Everyone RAVES about the manta ray experience. However, it's the manta ray company you choose that will determine if you want a personalized, memorable trip where you actually learn about manta rays versus float in a big ring in the ocean staring at them. We chose the first option. Smaller size (6 people max), ecofriendly, and kid friendly. Anelakai crew is exactly that! Personable! Wealth of knowledge! Professional, yet fun! I believe it's the only company where you get to paddle out on a canoe to view the manta rays. Nothing to fear! It's a super easy paddle out and back! If my 9 & 10 y/o kids can do it, so can you! It's very ecofriendly. The exhaust from the neighboring boats was nauseating. It's too bad they haven't followed suit. The crew took care of the kids 100%. From helping them with snorkel masks, assisting getting in and out of the canoe (my 10 y/o freaked out a little and they calmed her down in an instant), and just teaching them (and all of us) all about manta rays! The viewing was amazing. I couldn't keep track of how many we saw, but we do recall seeing Big Bertha, Greyson, and Queenie. Yes! They have names! And the crew will identify them for you and how they got their names! Props to: Kono, & the younger guy (forgot his name) Thank you for the wonderful tour! If we're ever back on the island, we'll pay another visit. The kids can't stop talking about Big Bertha and Queenie, all the backflips the manta rays take, seeing plankton up close, and paddling their first canoe IN THE DARK WITH A FULL MOON. You've inspired one of my kids who has a love for marine animals to one day work closely with them AND/OR if ever so lucky...to identify a new manta ray (if not in the database) and name it "6 - 7". read more

Anelakai was such a magical experience! It felt so unreal to see the manta rays and a huge relief off of everyone's back to do it in an eco friendly way. Our tour guides were awesome, well informed, and friendly. The only thing I'd warn is to take seasickness precautions - I'm prone to seasickness and did not consider how rough the waters could be, and it's definitely enough to feel unwell. Luckily, they bring ginger ale onto the boat which is greatly appreciated! The manta rays were amazing and we got lucky to see ~15 of them. We did have initial issues finding our meeting spot, so if you experience that, it was right at the dock. Overall, great experience! read more

My teenage son and I had the best experience with Anelakai Adventures. Paddling out in a canoe at sunset definitely adds to the whole experience! Great memories were made. read more

We started the night with, "wow this parking sucks and we don't know where we are supposed to be". We walked out thinking, "that was the most amazing experience ever". They were extremely helpful with our elderly parents being supportive of any concerns/questions they had. This intimate canoe felt way better than the other boats seeing them packed in like sardines. You hold on to a plastic pipe and watch as Manta Rays do barrel rolls all around you. One of them even slapped my arm! read more

Anelakai Adventures - Manta Ray up close - Paddleboarding Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

We had such a great trip out with this company! There were 6-7 rays under our boat the whole time and the guides were very knowledgeable and were telling us the different names of the rays that were there. Of all the different companies out there near us...I'm pretty sure we had the most rays! The other companies were trying to scoot closer to our boat to see all of the ones that were under it! I would highly recommend! read more

This is a must-do if you are in Kona. We were trying to pick an island to visit and a friend said the night-snorkel with mantas was the best thing they had done in Hawaii and while this was my first time to the islands so far I agree! Absolutely magical; the mantas were doing flips so close to us I was sure they would skim us, the guides were informative and fun, there is no reason not to choose Anelakai Adventures!! Bonus- the dock cat was super friendly and loved belly rubs read more

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Such a magical experience! The seas were too rough to go out on the day of my reservation, and Anelakai was very accommodating in rescheduling. The trip out, paddling the boat, was great fun and gave me a much more intimate experience with the bay than a bigger, motorized trip would have. The rays were within arms length, circling and looping directly under the canoe, and skimming the surface of the water. My only caveat is that if you are prone to seasickness, a bigger boat might suit you better. This tour operator is for folks who want a smaller, more personalized experience right at the waterline, rather than being part of a big group. I loved it! read more

This is the best way to see the manta rays, especially with keiki. On the canoe, the captain can maneuver the wa'a like 'threading a needle.' You are with all the other tours, but it's an entirely different experience. Highly recommended! read more

