I have to say this is the absolute best tour to snorkel Captain Cook. Carmela and Alexis provided the best service and we're so knowledgeable about the area. This really is one of the best snorkel locations on the big island of Hawaii. The highlight of the morning snorkel was being able to see a couple of manta rays that came for the cleaning station read more

I did the daytime captain cook memorial snorkel and the night time manta ray snorkel. I had a great experience both times! Crew was nice, funny and helpful. If you're debating which boat tour to go with I would definitely recommend Hawaii oceanic! When I come back to Kona, I plan to book with them again. Mahalo Justin, Caleigh, and to our person guiding us in the water with the mantas! read more

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Great experience with the Manta Ray excursion. Captain and Crew were informative, funny and took good care of us. Got to see an amazing number of Ray last night and had an incredible time. read more

An unforgettable adventure! It is not an understatement to say this is a once-in-a-lifetime type experience! Our crew was amazing! Lexy helped us get prepared with our wet suits and go pro and went over many key details to help the evening go smooth. Then our amazing crew Justin, Ake and Kenichi were on the boat and in the water with us and did an amazing job. There were less than 12 of us, so this is a smaller group compared to many of the other Manta tours you see at the docks which we really enjoyed. You meet at a van near the docks and while there is a lot of street parking, given how many people are going on manta tours you may need to park a bit away. Once at the van, Lexy went over safety and rules and got us all in our wetsuits, which are just the top wet suits, not full body. I was a bit cold by the end (this was in Feb), so if you get cold easy, I would recommend doubling up on wetsuit tops and wearing a warmer swimsuit depending on what time of year you go. Once on the boat, I was a bit nervous as it was very dark and it set in that we were getting in the ocean at night, but the crew is amazing and once in the water and after seeing the first manta the nervousness goes away. We saw a few mantas throughout our time in the water and it was never not amazing to see. We opted for the go pro which we were so happy we did! They give you the memory card after and our videos turned out amazing! The crew taught us amazing facts on these animals and were really knowledgeable and friendly. They made us feel prepared and comfortable. I would highly recommend Hawaii Oceanic for the manta tour! read more

Our captain Justin was fantastic and his first mate ( I'm super sorry I forgot her name!) was great!! The small size of the tour group made it a much more personalized experience. They were very professional and they took their time with all of us, making sure we were safe, too. We got to see lots of colorful, interesting fish and dolphins. I would definitely recommend them and 10/10 would do again. read more

We were so excited to go see manta rays while in Hawaii and had the most incredible time. Hawaii Oceanic offered such an amazing experience. It was a short boat ride to the bay from the boat launch. We opted for the 6:30pm tour and loved getting to enjoy the sunset right as we started the tour. The tour guides couldn't believe how many manta rays we got to see. They were swarming! So many. Literally getting just an inch away at times. It was thrilling and one of the most amazing experiences I've ever had. I cannot recommend this enough. The staff were so friendly and knowledgeable about manta rays. We felt very safe the whole time. Definitely bring a camera or rent one from the company. We also opted for the wet suit, which was just for your upper body. The water wasn't super cold but it was nice having the wet suit. read more

Manta magic the best! Mahalo Lexi, Justin, Erin, Carmella and Mojo! Nice, clean boat great stories while we wait for the Manta Rays! read more

Hawaii Oceanic - My daughter and I had a blast!! - Boating Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

Our snorkel at Kealakakua Bay was the one of the highlights of our trip! Captain Alan and Erika were an awesome crew and could not have made the experience more enjoyable! I highly recommend Hawaii Oceanic for your snorkel trip read more

This was the most surreal experience we have ever had. We were both very anxious to be jumping in the o in the dark, but the crew really made us at ease with it. The crew Carleen, Justin, Sara and Caleigh were absolutely amazing, very friendly,outgoing, and the knowledge they shared was second to none. Will definitely be goig again wih this company Mahalo and Aloha read more

What a wonderful experience for the family to swim with the manta rays! From scheduling, follow-up phone call, arrival to end-customer service was top notch! We also booked a guide snorkeling tour for the next day, additional review to come... read more

Hawaii Oceanic - Here is where you begin your journey. Thanks to Melissa for all of the details! - Boating Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

I booked a snorkeling adventure for myself and my partner. They waited until 6 pm the day before to cancel our reservation because no one else booked. But every other option "couldn't accommodate us." A party of 2. So, either we dodged a bullet with a substandard experience or Lexy, the agent, didn't do the work to reach out to the partners they have to hopefully rebook us as she stated she would. Either way, this was a bucket list item that they cancelled and gave us no other options other than "maybe call these other companies" after they're closed. read more

