What a fabulous experience! - Wow!! I went on this excursion alone on Sept 9th at 7pm. There were a total of 14 attendees and four tour guides on board. I purchased my ticket on Groupon. I’m fairly comfortable in water but did have some hesitation going into the ocean at night. I am from the mid-west so this was an opportunity that I wanted to explore. I have done other excursions in the ocean during the daytime but for this I went alone, at night, and was unsure of what I was getting myself into. I am so glad that I did!! What amazing gentle beauties!! DID I SAY AMAZING??? This was something that I feel blessed to have been able to see with my own eyes! What beautiful and majestic creatures. They put on a dancing, swimming, and just showed off for us. The manta rays came right up to us. Literally 1/2 inch away from my body. My husband had no interest in going so I waxed and waned about going out by myself. If you are in the same position please go. I was very comfortable and this is truly worth it! The guides were very kind and even offered my husband to ride out with us. His comfort level is zero in the middle of the ocean and does not like to snorkel. He’d rather be on the beach in a float relaxing in the sun. I am glad that I decided to go and I’m am glad he did not come for a few reasons. Once we get out to the viewing point the boat is idle and there is a lot of rocking. He would have been very uncomfortable for the approx hour time frame we were out viewing the rays, loading and unloading back into the boat. He also would not have been able to see anything since we were at a minimum of 20 feet away from the boat. We made a plan, he dropped me off, ran some errands at the Walmart close by, hung out at a bar and watched some recaps of the earlier football games, found a Thai restaurant to order us food, and picked me up two hours later. Anyhoo…..This was an awesome opportunity to see something that was quite amazing. The tour guides were awesome! Thank you to the captain and Pam!! A few notes-if you are uncomfortable in the water or can not swim this is not for you. I would also recommend taking an anti nausea medication. I did not because I’m normally comfortable on boats but the rocking that occurs while loading and unloading was enough to make my stomach uncomfortable so I was wishing that I did. Take at least two towels to wrap up in and a thick pullover with a hood. The ride back is cold. Take a go pro/water proof phone case. There were no cons for me to list. Everyone was great, this entire experience was fantastic! The sunset boat ride into the ocean was gorgeous!! This experience was amazing. Everything was fantastic!! Thank you!!

Manta Ray Fun - We had a fabulous time on this excursion! The staff was super friendly and knowledgeable. We saw 6 manta rays and they came so close to us. Complimentary soft drinks were provided and there was some warm water to rinse off with when you come back onto the boat. The only thing I wish could have been different was that there were no picture taking opportunities unless you brought a Go pro. It would be nice if some sort of group picture could be taken in the water!

Wonderful Experience - got to know manta “Tim” well - The crew was fabulously kind and communicative. They helped prepare our wet suit and snorkel equipment. They discussed with intimate knowledge the nature of the mantas. They helped us into the water and did all the work while we floated and watched 5 mantas come to and through our lighted bridge, gently flying in the water just missing our bodies. The manta “Tim” (every manta has a name) was especially fond of us. Thank you to the entire crew for a wonderful experience.

Excellent Night time manta snorkel with Hawaii Adventures - The night snorkel with Mantas was excellent. The HA crew (3+captain) were also excellent. They helped prep and guided all persons so that we knew what the process would be for entering the water. We were wondering how cold the water however, each person had a scuba top to help with the cooler water plus the excitement and the site of mantas looping just below us in the water made us forget about the water temp. 1. Excellent trip, well worth the cost 2. Crew is really good and working with everyone. Very knowledgeable on marine life. 3. You will be in the water 30-40 minutes. Your arms may get tired or stiff holding on to the handles of the floating light table. SO RELAX. Switch hands and rest one at a time. 4. Enjoy the scene. It is amazing. 4. DO use the WARM water shower/rinse hoses after the trip is done. That really gets any chill out of you. You will thank me afterward. 5. Dont forget cash for tips. Tips, they said, get split between the entire crew.

Friendly crew, awesome boat, unforgettable experience - We had such an amazing time. We saw 20+ manta rays and had crystal clear visibility - not your average night swim we’ve been told! The crew was so welcoming and friendly; they checked in routinely to make sure everyone was comfortable and having fun. The boat was spacious and made getting in/out of the water so easy. This tour is the only one that stays later so you have more time in the water and more mantas coming to you (since you’re the last light source of the evening)! Highly, highly recommend. Was the absolute highlight of our trip.

Life Changing Majesty!!! - A fantastic experience with an amazing crew who went out of their way to make us feel safe and informed. Olivia’s knowledge of Mantas in general and specifically the locals was outstanding! If you are prone to motion sickness then definitely take your favourite remedy prior to departure and sit towards the back of the shiny new boat. Take their advice and arrive hydrated. A warm jacket and dry towel are a must, especially after a hot shower at the front of the boat after your snorkel.

