last 15 minutes of the dive.

Second Dive

The second dive was a night dive to see the mantas. Only one manta came out, but we also got to see a monk seal happily splashing around. The are wild animals and seeing one cannot be guaranteed, obviously.

Basically, a bunch of lights are grouped at the bottom of the ocean, “a campfire.” The light makes the plankton glow. The mantas can see the plankton easily in the light, and they come to feast.

Everyone sits around the campfire and waits for the mantas to come. Our boat was one of the last to go in the water for the night dive. Being one of the last dive groups down means that all the other groups have been sitting there attracting the mantas. Aka, less time watching nothing and more time watching the manta.

Only one came out for a visit that night. :( One manta is still worth it.

I tried using the GoPro for the first time. I managed to scrape together 20 seconds of video.

Yes, I am pretty bad, and the water was also super cloudy. The hurricanes were coming through around this time, so I think it was a bit stirred up from the storms.

Yes, my 10 year old niece could have made a better video. Sorry manta, I did not do you justice.

Whatever, I still like it, including the Darth Vader noises.

Recommendation

Do this!! But only as a dive.

It is absolutely amazing to see theses majestic creatures gracefully swimming right over your head. They are huge, but so gentle almost like butterflies of the sea.

I also really liked Big Island Divers, and would use them again if I ever return to the big island.

If you are an expert diver and are easily annoyed with snorkelers, you may want to go with a smaller boat that has only divers.

As always, I am happy to answer any specific