A must do experience while you are visiting the Big Island of Hawaii! From booking to the excursion itself, the whole experience was smooth and easy. Keane & Kamu were excellent and friendly guides. They made sure we were safe entering the canoe (how cool is it to take an outrigger canoe powered by your own power?!) and got settled before we set out to the viewing area. It really was just a quick paddle away. They hadn't been out that week at night due to some high surf, so we completely lucked out with how many manta rays we saw! Absolutely magical experience that can't compare to anything else... What is also really cool is if you didn't want to get in the water, you could easily see the manta rays from the canoe, you are so close to the water! but if you can, it's very easy to hold on and float (they provide ankle floaties - you can't touch the rays, so you want to be flat on the water). I have done a manta ray tour before but it was one done on a big boat, where I was one of about 30 people. I didn't do my research beforehand and just went with the cheapest tour. You really can't compare the two experiences at all. This is eco-friendly and the smaller tour size means you get personalized service (max total of 6 people on this tour!) Please support this local tour company and you will have an absolute blast! read more

Anelakai Adventures - Manta rays! - Paddleboarding Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

Our family had amazing encounters with the beautiful manta rays last night thanks to Anelakai Adventures. Zal and his partner were knowledgeable, responsible to both us and the manta rays, and perfectly entertaining. Our family had a mixed bag of anxieties going in - dark waters (so many other people doing same thing reassures you), paddling ability (so easy and only 5 minutes each way), cold ( use the wet suits, I did get cold early but each manta ray pass got me excited and warmed up. Paddling back gets you warmed up at the end too) But most importantly, any hesitation about being in a relatively small 8 person canoe instead of a big tour boat was smashed when we saw the huge floats of people and heard the yelling from those boats( ? to attract the rays). It felt like they were rowdy frat parties compared to our elegant quiet dinner with the beautiful creatures. In my opinion, all of the manta ray tours should be powered by manpower like the Anelakai outrigger canoes. We saw many manta rays very close and had an epic night! read more

You're reading this review while looking at the price going "yikes I don't know if I can afford this" right now. Stop getting lunch at work, you don't need new shoes, you can go longer between trips to the barber. Figure it out. Save up. Spend your money on THIS. You are not going to remember if you looked great or ate a burrito on Tuesday when you're on your deathbed. You're going to remember the mantas. They're awe-inspiring, majestic, graceful animals. Just epic. I felt like one might grant me a wish if I deserved it and got really lucky. Also: the Anelakai folks were super cool and knowledgeable, clearly care a lot about environmental stewardship, and were kind to children, folks with disabilities, and folks who were timid about getting in the water. Also: paddling out was so fun! It's such a peaceful and immersive experience. My family of 3 were all by ourselves (with one of the Anelakai folks) in our canoe and ALL ALONE in the water (there is room for just 3 next to one another holding on to the bar between the canoes.) Why sit on a polluting big boat getting seasick for an hour and then be stuck on a group floatie thing with a bunch of loud normies visiting from Akron, OH when you could hang with a handful of chill people on a canoe? Just start saving up to throw your money at these people. You won't regret it. read more

I had the best experience viewing the manta rays at night with Anelakai Adventures. The guys were great: very helpful and really funny! Paddling the canoe was not hard at all. The small group atmosphere was absolute perfection, esp when compared to the large groups around us. So glad I chose to do my tour with them! read more

We had a great time! Paddling kept us warm and the set up was very private compared to other snorkeling trips with 20 or more people. Our guide Anelakai was very knowledgeable about Mantas and we were fortunate to see the ray Amanda do 2 back flips under the canoes, along with other swim bys. Amazing experience and our kids were able to comfortably snorkel and see the rays as well. read more