What can I say that hasn't been said already. My wife and I went out on a limb with this experience, not entirely knowing what to expect - but boy, was it truly MAGICAL. We arrived 30 mins early as advised, and met up with the staff around their van. We were fitted for wetsuit tops (the water wasn't THAT cold, but as the staff mentions, you're not doing a lot of swimming, so it does help to stay warm). Once we were all accounted for, we were walked down to the small boat dock and awaited our boat to return with the previous group. It was a short wait, and we got to interact with the local dock kitty. Once we finally boarded the boat, we were greeted by Aké (apologies if the spelling is wrong) and Cory. We were briefed, and handed snorkeling equipment, and in we went! The board was easy to hold on to, and all you really had to do was look down and be enchanted as the Manta rays got incredibly close. Got some good GoPro footage, as well. 100/10 would recommend read more

They are great!! Highly recommend. Very accommodating and a smaller group which I loved.

We had an amazing manta ray swim on Friday 7/1/22 at 8:30 with this group. Hunter was such a great board master directing us to the manta rays. This is the best company to go with as they are the only one we saw of the eight that gave you ankle floats so you don't bump the rays. Hunter and the crew took good care of us from beginning to end. The meeting place is at a fishing dock, there are lots of free street parking. You may have to park up the road a bit. You meet at the white van with their logo. You can get a wetsuit top for the 80° water. Take the wetsuit top as the water can feel cold after a bit in the water. Also if you are prone to sea sickness take your Dramamine. . The manta ray swim was magical as we saw over 6! They are gentle giants This was a highlight of my Hawaiian vacation. Just amazing! read more

This was a bucket list item for me. Hawaii Oceanic helped to make it an experience that surpassed my expectations. All of the crew members were outstanding and made it an enjoyable and safe time. I highly recommend doing the Manta Ray snorkel adventure with Hawaii Oceanic. read more

Hawaii Oceanic - Manta Rays - Boating Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

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My husband and I did the manta ray tour on our first night in. It was a really cool experience and something we would do again. The mantra rays got incredibly close to us. I'd recommend bringing a full body wetsuit if you get cold easily and also take a Dramamine if you get seasick easily. We also did a snorkeling excursion which was epic. Saw so many cool fish and learned a lot of history which we both found really interesting. Best snorkeling I've ever done. read more

My boyfriend and I are on our first trip to Hawaii and spent a morning snorkeling with Chad and Hunter. During our snorkeling, Chad continuously checked on the group and Hunter was in the water helping us free dive and giving snorkeling tips. They not only gave us an amazing snorkeling experience, but talked about the history of the landscape on the way back to the harbor. They took those 3 hours to get to know all the passengers- where we were from and what we do- very personable! We loved the mix of humor and professionalism from these gentlemen. Thank you so much, we will be back!! read more

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This is basically better than Disneyland. They tell you not to try to touch the manta. It's Vegas rules. You cannot touch them, but you gotta pay extra if they touch you. I didn't actually expect that they would come right up inches away from us. We had 5 rays at once somersaulting below us. As soon as they saw the lights, they came. I had to pull my GoPro up a few times because I didn't realize they'd come so close. It really is a very magical experience. Top 10 things to do if you're in Kona. Just be prepared to park a little ways away. Parking fills fast read more

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DO NOT BOOK WITH HAWAII OCEANIC! They cancelled our snorkeling trip at the last minute claiming they did not have enough reservations while all other similar trips were fully booked. This occured on 4/23/25. Very disappointing, wished we had chosen another company. read more

We did a Manta Ray swim with Hawaii Oceanic, and then joined them two days later for a snorkel trip to Captain Cook. Both were fabulous. We saw 6 different Manta Rays who swam with us in close quarters. What magnificent creatures, and so gentle. The crew was great, and we the boat ride to the Manta spot was literally only 5 minutes. The boat was easy to get in and out of, even in snorkel gear, and they provide all gear, including a scuba top to keep warm. The snorkel trip to Captain Cook monument was awesome, also. The small boat with only 10 people was a stark contrast to the huge party boat with 100 people and a water slide. (A water slide? Seriously, they can do that anywhere, why mess up the snorkeling with screaming people and huge slides, but I digress.) The Hawaii Oceanic takes only 12 guests and 2 crew, a nice small group. The boat is also fast, so we beat the party boats and had some nice quiet time before the hoards arrived. Amazing snorkeling, and on the way back we stopped at a couple of places to see wild parrots and learn about Hawaiian culture. We'll definitely be back with this group! Highly recommended! read more

