Manta Ray Dives of Hawaii is a Kona highlight experience!
As a driver, people ask me all the time about fun activities to do on the Kona-Kohala coast. “How are the manta dives?” is a common question. “I’ve heard it’s a fun activity.”, is all I could say. I did not have a firsthand experience to share. Well… that has recently changed, as I had the privilege of going out on a night snorkel with Manta Ray Dives Hawaii! It was an AMAZING experience!
Honokohau Harbor is the jump-off spot. That is where we board the boat and meet the lively crew members. After a quick round of introductions, which included reciting a line from one of your favorite movies, crew and participants, we were off!
The boat traveled North for, what seemed like, 15 minutes. Once we arrived at the dive site, there was still a need for the sun to go down before we could begin the activity. The time was not wasted, as the crew used this opportunity give us a safety briefing and a quick education on; plankton, manta rays in general, as well as the manta rays of the area. These graceful animals are protected by the State. Each of them has been identified, named, and recorded.
About 20 minutes have passed since we dropped anchor. The sun was setting. Time to suit up and enter the water! The scuba divers entered first, and us snorkelers followed. Five or six to a group. What looked like, a modified surfboard with PVC tubing attached around, as handles, was our magnificent manta viewer apparatus (Not sure what they called this device, so I’ll rock with my name for it. Lol). At the center of the board was a bright light shining down into the water. The group gathered around the boards by gripping the PVC piping. With the light flashing down, plankton was drawn to it. Plenty of fish gathered around to eat the plankton, but they all moved out of the way when the mantas arrived.
Almost immediately, from the depths of the ocean darkness, a large manta ray appeared!
Gliding towards us with a smooth confidence, was a creature with a six-foot wingspan. Wooooo! I was in awe! One after the other, they continued to appear. I know they came to feed, but it felt like they were performing for us. Doing graceful flips. ascending and descending in slow motion. Some cool $#!^!
When you come to Kona and you want to have an awesome “EcoAdventure”, be sure to hit up Manta Ray Dives of Hawaii! Oh yeah…. I can drive you there!
For more information, visit their site:
http://www.mantaraydiveshawaii.com
D The Driver 
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