Facing fears and having the experience of a lifetime! - Hawaiian Adventures truly exceeds all expectations from the very beautiful and well kept boat to the highly experienced and caring crew, every minute was amazing. As a tour captain in the PNW I know first hand things can be very chaotic on the water without having to put guests into the blue, but Hawaiian adventures made it seamless. Upon arrival to the dive site I watched many other boats coming and going in what seemed like a circus like manner. People were put into the water with little instruction and no talks were given while with the mantas, thankfully that is not how Hawaiian Adventures does it. They timed our arrival at a point when most boats were leaving which was perfect. We were split into teams and each given our own very knowledgeable guides. Shout out to the guides! Andrew, Sam, Olivia, Kelsey, Jason, and Pam! All outstanding!!! Hawaiian Adventures then deployed state of the art light boards and we got into the water one by one. Our guides then towed us out to the site and the magic began. I never thought in a million years I would be staring a manta ray in the eye but I did multiple times on this trip. The mantas came right up to the board in an amazing acrobatic display, devouring planking as they swam. During the encounter guides were identifying individual mantas and even telling us about their behavior, size, and all sorts of other great facts. The time went by so fast but we spent over 40 minutes with the rays which was so beautiful from beginning to end. The guides then towed us back to the boat where we used very well built swim ladders to easily exit the water. Captain Shane gave us a hand up and then directed us towards the lovely hot water shower located on the boat to rinse off the salt ocean. We all settled in after that with a complimentary beverage and cruises back to the marina. This experience is like nothing I have ever done before. I have driven boats with orcas, gray whales, minke whales, and humpbacks. I have climbed the Seattle space needle, and have traveled to some beautiful places but this experience will forever be high on my list of memories. I have a fear of the ocean and like some have an unrealistic idea that sits in the back of my head when I swim that there is a shark somewhere coming for me. Swimming in the ocean at night has always seemed like a terrifying ordeal to me and something I refused. Tonight though, I was the first one in the water for my group, no shark thoughts, no fear, no uneasiness about the dark mysterious waters. Just a humbling experience spent with amazingly beautiful creatures. I greatly recommend Hawaiian Adventures for manta swims and for all other tour needs while on the big island. They do not disappoint!

Manta's and Jason did not disappoint- Book your tour with Hawaiian Adventures - We had an amazing time with Jason our guide for group 3 that night. The wife and I have been on 2 other Manta Tours with other companies over the last 3 years and this new boat / ship that Hawaiian Adventures has is the bomb. Plenty of room and very comfortable. We went up top on the ride out to the site and everyone was very friendly. The Manta's did not disappoint either. Highly recommend HA and the Artemis which is the name of the boat. When we go back next year, we will be booking with HA again. Everything went very smooth and this crew is experienced.

Worth it! - I Did the 7pm Manta Ray snorkel tour with my 12 and 14 year old sons. Competent and friendly staff made us feel safe the entire time. Explained mantas are actually sharks but have NO teeth, and no barbs/stingers. We were split into groups of 6 people per 2 guides with one " light board". Less than 2 minutes after entering the water, 7 GIANT manta rays came to do graceful underwater flips INCHES from our bodies. Swarms of small fish darted around, and a few fish about 12 inches long gathered around our lights aswell. The shore, ocean floor, and boat, were never beyond sight. 45 minutes total time in ocean. Warm shower on deck of newest boat in the harbor. They gave us the Groupon pricing (even though I didn't use Groupon), plus a Kamaina (local resident) discount when I called and booked directly with Hawaiian Adventures, making the experience total less than $300 for people!

Hawaiian Adventures Manta Snorkel Tour cancelled on the day of our tour. - We took a gamble with this company based on the limited number of reviews they had (but they are all good, so we thought it would be ok)... Unfortunately that was a terrible mistake :( . We received a message from Hawaiian Adventures on the day of our tour saying they were cancelling because "we have not hit our guest minimum and tonights wind forecast is not predicting favorable conditions"... When I called them to ask about a refund, they just kept talking about bad winds, but we did get a refund. We had been out on another manta tour the night before, with stronger winds than what was forecast and there was no problems at all. Since this tour was now cancelled I reached out to 3 other places who advised they were fully booked that night and were still going out. Fortunately we managed to nab the final two seats on the tour we had previously gone out on. (and yes, there was like 8+ boats out the night that Hawaiian Adventures cancelled) I think its easy to see that the cancellation was just due to them not hitting their guest minimums and that was the reason for the cancellation. When 4 other companies are booked out (could have been more, I only spoke to 4), you have to wonder why this operator can't hit their minimums. The other thing I think is essential for everyone to know, is that when the tour operator cancels your booking on viator, you can't then leave feedback directly on the viator site. I had to create a support request to ask how I could leave feedback and they said the only way was to go to the trip advisor site, leave a review and it would be verified and imported into viator (eventually).. So I also wonder how many other people have had their tours cancelled, seen they can't leave feedback and just not dug deeper. Lesson learned.