#Manta ray big island november skin#
#Manta ray big island november full#

When snorkeling with the manta rays, you will be floating on the surface, holding onto a giant raft with lights on the bottom. The main difference comes with how you experience the manta rays. In fact, most boats will have both snorkelers and scuba divers. Overall, the experience is very similar before and after getting in the water. You will have the option of snorkeling with the manta rays or scuba diving with them when you visit the Big Island. If you’re scuba diving, you’ll either be down until you run low on air or around the 45 minute mark! Snorkeling vs Scuba Diving Once the sun dips into the sea, you’ll gear up and get into the water! If you’re snorkeling, you’ll typically have between 45 minutes to an hour in the water. They aim to arrive to the site about 30 minutes before sunset and give their safety briefing as the sun is setting. Most manta ray tours leave about an hour to 30 minutes before sunset, depending on the boat ride length. However, it is typically up to your boat captain to decide which location is best, so don’t stress too much about it! Timeline of Tours Most snorkel tours go to Manta Village, and most dive tours go to Manta Heaven.

Manta Point off Kohala coast at Mauna Kea Resort.

Manta Heaven (Garden Eel Cove) near the airport.

Manta Village ( Kaukalaelae Point) in South Kona.

There are three main manta ray locations off the coast of the Big Island, as shown on the map below! 💵 Tipping: Not mandatory by any means, but most tour operators work for tips, so it’s appreciated! I recommend 10-20% of the tour cost. ⏰ Duration of Tour: Most tours last around 2.5-3 hours, giving you about 45 min – 1 hour in the water. 💰 Cost: Expect to spend between $100-$150 to snorkel and between $150-$200 to dive with mantas. 🦺 Safety: It is totally safe to swim with manta rays! However, please refrain from touching them. However, the summer months offer the best ocean conditions. 📅 Time of Year: There’s no specific time of year that’s best to see the Mantas – they are in the area year round. What To Know Before Snorkeling with Manta Rays For this reason, do not reach out or touch the manta rays while swimming with them. Humans touching manta rays breaks down this mucus layer.

#Manta ray big island november skin#

Manta rays have an outer layer of mucus on top of their skin that provides protection from disease and parasites. If you happen to see one NOT in the database, you get the honor of naming it! Rules of Engagement There is a database of every manta ray ever seen off the Big Island. One very interesting fact you will learn during your time with manta rays is that their spots are completely unique to each manta ray, like fingerprints to human. While snorkeling on the Big Island, you are most likely to see reef manta rays! Identification The giant manta ray’s wing spans can be up to 26 feet, while the reef manta’s average wing span is about 11 feet. There are two types of manta rays: the giant oceanic (pelagic) manta ray and the reef manta ray. This means it is totally safe to swim with manta rays! Size Their teeth are tiny, and their tail spines are not venomous like their stingray cousins. Manta rays are the largest type of ray in the world, but don’t let their size frighten you! Manta rays are completely harmless to humans.

This is why there are so many manta rays in these locations at night! Safety At night, they are attracted to their food source, plankton, which are attracted to the bright lights in the water at the dive sites. After all, this whole post is about swimming with these gentle giants, so I want to make sure they are given their time to shine!įirst off: why are there so many manta rays in this area? This population of manta rays calls the coast of the Big Island home.

#Manta ray big island november full#

Read my full list of things to do here! Manta Ray Overviewīefore we get into details about the tours and experience, I wanted to talk specifically about the manta rays. Whale Watching Cruise (only recommend in the winter!) Mauna Kea Stargazing Adventur e (pricey but a very unique experience) Snorkel with Manta Rays (the TOP activity to do on the Big Island – obviously!) – Summer (July-August) is very warm and also sees a good amount of crowds – High season is December – March (also whale season!) – My favorite time is April/May (great weather and shoulder season) Read my full guide on Where to Stay here! SCP Hilo: An environmentally conscious hotel that perfectly represents Hilo! Royal Kona Resort: The PERFECT place to stay in Kona! Great location, awesome pool and bar, and spacious rooms!