We had the most amazing adventure swimming with the Manta Rays with Hang Loose Boat Tours. They…read morewere so professional and organized and everything went exactly as advertised (including the huge showing of Manta Rays and Sharks!!!) Thank you for this once in a lifetime experience.

The best experience ever! Our original trip got canceled,…read morethey explained it to is ahead and even helped reschedule within our travel constraints and made it super fun. Some of us were experienced swimmers and some super scared of water. Overall it was the absolute highlight of our trip. Jordan and Ula were our guides and they were super funny, kept us safe and comfortable the whole time.

Taylor and Preston are AMAZING!!! I highly recommend them to anyone coming to the island! They made…read moreour whole party feel safe and prepared to swim with Manta Rays!

Preston, Taylor, and Patrick were great guides to the manta rays today. We got lucky and saw…read moredolphins, a whale shark, and what seemed like over a dozen rays! I highly recommend this company!

We had a great day out searching for Whales! The staff was great with communication and answering…read morequestions before the trip.

We had a wonderful time with Tyler and Captain Alan. Really nice, down to earth people. We got…read moretwo swims at lovely coves and a spin To Kona. Highly recommended. A memorable day.

Rick and Davonte were amazing!!!! Their knowledge and humor kept the group entertained all…read moreafternoon. Highly recommend this Kona experience.

We just did a tour with Captain Zodiac in Kona and it was honestly such a special experience. Our…read moreguides, Ashley and Alec, were incredible. They were so knowledgeable and friendly, and they really took the time to answer every single question we had. Both Ashely and Alec have researched whales in Alaska and Hawaii, so hearing specific researcher knowledge was really cool. Ashley was also just so enthusiastic. She really made us understand how special it was to be out there witnessing these animals. The water was a little rocky at times, but we still saw so many whales, including one that got within 30 yards of our boat. The best part was actually on the way back. We were already at time for the tour, but Ashley noticed a group of boats congregating and went to investigate. It ended up being a whale shark that came right up by the boat, which the guides told us is an incredibly rare event. It was just an awesome thing to see. You can really tell they have so much reverence and respect for the whales. If you have any interest in seeing these animals up close and hearing from specialists who work with them full time, this is the company to go with. We have so much respect for the work Ashley and Alec do.

Great and fun! We did the "newer" tour (2/26) that's faster and more adventurous. I searched Yelp…read morefor this and couldn't find so wanted to post. Since it's a smaller boat u can go faster and get maybe closer to the action. The drawbacks compared to a more traditional "ferry" type wld be ferry has bathrooms and comfy seats and shade. This one we did had saddle seats which were ok but comparable to a padded bike seat. Not so comfy for males especially perhaps. If u go, u can bring your own waterbottle, make sure to wear copious amounts of sunscreen and bring more to reapply. I (female) was happy I wore a long sleeved rash guard and long light colored leggings. Can wear any shoe that cld get wet, tho we did not get wet. Could wear sneakers if ur ok if they get somewhat messy. Wish I wore water shoes for the grip and the sun protection bc my feet got so much sun exposure in flip flops and not much grip. We left most of our stuff in the hotel room safe and just brought keys and drivers license. Wish I had brought cash for a tip for the driver and tour guide. Can bring phone for photos. If u are the first to arrive to the dock, you may be able to snag the seats right in front of the driver, which would be the way to get any sort of shade. Wear a hat, preferably with a chin strap or affix a baseball hat to your ponytail (ladies) or flip cap backwards as a guy when the boat goes fast so not lose hat. Wish I had had some more neck protection. Drink water. Reapply sunscreen. You'll be fast then will stop to look around so there's time to stand up, reapply etc. Great and informative narration by Dennis. Captain driver was also great. Wld recommend but again consider your needs for shade, seating, and can't go to the bathroom for three hours. Nice bathrooms at the harbor tho, flushable booklets, water and soap. Hope this helps!