Let's start with the ad which sounds great. Paddling traditional canoe to snorkel w/manta rays, who doesn't want to do that?!? We came directly from dinner, excited, ready to change, jump on canoe, let's go! Now let's talk about reality....AVOID AT ALL COSTS! Upon arriving, called bc we had no idea where to go (no signs, no lights), no idea where to park (no parking), no idea where bathroom/changing facilities were (no facilities). We were told there was a public bathroom, but it was locked up, so 3 kids, 2 adults ended up peeing in bushes on side of road. No mention of lack of facilities in any email or website. When I asked where we were going to get fitted for & put on wetsuits if they have no facilities, I was told "on the boat". This made no sense as I can't imagine how one can put on a wetsuit in a canoe. At that point, the woman explained they don't actually provide wetsuits, the kids get shorties & adults get a "wet suit shirt". Water temp was around 75, air temp was low 60's, there were high winds, lots of chop, intermittent rain. No wetsuit may be ok if we were actively swimming for a short period, but not to just bob in the water for 30+/-min, esp for young children (6&10). We decided to cancel rather than have an unpleasant, uncomfortable, and potentially unsafe experience. I informed the woman on the phone we weren't going to go forward. Didn't yell, cuss, or say anything rude, but I'm sure it was apparent I was unhappy, disappointed, frustrated by the situation. Shortly after hanging up, a woman & a man called (managers/owners?) She was immediately hostile & aggressive. I told them we weren't going bc it wasn't as advertised, no facilities, no place to change, no wetsuits, which didn't feel safe in these conditions. She argued about what a wetsuit is & stated no where on website, which she designed, did it state we would be given wetsuits. (See photo asking for wetsuit sizes) Zero apology, sorry we didn't meet your expectations, sorry no bathroom & you had to pee in bushes, sorry no place to change, sorry for misunderstanding that we don't actually provide wetsuits, sorry none of this was communicated in any of the emails we sent you. Just berating & being verbally abusive. The man insisted no one needs a wetsuit bc the water is "warm." We went snorkeling that morning & water was COLD, too cold for kids to stay in for more than a few minutes at a time, and that was when sun was out, air temps 70's, low wind, no rain! At one point the man literally asked: "Where are you from the you have such high expectations?" Um, high expectations that for $1,000 I don't want to have to pee in the bushes? High expectations that when you ask me for wetsuit size I expect a wetsuit considering the conditions? High expectations that I expect a professional organization that isn't operating in way that makes me feel it's not safe for my grandchildren? High expectations that I don't expect to be called and verbally harassed when I decide to cancel for valid reasons? (BTW we did NOT ask for a refund & I even said I know we won't get a refund!) We've travelled all over the world. I dive, swim, surf, sail. I know what's safe and what's not. I know that when people act like this, it's not safe. People who know the ocean, understand basic safety, would not have argued over providing wetsuits. Given the attitude & hostility, I wouldn't want to rely on these people to keep us safe if something went wrong in unfamiliar water at night. They advertise this as some kind of authentic experience paddling out to swim with manta. The reality is that they charge a fortune, expect clients to power the vessel (read directive that everyone must be able/willing to paddle & if you aren't you have to call them), use a public dock w/ zero facilities, don't provide wetsuits, are rude & aggressive. Not a great example of the wonderful Hawaiian culture and hospitality we have experienced during our many trips to the islands. Please note: we NEVER asked for refund, never asked to be called back, and this interaction was 100% initiated by them, when they chose to call me & jointly engage in verbally abusive behavior. My advice: Avoid this place. Using a public dock after hours, requiring patrons to power your vessels, not providing wetsuits, zero facilities to even pee, and then arguing about safety,...not worth it. read more

Anelakai Adventures - Confirmation showing request for wetsuit sizes. - Paddleboarding Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

They were so friendly and helpful!! Told us all about the mantas, cracked jokes, and made sure we were doing everything all right. They are also the only accessible manta ray snorkeling, and it was super accessible. They had a sling lift, and special buckle-in seat for people with limited mobility! It was a small crew as well so the experience was more tailored and intimate. Absolutely 10/10 would recommend. read more

Another check off the bucket list! Wifey talked into swimming with the mantas rays! Funny I didn't have swimming with manta rays on my bucket list, I do now! Captain Donut and Nalani (I hope that's her name, it's was her birthday yesterday 10/28. Anyway, worth it, every penny spent! Manta Rays are beautiful & graceful to watch in their environment. The staff made it even better, yes, smaller group compared to the others in the same area. Captain Donut and Nalani paid close attention to all our needs & concerns. If we wanted to do this again, it will be with Captain Donut & his crew! read more

