You Can Swim With Manta Rays Along Hawaii Island’s Kona Coast With SeaQuest Hawaii
By Megan Shute|Published October 21, 2019
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Megan Shute
Author
With more than 10 years of experience as a professional writer, Megan holds a degree in Mass Media from her home state of Minnesota. After college, she chose to trade in her winter boots for slippahs and moved to the beautiful island of Oahu, where she has been living for more than five years. She lives on the west side but is constantly taking mini-road trips across the island and visits the neighboring islands whenever she can getaway. She loves hiking, snorkeling, locally-grown coffee, and finding the best acai bowl on Oahu.
Surrounded by the beautiful Pacific Ocean, the Hawaiian Islands are easily the best place in the United States to get up close and personal with marine life. And while we endlessly enjoy experiencing the sea life you’ll find off the coast of Hawaii — from Hawaiian green sea turtles and tropical fish to humpback whales and spinner dolphins — not everyone knows about one of the most epic underwater adventures you can enjoy in the Aloha State: swimming with manta rays after dark!
Widely regarded as one of the most memorable underwater experiences you can have across the planet, swimming with manta rays off the western coast of the Big Island is one experience you won’t want to skip.
The reef mantas that call the Pacific Ocean home off the coast of Hawaii are the second largest species of manta rays in the world, and on average, they have a wingspan of 12 feet and weigh up to 1,000 pounds.
While this experience isn’t the only one in the world where you can dive with manta rays, it is one of the most unique as you’ll get to hang out with them during their dinner time!
You see, plankton is attracted to bright lights brought by tour operators, and the manta rays feed on said plankton and filter it out of the ocean by swooping through the water with their mouths open.
Though there are quite a few companies that offer manta ray snorkeling and diving experiences off the Kona coast, today, we’re taking a look at the tour offered by SeaQuest Hawaii. It’s been recognized as one of the world’s best by The Travel Channel, and who are we to disagree?
With two daily departure times — 6:45 and 8:15 p.m. — the hour and fifteen-minute tours allow guests to get up close and personal with these gentle giants. Wetsuits, floatation devices, and snorkeling gear is provided, and you’ll even enjoy hot chocolate and cookies on the boat ride back to shore.
So, what are you waiting for? Even if you don’t have plans to visit the Big Island anytime soon, this is one experience you’ll want to add to your Hawaiian Island bucket list as soon as possible.
For more information about SeaQuest, and to learn about the other snorkeling tours they offer, visit their website. You can also follow them on Facebook. Have you ever been swimming with manta rays off the coast of Hawaii? What about sea turtles or, even scarier, sharks?
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