It is important to stay either on the surface or on the seafloor to not harm or disrupt the manta rays as they come for their nightly feast. Snorkelers grab onto hand straps attached to the perimeter of the floating rafts and are instructed to peer downward. The boats form a circle, place floating rafts with downward-facing floodlights into the water, then allow snorkelers to enter. This adventure is particularly unique, as several boat operators coordinate their arrival and positioning to ensure the safety of guests and manta rays. The high volume of evening boat traffic and poorly lit rocky shoreline make swimming from shore dangerous and thereby prohibited.Ĭheck the Hawaii Ecotourism Association’s list of sustainable snorkeling tour operators on the Big Island for the best way to experience Manta Village yourself. Many tour operators offer nightly snorkel tours departing around sunset to reach Keauhou Bay (from $130pp.).
Keauhou Bay is located about 7 miles south of Kailua-Kona.
#SWIMMING WITH MANTA RAYS HAWAII HOW TO#
How to get to Keauhou Bay for snorkeling? Manta Village is considered one of the best locations on the planet to view manta rays perform their nightly feeding rituals and at close-hand!Ī manta ray at the surface of the sea in Keauhou Bay. Today, the Sheraton Kona Resort & Spa at Keauhou Bay maintains the legacy of shining the floodlights into the water, and many tour operators bring snorkelers here to enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Keauhou Bay, and particularly Manta Village (the name given to the area in front of the hotel), became a popular place for people to come to view manta rays right on the shoreline easily. Unbeknownst to them, the floodlights served as a beacon for plankton to gather on the ocean’s surface, thereby attracting the filter-feeding manta rays to feed on the huge schools of plankton. The hotel started to illuminate the waters with bright floodlights for guests to view manta rays swimming in the evening. These gentle giants began congregating upon Keauhou Bay since the 1970s, when the Kona Surf Hotel first opened. You'll see a white sign in yellow letters that says ALOHA, That's where you need to turn look for us down at the Boat Ramp.The Kona Coast has long been a hotspot for manta rays to feed in the warm waters off the shore. Look for your Second Right and that's the boat ramp. Make your immediate right onto Puako Beach Drive. Less than a mile look for a sign that says PUAKO (in between mile marker 70 and 71). That's where you need to turn look for us down at the Boat Ramp.įrom Mauna Kea and Hapuna Prince: Go South on Highway 19. You'll see a white sign with yellow letters that says ALOHA. Look for your Second Right and that's the boat ramp. Make your immediate left onto PUAKO BEACH DRIVE. Look for the sign PUAKO (in between mile marker 70 and 71). Phone: (808) 854-5757 Email: Close to Waikoloa and Kohala Resorts and Hotels, Hilton, Mauna Lani, Fairmont Orchid, Four Seasons Hualalai, Waikoloa Beach Marriot, Outrigger, Hapuna Prince, Mauna Kea, Waimea, Waikoloa Resorts, Puako, Kohala, Havi and Kailua-Kona.ĭirections: From Queens Marketplace Hilton, Marriot in Waikoloa and Mauna Lani: Head North on Highway 19. Departs from Puako Boat Ramp off of Puako Beach Drive, Waimea, HI 96743
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