Night snorkeling with manta rays was a beautiful experience. We chose Anelakai Adventures for the eco-friendly aspect of the tour and we are so glad we did: we were only 5 people around the boat watching the manta rays, it made the experience more enjoyable and peaceful than going with a larger group. Paddling the canoe was very easy and fun and the tour guides were very friendly and taught us a lot about these incredible animals. The guide kindly sent me with a video of the tour via email, as I had not taken my camera with me that night. I highly recommend! read more

I had a lot of options for snorkeling with manta rays in Kona at night and it was getting overwhelming to research. However, thanks to Reddit (and a relative of the owners for the recommendation), I settled for Anelakai Adventures. First off, you get out on the water via a Hawaiian double hull canoe - no motor oil or gasoline involved. The smell of gasoline actually bothers me a lot so I wanted to eliminate any factors for potential nausea. It's also nicer for the ocean and the manta rays are likely to come up very close... which they did. This does mean all participants are required to help row out to the snorkel spot, but that's part of the fun! Our guides gave us direction on how to paddle and we followed their lead on which side to paddle and when to switch. Think of it like kayaking at night, only with a group and on a very stable boat (seriously do not worry about tipping it over, it would take A LOT). I really enjoyed the experience of paddling out and seeing the stars. Second... unlike the other tours I witnessed, we were a very small group. 6 total plus the two guides. It made the process of getting in the water very quick and I felt very safe. The guides were able to store our belongings and distribute equipment quickly and efficiently. Also made for a personable experience since we were able to chat with our guides and hear stories. For gear, we were given the option of borrowing one of their snorkel masks (we brought our own) and they provided a wet suit top, which helped since the water was much cooler than we were used to. No fins are allowed on the manta ray snorkeling tour, but they gave us floaties for our ankles that helped us stay afloat. The night snorkel with the manta rays was amazing - basically they set up bright lights to attract plankton, you hold onto bars set up at the ends of the canoe, and just float and observe the manta rays feeding. It was so fascinating to see them do flips (something unique to the mantas in the area) to filter water faster as they approach the light. They can get REALLY close to the canoe, and they're huge! I'm so used to seeing the small ones in the aquarium but these were like 5-7 ft, and we were told sometimes they get up to 11 ft! We saw 2 at a time, not sure if they were the same ones the whole time, but it was still a magical experience. It's illegal to touch them, but we were able to get footage on our GoPro. We also enjoyed simply observing the sea floor at night and saw a few fish. Despite the slight bit of nausea I felt (see tips below), it was worth every cent for the once in a lifetime experience. Please support this business as the way they conduct their manta ray snorkel tour is more sustainable than others. A few tips: - Come early not just for checking in, but for parking. Parking is actually pretty difficult in the harbor when there are MULTIPLE tours going on. You'll want to snag spots as the last tour group leaves. - While they offer snorkel masks for free to use during the tour... if you have a set of snorkel masks you're comfortable with, I'd recommend bringing them. It's already a little nerve racking to jump into the water at night when it's colder - you want to be in a relaxed state as possible, and using gear you're familiar breathing in will help. The other 2 couples on our tour seemed to have trouble using their gear and had to get out a little early. - We were the 8:30 pm tour but left pretty early, and got back at around 9 pm. The public bathrooms on the harbor were closed (they were open when we arrived) - luckily we were staying nearby, but if you have a long drive ahead of you something to keep in mind. - Don't underestimate nausea. To be fair, we were warned that the water was going to be a little choppy and that there was a chance we'd turn around if the waters were too rough to snorkel. There were actually half the number of boat tours out on the water because many cancelled due to rough water concerns (so we were told by the guides). The fiance and I thought we'd be fine with the 1 hour on the water (didn't take any medication, we don't really get car sick / sea sick) and it was all good up until we had to dock on our return. I think I would have gotten sea sick sooner on one of those motorized boats, since the activity of paddling actually helped me cope with the waves. We had to wait awhile since the other tours were taking their sweet time to deboard and leave (our guides were annoyed at how slow they were which was amusing). Since we were just sitting and not rowing, the waves gently rocked us up and down and we both started getting a little nauseous... didn't throw up, thankfully, but we felt really queasy afterwards and through the night. It's a little tough since there wasn't a horizon to align our senses (pitch black) so I think the waves rocking the canoe got to us when we weren't moving. Again, something to keep in mind if your party plans on driving for awhile read more

