Do not try to touch the rays, they come close enough to observe them and are covered with a viscous substance that protects them.Sarah takes a few minutes to give us instructions in English on the various rules to follow during observation, and also to make us aware of the cause of defending these beautiful creatures. Other boats that are already on the spot of observation.įor us, none of that. Sarah gives us lots of info about Manta rays. Some seem packed, or tourists are crammed into a small boat, while on others, people are waiting for their observation tour, not being able to all go to the water at the same time. We scan the decks of the boats and we are very happy to have chosen a small company. Dozens of boats are already on the scene and some groups are already in the water. The sun is slowly declining and offers us a superb sunset over the water. We opt for a mango juice that we will have to drink quickly before the boat strikes the offshore waves. We will sail at high speed for about 25 minutes to reach the "bay" of Wawaloli Beach Park. We receive the first safety information on the boat, when Danny proudly announces that they could observe 7 rays the day before, which is exceptional! We hope that luck will smile on us tonight too! We enjoy of the sunset time of the boat trip. By the time we get to the front of the boat, we're already heading out to sea. Danny's taking out his red carpet to welcome us aboard. We will only need a neoprene suit.Īt 18:01, the boats are launched, we don't even have time to wait. We're thrilled! Our boat will take us to see the Manta raysīefore leaving, we are offered fins, mask and snorkel, but we prefer to bring our own snorkeling equipment that we had with us. We meet our guides, Danny and Sarah, who are just as enthusiastic as we are, even though they have to go on the excursion every day! Danny, the captain of our boat, tells us that we will only be 6 people on each boat. We spot them quickly because the company name is written on them. When we arrive, the two boats owned by the company are already on trailers, ready to be launched. A large car park awaits us, and we can park a few meters from the boats. It is actually a small marina and it will be our starting point. We have an appointment at 18:00 at Kealakele Parkway north of the town of Kona. Please note that this is not a sponsored article. Also included, if you don't have snorkeling gear, fins, masks, snorkels and a neoprene suit. The number of rays seen can also vary from 3 to 7 on average, sometimes going up to more than 10 at the same time.Īfter much research, we finally opt for Kona Ocean Adventures, because they offer a small group excursion (6 to 12 people) in comfortable boats, with the feeling of enjoying the event better, drinks and fruit (pineapple and watermelon) included in the price. There are 3 observation points around the city, with chances of seeing Manta rays generally between 70 and 90%. Many providers offer this sea trip because the rays are off Kona in areas that are not easily accessible from shore. We were afraid of not observing the large rays so well, but we were wrong!
Sandrine can not dive more than a few meters under water, the option of snorkeling has imposed itself. Two days before our arrival in Kona, we reviewed all the organizations offering an excursion to meet these famous rays. Manta rays are graceful, sociable and absolutely inoffensive. They can be distinguished by the spots they have on their body, the length of their tail (which is absolutely not dangerous on the Manta ray contrary to popular belief), or the shape and size of their gills at the front. It is the latter that we are talking about here. Manta rays are divided into two categories: the oceanic Manta ray, the largest which reaches 7m and the smaller reef Manta ray which can still reach 5m. And yet it happened here, near Kona, on the largest of the Hawaiian islands.īeing able to be close to Manta rays is accessible to the general public in Hawaii, and we didn't hesitate for long to jump on the opportunity. For a long time I had been thinking about it, dreaming about it, never thinking that it would ever happen.
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