We signed up for both whale watching and the night manta ray snorkel with Hawaiian Adventures Kona;…read moreboth experiences were phenomenal and a MUST-DO if visiting the Big Island! Captain Andrew and Olivia were excellent guides, they had great energy and humor while sharing information about the wildlife. Their boat, the Artemis, is the "Rolls Royce" of whale-watching boats that I've been on; clearly designed for optimal wildlife viewing and passenger comfort. We saw multiple humpback whales, three species of dolphin, and many manta rays during our trips with them. The crew is clearly very knowledgeable about the local wildlife and did a fabulous job finding animals, as well as positioning the boat for viewing them. On the manta ray night snorkel... DO IT! It exceeded my expectations tenfold and I would reckon it's one of the most unique ocean experiences anyone could have. You get to float effortlessly (with a board and pool noodle) while watching these majestic animals feed all around you! The boat is a great platform for this too, as there is a hot water rinse available to you when you get out of the water. I will book trips with this company EVERY TIME I visit Kona in the future! Both experiences were completely awesome and I can't wait to be back.

We booked a 5 hour fishing excursion with Cpt. Craig, with three of us in attendance. The boat was…read moreroomy enough for us without tripping over each other. We enjoyed our trip tremendously and Cpt. Craig was very informative about local history if inclined to ask. All equipment and bait was provided, and included in the overall cost. Although there are no guarantees you would catch fish, when fishing, we were fortunate enough to do so. We each landed a yellow fin tuna. We had never used the gear necessary to hook up and land these delectable fish, but Cpt. Craig was patient and informative on how to do so. At the tail end of our trip he filleted our catch and bagged it up for us. We were provided beverages and snacks, if interested. There was great communication before and up to our charter. I/we highly recommend this charter! Should we ever return to the Big Island we will do this charter again, no doubt. I may, if the others were inclined, charter it for the whole day. Thank you, Cpt. Craig, for an outstanding adventure. For me, personally, it was the funnest part of our week stay on the island. Here are a couple of tips. (1) Keep in mind - there is not a restroom on this boat. So, you should plan to flush the pipes before launching unless you want to waste valuable time returning to the launch ramp. (2) You can get some of your catch through the TSA and Ag checkpoints at the airport if desired. We froze some of our fillets and had them in zip bags, placed within our carry-on luggage.

My husband and I visited Kona for the first time and.went.out.with the C Hawk to fish. Craig was…read morevery knowledgeable and friendly. He works hard for his guests. He made sure we were comfortable on the boat. My husband and I were a little rusty and he explained everything to us. We laughed when my husband and I caught tuna but by the time we reeled them in the dolphins surrounding us got to the fish before we did. We relocated and ended our day each catching Wahoo. I was able to catch some sun lounging in front of his boat. We made a friend and the next time we visit we will definitely be on Craig's boat again. Highly recommend. I wish I could give him a 10 star!!! Craig, thank you for making our visit that much prefer special. Alpha!

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to see giant manta rays in their natural habitat!…read more Manta Adventures is a top notch tour company and I would recommend them to anyone that wants to experience this rare opportunity. It's a little creepy being out in the ocean at night, but you get used to it fairly quick. There are tons of other boats out there with people in the water. The Rays we saw I'm guessing had about a 6ft wingspan and they literally get within inches of you while feeding on plankton. One thing to note. If you are susceptible to motion sickness I would recommend Dramamine or the bracelet. My wife threw up along with a couple of other passengers.

Our snorkel and manta rays swim cruise was great. We saw mantas during the day and night, a monk…read moreseal, octopus, and dolphins. Super crew, great boat and was a highlight of our vacation.

What an amazing experience! We were a group of scuba divers and a snorkeler. We had 2 dive/snorkel…read morespots. This first dive we saw a shark, fish, and an eel. The 2nd dive was incredible!! We sat at the bottom of the ocean with lights and HUGE manta rays swam all around us! Kate was our dive guide and I can't remember the snorkel guides name but they were both great! I hadn't dove in about 2 years and Kate was so patient with me. I was a little nervous but she made me feel at ease. My husband even saw a baby tiger shark when he was snorkeling! They provided fruit, hummus sandwiches and drinks. If you're on the Big Island this is a must! They even took go pro videos and sent them to us!!

Troy and Meredith were amazing. Safe and entertaining journey and genuinely good people. Well…read moreworth private experience over the large group tours. The Manta's truly are amazing. Highly recommend and thanks again to both of you for a wonderful experience.