Wow!!! Awesome experience with captain Panda and Kamuela as our guides!! You arrive at Keauhou Bay and a double sided canoe picks you up at the dock. You paddle out before sunset and before the sun is even down we saw a mantra through crystal cjear blue waters!! As it got darker the lights attracted the mantas. There are many boats in the bay and the mantas seem to visit them all. In the course of an hour we must have seen 12 mantas. The most I saw was 3 at the same time tonight!! They are majestic beautiful animals that swim like alien space ships with the grace of a gymnast doing graceful back flips in front of you! You hang onto a pvc pipe in the middle of the canoe and the blue lights attract the mantas. It was magical. And while you waited for them to come back as they are making their rounds. They are very social!! Captain Panda entertained us with Manta jokes and facts!! The guys were so friendly and kind and helpful. Highly recommend going on their adventure!! Do it like the ancients used to do!! Paddle out in a canoe and watch the mantas!! Paddling was a great experience in and of itself. The mantas take it over the top!! Thank you. Mahalo nui loa!! read more

Big mahalos to captain Kamu and Keane for an amazing sunset manta ray tour! Would highly recommend!! Compared to other tours we've done, this one takes the cake. Since there is a limited amount of passengers it feels like your own private tour. Great views of the bay and sunset...And don't get me started on how amazing the mantas are!!! If you are reading reviews to help narrow down a search, take my advice and book with Anelakai! read more

Anelakai Adventures - Sunset - Paddleboarding Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

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We truly enjoyed the manta ray night snorkel. This company is different than the others because you paddle out on a canoe which took 5-6 minutes. This is good for people who get sea sick on longer boat rides. Also, it is more environmentally friendly. There were 5 of us doing the excursion and since we all got to the dock on time, we paddled out and arrived before the rest of the boats and crowds. We experienced several manta rays swimming all around us. It was an incredible experience. read more

Excellent, authentic, eco-friendly and FUN. We saw tons of manta rays up close and personal. Liked that it was only a 15 min paddle in and back. Parking is limited. We had to street park pretty far away so plan to arrive a bit early. read more

A five star experience from booking the tour to experiencing it the day of! As a Native Hawaiian, I wanted to ensure my friends and I were supporting local and were able to experience this in an ethical way. Anelakai Adventures checked all the boxes we were looking for. The staff on the phone was friendly and it was easy to book the tour. The night of the tour, we got to the location with enough time to find parking. The instructions on the email are clear. The staff will meet you near the entrance of the boat harbor. It was easy to identify them. Due to the limited seats in the canoe, it felt like a personal experience which is better than the big motorized boats and you don't feel sardined between people you don't know. Once we got into the water, it was absolutely amazing. No words to describe it, besides you have to experience it yourself. The guides will answer any questions you have and provide information on the mantas. All in all, I cannot recommend this company enough. Mahalo nui! read more

We had an amazing experience as a family of 5 with 3 kids ages 4, 7, and 10. Captain Panda and Nalani were friendly, informative, and immediately put us all at ease. I was worried it would be hard to have young kids as part of our paddling "crew" but the very short trip out and back was not hard at all. They had full wet suits for the kids, wetsuit tops and ankle floats for adults, and snorkels/masks for everyone. I am not a fan of the ocean in the dark but there were so many people around us and the manta rays are so elegant and gentle it wasn't scary at all. When we got to the manta ray spot they got everyone ready and we slid in one by one. You can hold onto the side of the canoe so you don't even go all the way under. Then you scoot along the edge and hold onto a pvc pipe that's between the two canoes. The guides are right above you, telling you about the mantas (they even know them by name because of their unique spot patterns). When my two youngest kids wanted to get out, Nalani helped them out and they could watch over the side of the canoe the rest of the time (and we could stay in the water). They couldn't see as well from above the water but they could definitely see and were more comfortable. The guides talked to them and showed them where to look. To get back in the canoe they put a ladder right by your seat (it's rigid like a pool ladder, not floppy like a rope ladder so it's not hard to get up). I cannot recommend this company enough if you have kids. Or even if you don't! It's like a private charter instead of being herded in huge tourist groups. read more