Wow, One of best experiences of my life! The crew was knowledgeable and knew each of the Manta Ray's names and history. There were 6 Manta's diving and gliding around us. A very transcendental experience with the "butterflies of the Sea". Thank you for a wonderful experience. A first class company. read more

My boyfriend's family and I scheduled an early morning snorkel down by the Captain Cook monument and we happened to be the only ones who had scheduled that specific time slot. We ended up with our own private snorkel tour and it was absolutely amazing!! Stunning views-- clear water, amazing fish, etc. Our guides were so nice and welcoming. If you're thinking about booking with them DO IT! read more

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What an awesome experience, being able to observe these beautiful and graceful creatures. The crew was very knowledgeable, friendly and helpful. They kept the number of observers small, and they made it easy to hang onto the raft for maximum viewing. We highly recommend Hawaii Oceanic. read more

The booking was simple and the staff was awesome! Our tour was informative and fun. We loved the snorkeling and appreciated the snacks provided after. A special treat for our group was discovering a whale shark on the way home from our snorkel and all getting a chance to jump in for a once in a lifetime swim!!! read more

Hawaii Oceanic - Whale Shark!! - Boating Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

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Snorkeled Capt Cook. The waves were surging but our Capt and Jayne were wonderful. We ended snorkeling a bit early and found a pod of pilot whales to watch. So very awesome. read more

I signed up for Manta Magic at 11 PM on a Wednesday night. This was easily one of the coolest experiences I've had and I would highly recommend it. Our group of 12 saw around 5-6 manta rays swimming to our paddleboard in the 50-ish min we had. It was pretty breathtaking to see them up close and doing flips underwater. Hawaii Oceanic provided snorkels, wetsuits, pool noodles, and ankle floats if you needed them. The water was around 80 degrees F when we went, so a wetsuit was unnecessary for us. Given our session was late at night, there was plenty of parking. I have just a few tips: - Groupon was cheaper than their site!! Groupon constantly has coupons for the experiences listed on their site, so keep an eye out. My total came out to $95 after applying a Groupon coupon. - The waters were sort of rough the night we went. If I did this experience again, I would definitely use Dramamine or some motion sickness meds, because a few people felt pretty sick in our group towards the end of our time in the water. Even I was on the verge of feeling queasy. - This was my second time ever snorkeling and wearing hard contacts was fine! I was trying to find a definite answer online, but only found details about soft contacts. read more

I had a beautiful time until the fat, long haired guide put his hands on me and forcefully pulled me back to the boat because I let go of the board after he was swimming around on the other side. There wasn't any manta rays around at the time and I wasn't doing anything wrong. Other than him violating my space forcefully, everyone else was very nice and seeing the rays was amazing. He definitely ruined my night after the beautiful experience. read more

We just did the 7:40pm manta ray snorkel with Jeff, Jordan and Aki. I did a lot of research to find the best company and I'm so glad I picked this team. There were only 10 people in our group. Ali took us out on a lighted surfboard and it took a few minutes, but soon we were surrounded by 5 majestic manta rays swimming right under us, I rented the GoPro to record this amazing experience. The boat ride was less than 5 minutes. There were many other larger boats out there but I was glad to be with this small, professional company. Wetsuit shirt, snorkel gear, snacks and drinks were provided. It was an incredible experience! Thank you Hawaii Oceanic! read more

Experience of a lifetime. Super organized and knowledgeable. We were extremely lucky as we saw 12 Manta! Highly recommended!

Dylan and Jana were so awesome! Booked them last minute due to our other snorkeling cruise being cancelled. I'm so glad we did because they were so personable and knowledgeable about the island, and we had plenty of time for snorkeling. We only had two other couples with us, so 8 total. Would highly recommend to anyone looking for a great snorkel cruise here in Kona! read more

Absolutely magical experience! We did the 7:30pm snorkel and I cannot believe how amazing it was. Booking was super easy, and directions to the harbor and where to meet the van also was easy. Lexi got us checked in and set up with gear, and then we met up with the boat crew and motored out to the site. The team made sure everyone was comfortable in the water, and then throughout the experience talked all about the mantas, their behaviors, and their adaptations. Plus we heard lots of dad jokes, which I appreciate! We enjoyed ourselves so much that we booked a Kealekekua Bay snorkel trip (which also was fantastic!) One thing to keep in mind is that when we were done and chilly, it was only a 4 minute trip from the snorkel site back to the boat ramp, instead of a 20 minute trip up the coast. And we appreciated that! Overall, this was a fantastic experience and I'd repeat it in a heartbeat! read more

