Swimming with Manta Rays
If you are planning a trip to Kona, you probably have seen countless advertisements about swimming with the manta rays. Personally, when I see this level of advertising, I feel like it's a cheesy tourist trap and I avoid it like the plague. However, after going, I can understand the hype.
Found only on the Kona side of the Big Island, manta rays flock to the western side every night to feed on krill with the help of UV lights, and this creates a magical experience for swimmers. Several companies offer tours to choose from, but for the purpose of this review, I used Fair Winds Cruises for this excursion. I chose Fair Winds because they are one of the largest tour companies offering manta ray dives, and they have the largest boats in their fleet for this type of experience.
Technically, there is an age limit on who can participate, (you have to be at least 13 years or older) but that doesn’t mean you can’t bring kids under that age with you. There is an option to purchase a ticket to be on the boat, but not go in the water. So, if you are in a group where someone doesn’t feel comfortable with the swim, they can still come.
Getting There
There are only two locations where manta ray feedings happen - one is near the Hilton in the Northern part of Kona, and the second is near the Sheraton in the Southern part of Kona. If you want the best chance at seeing the most manta rays, go to the southern end – apparently, the northern end is seeing less and less every year. The Fair Wind departure dock is located on the Keauhou Bay, walking distance from the Sheraton Kona Resort. There is limited parking at the office, so you may need to park at the overflow lot found HERE.
TIP: When driving down to the dock, leave 30 minutes EARLIER than Google maps says it takes to arrive. All departures are at sunset, so that means you will be driving through rush hour traffic, and there is that slim chance you might be late - don’t be late! The boat will not wait for you and you need to arrive at least 15 minutes before departure to get fitted in your wetsuit.
Suiting Up
When you do arrive, first check-in at the office that is located in the large blue building right next to the dock, and you’ll be given a wetsuit to change into. The tour companies prefer you to be wearing your regular bathing suit by the time you arrive for check-in, but they do have bathrooms for you to change in as well.
Before boarding, the captain will come out to introduce himself and his team, break the ice a little with the crowd, tell a few jokes, and get everyone jazzed for the dive. Once boarded, the ship quickly pushes away from shore and heads directly towards the setting sun. Make sure to use this opportunity to take pictures of the scenery when on the boat, because once that sun sinks beneath the waves it gets extremely dark on the water.
If you get seasick easily, don’t worry, the boat doesn’t travel far - you are only traveling about a few hundred feet offshore to reach the feeding grounds, and most evenings the waves are calm. A huge plus when choosing Fair Wind Cruises over all the other competing companies is the size of the ship - it’s massive. There is plenty of room to roam around, grab a drink, mingle with the other guests or crew, and the ship has a spacious bathroom too.
The Dive
A 15-minute boat ride later the ship arrives at the feeding grounds. The crew will spend about 10 minutes setting up the proper equipment and lights in the water to attract the manta rays. Before entering the water, the captain makes a short safety speech to the guests on how to treat the animals, and they stress heavily that under no circumstances should you touch the manta rays. Manta rays have a thin layer of mucus that protects them from parasites and infection, so when touched by a human, the oil from our hands removes this layer and causes massive bruises. You’ll be given a snorkel mask and flippers just before entering the water, but you are more than welcome to bring your own.
How the setup works in the water is there are two extremely long safety boards with UV lights attached to the bottom that brighten up the ocean floor. When in the water, you are required to hold onto the edge of the board, and you are given foam noodles that will be positioned against your knees to help keep you afloat. If you go on this tour, the best advice I can give you is to be the first in the water - If you are the first, you will be on the tail end of the board and get the most space between you and other guests. Someone who is stuck in the middle of the board is squished on both sides, so they won’t have as much room to roam compared to the ends.
Once holding onto the board, it takes only seconds for a manta ray to swim right past your face, and this is the reason why so many people recommend this experience. It is powerful to see these animals so up-close and in their natural terrain that the moment will stick with you for years to come. From tip to tip, manta rays can grow up to 15 feet in length, but they are gentle animals that don’t have a mean bone in their body, so you are perfectly safe when in the water. The only danger you could face is your own body - don’t slam a few drinks before hitting the water like I did. I was slightly dehydrated during the excursion, and with the combination of bobbing up and down like a cork, I got seasick fast. When in the water, you are in no way required to stay there for the entire duration of the tour - you can swim back to the boat at any time. (I only stayed for about 20 minutes.)
If you are a shutterbug, I recommend you exit the water slightly before everyone else, because one of the coolest shots I took was an elevated view of people in the water, surrounded by manta rays.
Whenever you do rejoin the boat, you’ll be asked to remove your wetsuit and offered a bowl of warm soup to enjoy while the crew brings back the equipment from the water. Guests are given about 45 minutes with the manta rays, and by the time the last person is back on the boat, the ship arrives back onshore shortly before 8pm.