Incredible experience! The canoe is the way to go. It's a small group and easy to get in and out of the water. If you have children or anyone in your party unsure about going into the water, they'll still have an amazing experience. My 9 year old immediately asked if we could do it again and my 6 year old watched from the canoe and still has said it was her favorite part of the trip. Thanks to our guides for making this a really incredible experience for our family. read more

One of the BEST THINGS we have ever done. It was a rainy Thursday and we were tired from the drive from Hilo but once we met our guides all the fatigue disappeared. We were quickly loaded into the canoe and after a short paddle we were at the manta site. We saw mantas immediately!! I liked how this felt more authentic and eco friendly. Paddle power! Our guides were so knowledgeable about the different mantas we saw and the dad jokes were on point. We spent a long while in the water and then had a short paddle back. This experience was worth every penny and more. read more

Anelakai Adventures - Paddleboarding Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

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Amazing environmentally friendly way to see the mantas. Paddled a short distance to the manta area. We had about 6 people excluding guides with provided a night intimate experience. Had countless mantas floating up and around us. Would recommend for a once in a lifetime experience. read more

Anelakai Adventures - Guides and canoes - Paddleboarding Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

Hawaiian Double Hull Canoe Tour Anelakai Adventures is a wonderful company to use! Holly was great getting everything set up. We took a girls morning out and paddled our way along with our watermen, Keane & Kamu, to a great snorkeling spot. Loved the eco-friendly paddle power! The day & trip were wonderful! It started off with Keane catching/releasing a fish, Waha nui, then on to a very relaxing snorkeling morning. We saw so many beautiful fish! We were called back to the canoe with a blast of the shell, then we headed back to the harbor. As we paddled, Keane spotted whales so we stopped to watch for a bit as they breached and waved with their flippers & tails. It was a great trip for both novice and seasoned snorkelers! The guys treated us so well, provided water & snacks (fresh pineapple slices with li hung mui powder) and kept an eye on us while we snorkeled. It was an AMAZING adventure and we would recommend this tour to everyone! Holly, Keane & Kamu, mahalo nui loa! read more

Anelakai Adventures - Canoe guide & fish - Paddleboarding Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

Anelakai Adventures is the only manta ray tour on the island worth spending your money on. If you'd rather be on a bigger, motor-powered boat or catamaran, then just stay in your hotel and watch Blue Planet or Avatar 3 or something, you've got no business crowding these waters anyway. Anelakai Adventures is a family-owned and operated business (and one of the first to ever do it, at that) so your money is going directly into the hands of the people who live and work here, not some P.O. Box for a hospitality company in Delaware. The guides are no-BS, and endlessly knowledgable about the area, its history, and unique ecology. They know the mantas so well they can identify them just by memorizing the patterns of spot on their bellies, and even give them names! Listen carefully tot hem, follow their instructions, respect their boat, and you'll have an unforgettable experience you can't have anywhere else in the world ... oh, and bring a fat wad of cash to tip them, of course. read more

My wife gets extremely sea sick or car sick with almost no motion. Let me underscore that - there is only one other review mentioning sea sickness in this review section so clearly she is a unique case. Naturally, this was actually a terrible idea for us and she got really sick. Thankfully Holly - our guide and the co-founder of the company (with husband Iko) - was absolutely comforting and vigilant about helping her out. There isn't a whole lot you can do other than vomit into the ocean and feel like utter garbage but she did her best! So thank you Holly!! I did get to see the manta rays and they are insanely beautiful and majestic - they really do swim inches from you and it's a crazy experience. The double hulled canoe is a fantastic design and you can see how useful it was for travelers long ago. There were people on other tours who were in these gigantic floating chains in the water and I gotta be honest it didn't look like fun at all. I am SO insanely glad we at least booked this trip instead of one of those because I don't even know how those people get back in the boat if they get sick. It actually terrified me watching my wife and imagining that situation lol. So yeah, just do this version of manta ray sightseeing because it is way more chill and probably safer at the end of the day. Also - you get to paddle a real double hulled canoe!! read more