Took family on the Manta Ray night dive. The experience was amazing. Saw up to 6 Manta Rays inches…read morefrom me. You a tell the difference from there spot on their under belly''s. The crew was also mazing and explained in detail what we would be experiencing from how to enter the water, how to float and relax, how the Manta Ray encounter experience would be, and most importantly how to protect the Mantas by not touching them. My wife was hesitant to get in the water having never snorkeled. She decided to remain on boat. Captain John cautiously maneuvered boat so she could see them yet not risking swimmer in the water. They run smaller boats to allow them the do that. A lot of the bigger boats out there would never have been able to do that for my wife. Definitely would go again with the Kona Manta Diving.

Many had recommended this activity, so we had to give it a try. I had some trepidation about…read morenight-time diving, length of activity, and getting cold. I didn't need to. The team (especially Mads, our guide) made this easy. We held onto a surfboard which had a light to attract the plankton, and the mantas came to us to feed. It was easy, and it was spectacular! My husband and I had debated whether to scuba or snorkel the adventure. I'm not sure how the scuba experience could have been better as the mantas came within inches of us over he course of the dive, putting on their own show. Truly wonderful experience. Kudos to the entire team (including the boat captain) who made this such a wonderful experience!

OMFG!!! LIFE CHANGING!!…read more I'm still in awe about this truly amazing experience! We did the half day dolphin excursion with Rich as our captain and Rusty as our right hand man. Even Sailor(their dog) joined in on the ride. Since nobody else booked the tour for that day, we had the boat all to ourselves! Before we started, Rusty fitted us with snorkeling gear and fins. Gear was top of the line and well maintained. As we started out, Rusty explained in detail what to expect and the do's and don't of swimming with dolphins. Our first stop had no dolphins, but no worries, Rich took us to a Manta Ray "wash" station. There we were able to get in and watch these majestic animals get "cleaned". Unreal! After watching them for about 20 min or so we were off to find dolphins, and find them we did! Rich positioned us about 100 yards in front of the pod and Rusty helped us get geared up and into the water. Once in you could here the dolphins communicating in the water before you see them. The all of the sudden BAM they are all around you!! Dolphins of all shapes and sizes and even babies were just casually swimming by checking us out. So EPIC! Once the pod past, we swam back to the boat and were off again to find more. After a couple of hrs we had lunch on the bow of the boat while the dolphins put on a show for us. Sadly, Rich informed us that it was time to say Aloha and we headed back to the harbor. Man time went too fast. I could have stayed watching the dolphins all day. Overall the trip, staff, and food was first class all the way. Great family owned local business. If you are ever on the Big Island, DO THIS!!! They also offer a great kama'aina rate as well! Thanks Dolphin Journeys for this once in a lifetime treat!!

First of all, anyone leaving a bad review for this place must have not gone to the right place…read more.. this woman and her crew are amazing! We had the pleasure of not meeting her just once, but twice. She is super knowledgeable and their love for the ocean and taking care of it was so nice, we even stopped to remove trash from the ocean. They bring everything you need, supply you with everything, and when your on their boat it feels like family. We have had the privilege to be in Hawaii and live amongst the locals the last few times here and their sense of ohana and just overall life gets me every time. And being with Nancy and her helper Cody brought it all back. This is not the kind of tour where you sit on a boat with 30 other tourists and listen to facts, if you want to actually be in it and , and experience the ocean, take this tour. Their knowledge will come through in casual conversation and you will learn so much more. They do though know the limits of the ocean, and if something is dangerous, they won't do it.. Now on to the dolphin part...within 15 mins of getting out of the harbor.. Nancy took us to a spot where dolphins came to us and began playing with the boat. In another 5.. we were in the water, and within 5 mins, I was surrounded , this happened for the next few hours, at one point.. 35 of them around us. At another one came up under me, surfaced just under my body, and turned around and looked at me and motioned with his nose for me to follow. It honestly didn't feel real.. and I still can't believe it happened. We then for the last part went to a reef and did some snorkeling. This was amazing, Nancy was amazing, and I will return... if I could give it ten stars I would.