Aug 24, 2024
Must do! - This was the coolest experience I have done in Hawaii! Definitely a must do! The crew was so nice and knowledgeable!
Review provided by Viator
Aug 21, 2024
Amazing Manta Snorkel!! - Awesome crew and really amazing seeing the mantas! Lena, Mitch, Scott and Diego are simply amazing! Highly recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Aug 20, 2024
Must do! Majestic Manta Rays - worth every penny! - Most spectacular experience! Mantas were majestic. Captain Lina was so knowledgeable. Patrick was great with our kids. Tamae and Sami were great
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Aug 17, 2024
Highly Recommend! - A friend recommended doing manta ray night snorkeling. I booked this through Iruka Lona and had an amazing time. The crew, Scott, Diego, Mitch, Trevor, and Amy were very friendly, helpful and informative. We saw so many Manta and even saw a small shark. What an adventure!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Aug 17, 2024
Great for families, once-in-a-lifetime! - This was the coolest thing I have ever done! (Full disclosure: we had an epic night with 10-15 rays swimming around us so I might be biased.)
Yes it is a little scary to get on a random boat in a dark marina, but the crew was so friendly and welcoming and made everything so easy. It was a very safe boat ride and they explained everything and had drinks and snacks for after. Bring towels and maybe a hoodie for after.
In August the water is around 80 degrees so we didn't need wetsuits but if you do want one, it's cash only.
We took our 2 kids (ages 11 and 9) and they had an amazing time! It helps if your kids are brave about open water and decent swimmers, but between the life vest (required for kids under 12), saltwater-bouyancy and the crew helping us to the raft, it's probably ok if they can't swim well. It's only about a 15 foot swim but it can be choppy.
You can also sit on the raft if you panic about the water and they can swim you back to the boat if you want to be done.
The crew was very knowledgeable about the rays and because your ears are out of the water, you can hear them while you watch. And holy moly the rays get so close! You can't touch them but they can touch you and it's so exhilarating and like nothing else.
I highly recommend this boat. You won't regret it!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Aug 6, 2024
Great crew, wonderful trip - We have traveled extensively as a family (2 adults, 9 y/o and 15 y/o), and this was one of the best guided excursions that we have done. Both kids were easily able to participate and enjoyed the trip. We choose the sunset time so the boat left the marina at 6:30 (mid-July). After about 1/2 hr boat ride we arrived at the snorkel sit just as the sun was setting. I was worried that it was going to be too light for the rays to show up, but by the time we received instructions and were suited up, it was plenty dark enough. In fact, saw 3 rays just on my swim to the board. What really made the trip exceptional was the crew. They all had a great sense of humor and were entertaining while being professional and dedicated to making sure the customers had a great time. I would recommend this trip and company to anyone traveling to the Big Island. One item of advise, be cognizant of the parking spaces in the marina. Some are just for vehicles with boats trailers (longer lines), and the police will ticket you for parking in those spaces :(
Review provided by Viator
Aug 3, 2024
Once in a lifetime night - Amazing once in a lifetime experience! Saw so many manta rays! Trevor, Scott, Mitch and Tamae were all great and helped make an even more memorable night!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jul 17, 2024
Awesome experience - must do - The Manta Ray snorkelling was exceptional. Seeing the rays so up and personal is a once in a life time experience.
The crew were top notch. We had such a great time with Trevor, Scott, Diego, & Tamea we booked the dolphin tour the next day! Which was equally impressive and we saw both dolphins and ray on their respective trips, alongside so much more.
The team were fun, attentive and looked after you so well. You won’t regret it.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jul 13, 2024
Absolutely recommend ! - I've been in Hawaii for three weeks and yesterday's activity with Iruka was by far the best !
The activity itself: absolutely breathtaking. We're in the ocean in the middle of the night, and the crew attracts plankton with light and the mantas come right in to feast on this agglomeration of food for them. We have the chance to have a close look on these beautiful creatures that dance and do barrel rolls in order to eat. It seems unreal, it's kinda hard to put words on the emotions you go through during the experience, but it's definitely something I wish to anyone to live once in their lives.
Apart from the activity itself, the crew was also a very big part of the experience. I was with Trevor, Scott, Diego and Mitch. They seemed as close friends, we could feel a complicity between them that was very nice. Every time someone spoke, you end up with a smile on your face; those guys are really funny, engaging and easygoing. They know how to make you have a really good time. But at the same time, they were excellent at making us feel confortable and safe if we were scared or seasick. All in all, they were really attentive to our needs and at the same time uplifting.
I had a blast yesterday and already want to come back. Thanks again to the crew ! Everything was perfect, I cannot recommend it enough !
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Aug 13, 2024
I enjoyed it with my children! - I went there in early August.
Since I was with a small child, I had hoped for a Japanese-speaking day so that I could hear the explanation thoroughly, but the schedule did not match, so I made a Reservation for an English-only day. However, due to the large number of participants, we were lucky enough to hear explanations in Japanese because we had a Japanese-speaking staff, Tamae, on board.
They explained carefully what children should be aware of when entering the water, and made sure they had a place on the float so that they wouldn't get tired from being in the water all the time.
I spent a lot of time in the ocean at night, so I used a lot of my strength, but on the way back, the Taylor Swift song got the westerners excited!
The wind when the boat ran, the sunset, diving into the sea at night, lots of manta rays - it was all great!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