The Manta Ray Night Snorkel with Anelakai Adventures was truly wonderful. Paddling aboard the traditional Hawaiian double hull canoe at sunset was so special and did not feel commercial at all. It was an easy 10 minute paddle to the site and our guide, Anelakai, and our steersman, Kamuela, were fun and informative. We were able to watch the sunset, then once it was dark, we got into the water holding on to handles attached to the canoe to watch the manta rays. Six to seven manta rays stayed under and close to our canoe. The rays not only swam under us but did barrel roll after barrel roll, coming within inches of us. The largest had a wingspan of approximately 14 ft. This tour was magical - don't go on a motorized boat. Do the snorkel with Anelakai Adventure. You will not regret it! read more

This is the best choice for a night manta dive. Best choice if you have kids. Best choice if you care about nature. The night boat is a traditional canoe. Advantages! It's quiet, gets in and out fast, no fuel smell or poison for the environment Small: boat holds up to 6 + 2 guides. Our family of 5 had it all to ourselves Other boats on the water have larger groups and they took a long time to prep and get out, then a long time to get in water. So glad we didn't have to wait!! Wet suit jackets-- fast fitting front zip and you are not putting on a full shorty that someone else peed in. Jacket was enough to keep us warm Our guide sang traditional Hawaiian songs while we waited for the rays. When the rays came she identified each. The rays do flips right underneath you. While our kids are teens, the guide said she takes kids and helps no matter the comfort level. She is a mom of 3 herself. A parent of a hesitant kid could actually get the in water experience and have your child up top watching from above ( the water is so clear and lights on to attract food for the rays that you can see well)) This was an A++ experience and I wish all the boats allowed on the bay were small canoes! The best way to see the rays! read more

Anelakai Adventures has a great manta ray excursion where a small group of 6 people paddle out, you paddle yourselves a short way, to go snorkel by holding onto bars on the boat or sit above and watch below as the boats blue lights attract plankton which the rays come to eat! It's fun watching them come up and go their underwater "ballet" doing backflips to come up and feed. They get very close at times, so bring an underwater camera to get great photos! This company if different from the others for a few reasons: 1. It's a more personalized experience with only 6 people versus like 20 that other companies take. 2. You have fun paddling out instead of a loud motor scaring away fish and polluting the environment. 3. You have the option to stay in the canoe and watch other the side, there's plenty of viewing room. The guides were very fun and I enjoyed the corny manta puns and jokes along the trip. I would advise if anyone gets seasick that you take something beforehand as you're out in the water for about 60-90 minutes and it can get rocky at times. They do have bottled water and ginger ale if you need it. I also would suggest booking early as they only do 2 trips a night, 630pm and 830pm, and it's only 6 people per canoe, so it can fill up fast! My last piece of advice would be to book the sunset trip at 630pm for the simple reason that sometimes, with all of the slcompanies doing excursions like this at the same times (we saw like 4 when we were out) the mantas get full and won't come by as easily to feed, meaning you may not see as many or for as long on a later trip. read more

I visited the Big Island for the first time in February and this was absolutely amazing! Actually another company recommended Anelakai Adventures to me because I asked if I can join the tour as a non-swimmer. Love how the local businesses support each other. :) Anelakai Adventures uses canoes instead of a motor boat, so mantas can swim around and below the canoes. You are able to just stay on the canoe and still get to see them close if you don't want to get into the water. And I just love the owners, Holly and Iko. Holly was the one helping me with booking and stuff. She was so sweet! I got there early and got to chat with them for a while. Love hearing stories from them and how they started this business (because of their brilliant daughter). I joined the tour alone and there were two other couples. Holly sat next to me and took good care of me the whole time. She made sure I was okay and feeling safe. The short paddle into Keauhou Bay was amazing. It was my first time paddling. So much fun! It's like paddling to the sunset. The view was beautiful. I ended up getting into the water because I felt comfortable and confident enough. It's safe and very fun! Just hold on to the metal bar and let yourself float haha. Oh and it's my first time snorkeling too. XD Holly said I was like a pro and she was proud of me haha. The manta rays were so cute! 10/10 recommended even if you don't know how to swim like me lol (as long as you are comfortable with water). Thanks for the wonderful experience Iko and Holly! read more