We ended up on Hawaii Oceanic because the original operator we booked thru for the night manta swim had a boat problem. So happy the operators cooperate! Hawaii Oceanic was much closer to the snorkeling spot for the night manta swim, just a 5 minute boat ride. Great swim leaders. Very informative about manta behavior. We saw so many mantas! It was truly magical. A couple of days later we used Hawaii Oceanic to go to Captain Cook Monument for a morning snorkel. There were so many amazing fish. It was about an hour in the water. So very cool. On the way back the captain and first mate shared their stories of the islands and gave us historical perspective. Will happily book with Hawaii Oceanic again on our next trip to the big island! read more

We did the Manta Magic and it was the most amazing experience we've ever had in our life. We went on the 7:40 pm and saw 9 different mantas constantly swimming inches from our face throughout the entire 30 ish minutes. Everyone leading the tour was so knowledgeable and made it effortless. Can't tell you enough how much this is a must do. read more

Manta Magic is an accurate description. I loved this crew! Justin, Brent and Lexi! Lexi greeted was knowledgeable, personable and friendly! Justin was FINtastic! And my dude Brent was a god! In order to have an epic experience you have to have your feet up and not kick Brent paid attention made sure everyone had their feet up so we could have the magical experience! This crew knows their stuff. We couldn't be happier and we would recommend them to absolutely everyone!!!! Book with this group they know what they're doing! read more

Hawaii Oceanic - 3 manta rays - Boating Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

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Hawaii Oceanic is a well run company. Hollis and Jayna were an amazing team! They were confident and experienced guides. They handled a smaller number of customers and were nimble and were able to adapt to the wildlife as it popped up during the snorkeling adventure. They knew a lot about the fish species and the best areas to see them (Hollis has marine biology background). We took our two kids (7 & 11 years old) and they had a great first snorkeling experience. The water was pretty warm but the 7 year old definitely could have used a wetsuit to be able to last longer. Hollis is a dive instructor and had a lot of good recommendations for dive shops and dive sites to explore for those that are SCUBA certified divers. read more

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Night snorkeling with mantas was such an incredible experience! Truly completely unreal. We did this our last night after a packed week in Hawaii and it was the absolute best way to end the trip. They're so big and graceful and get so close. We were seeing up to four of these giant beauties at a time, doing flips and gliding right under us. The Hawaii Oceanic crew was all great too - so knowledgeable, we couldn't stump them with any questions. I will add that we booked our tour through Viator - and they cancelled on us without any reason a few days before and didn't contact us! I showed for our originally scheduled tour and was told there wasn't room for us. I'm so thankful Hawaii Oceanic was able to fit us into a later group that evening. I'd highly recommend booking directly with the company and not going through a third party site. read more

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Great snorkeling experience! Corey and Dustin had it down to a science which made it all easy and enjoyable for us newbies participating! They were vigilantly looking for dolphins and whales as we rode on the boat, both of which we saw! Snacks were perfect and plentiful. Highly recommend! read more

Our captains Ali'i & Alicia gave us a most treasured experience accompanied by a lifetime of memories. We were late getting on with our tour due to a "medical emergency" on a prior trip, which turned out to be a gift in disguise as we were the only light board out on the water. Alicia and Ali'i gave no-nonsense instructions not to fart around when entering the water. And they prepped us with essential information to preserve a safe environment for these majestic creatures. Holding on to our floaty board with elevated expectations, the show began with no warning. Out of nowhere the mystical manta rays initiated a gavotte that turned seamlessly into a movement from La Bayádere. Eloquence, deliberation, and playful improvisation kept us captivated and speechless, except I found my self saying "hiiiii" each time they circled around and danced in the lights. I highly recommend this experience with this company it was unforgettable and mystical experience that should not be missed. It's one of those indelible things that will rock your world forever. read more

Amazing manta ray tour!!! We were met by Melissa who gave us the wetsuits and initial instructions and rules for the excursion. She was knowledgeable and super friendly! Then she showed us to the boat where the captain, Dillon, took us on a short ride a little bit away from the dock. Aké was our guide in the water and gave us facts about the mantas as he guided our board to the perfect location. We saw about 5 manta rays. It was a magical experience and I highly recommend it! read more

Highlight of the trip! Amazing experience, being so close to such marvelous creatures as giant mantas is something I'll remember for the rest of my life. The crew - Jeremiah, Ake, Braydon, and Captain Jeff - were all fantastic. Strongly recommend! read more