I wish I could give Anelakai adventures 10 stars. What an amazing experience! They were so accommodating and encouraging with our 5 year old daughter and 9 year old son, who were nervous at first, and at times during, but on the ride home were raving about what they had just seen. My wife and I felt the same way - still processing the beauty of the mantas. It's a truly breathtaking experience under the stars. And further confirmation to me that human powered eco-friendly adventuring helps to forge an even stronger connection to the natural world and to place. The boat was beautiful (and a reminder that the first thing made by humans to touch the islands of Hawai'i was the bottom of a canoe). And it paddled fast! Even better, this way of experiencing the mantas is clearly much more accessible than the larger motored tours, as the mantas are able to come right up to the canoes since they are non-motorized. If you can get in the water, absolutely do it! But even if you're unable to for whatever reason, it still would be an incredible trip that would get you up close to the mantas. Holly was a fantastic guide, gave interesting details on the mantas, and was kind and encouraging throughout the entire experience. Can't recommend Anelakai adventures enough! read more

Anelakai Adventures is awesome! Holly was friendly and accommodating. She was flexible and went above and beyond to help us have a great experience. We'd love to join them on our next trip! read more

Definitely a bucket list MUST! I chose Anelakai Adventures specifically because of the chance to go out to see the manta rays without having to smell the gas from the boat engine. The guys who ran the adventure were great and taught us stuff about the rays. It was absolutely incredible and several of the rays swam so close to us it felt like their bellies were going to touch ours! It was also fun to paddle out to see them and be a part of a smaller group instead of the other boats packed with people. You have to try this incredible experience and do it right with Anelakai Adventures! read more

Don't miss this adventure! Fantastic experience supported by great customer service. Seeing huge manta rays--- bucket list!!

We are a family of five. We wanted an adventure we would all remember. Are kids are 7, 15 and 18. So we had to make sure everyone would have a good time. Anelakai Adentures did that for all of us. No one complained or missed their electronics. This was a fully engaged activity. We were a little worried at first because our oldest is in a wheelchair and very skeptical of anything that isn't stable. Anelakai Adventures had four super friendly and strong guys to lift her safely onboard with a secure harness. Zero complaints from our daughter. She enjoyed to attention. The quick trip out to the spot was so beautiful. We went at 6-630 and caught the most beautiful sunset. It was so peaceful and we could enjoy the silence and take in the ocean sounds. Anelakai Adventures is the only company we found to be environmentally friendly by not having a gas motor. We wanted the authentic experience of the Hawaiian canoe. No motors just a little bit of man power (paddling). Again, not one kid complained. In fact, there was silence. Everyone just sat and took in the amazing scenery. After the sun set, our wonderful guide, Anelakai walked us through everything we were about to experience. I have never met such an intelligent well spoken 16-17 year old. YES our guide was a teenager! But don't let that deter you. She is extremely safety conscious as well as a complete joy to be around. Our family learned so much about the ocean and how we need to respect and protect it in order to continue to have these great experiences. Once the sun went down and the plankton attracting lights came on a mantra ray immediately did a underwater backflip right beside me! I was in shock, awe, tears, laughter all of those things. I've never been around this type of creature and the feeling was just unreal. So of course I had to jump in the water. The ocean was a mouthwash blue. It was beautiful to float around hanging on to a genuine Hawaiian canoe. Once I put my goggles in the water a whole different world opened up. I've snorkeled only in the daytime so this was new. Not only are there mantra ray but there is also different types of fish trying to eat the plankton. We were able to scoop up some of the plankton to look at and they were blue! Tiny little blue bits. So cool. I got to float next to my husband who seemed overly excited. Thank goodness the manta ray love our noises because my husband was hooting and hollering through his snorkel. My embarrassment was taken over by the sheer graceful beauty of these ocean angels. They are so slow and deliberate. They seemed more like puppy dogs than an ocean creature. We recommend Anelakai Adventures to anyone and everyone. Our family walked away with a knowledge, love and appreciation for the ocean. Mahalo Anelakai Adventures! read more

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Sweet experience! Our family of 6 had the canoe to ourselves with our amazing guides. Unfortunately, I can't remember the names of our guides, but they were great guys full of lots of corny jokes to keep us giggling. They were very encouraging and helped every step of the way. One BIG tip....take Dramamine! Our four kids were fine on the canoe, but both my husband and I needed up getting sea sick. It didn't dampen our experience too much though. Seeing the mantas was truly magical...they are so beautiful and move with such grace. Well worth the money and so much more personal experience than being on one of the big charter boats. read more

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