How to choose the tour
Departure point is the first thing to settle, because it decides how long your evening runs. Five of the six trips leave from Keauhou Bay or Keauhou Harbor, a few minutes south of Kailua-Kona, and reach the lit viewing area off Kaukalaelae Point in three to five minutes of boat time. The sixth leaves from Honokohau Harbor and runs up the coast to the northern viewing area, which is why it is the longest night out at 3.5 hours.
If you sleep in Keauhou or Kailua-Kona
Staying in Keauhou puts you within a short drive of the pier on Kaleiopapa Street, so the shortest trips make sense: the 1.5-hour Kona snorkel with its three-minute transfer, or the 1 h 20 min Keauhou Bay departure, which runs slots from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. and suits a late dinner either side. From a Kailua-Kona hotel, Honokohau Harbor is the closer marina, and the 3.5-hour trip from slip G-2 checks in at 4:15 PM HST, which turns the outing into the whole evening.
Language
All six tours on this site are run in English. The briefings, safety instructions and the live commentary on the mantas are delivered in English by the captain and the snorkel guides, so a working knowledge of the language helps you get the most out of the in-water part.
Budget and comfort
Starting prices on this page run from $95 to $155 per adult, and the gap mostly reflects group size, boat and what is included. The 1.5-hour trip from $125 and the 1 h 20 min trip from $95 are the leanest options; the 2.5-hour Big Island snorkel from $138 adds a wetsuit top, flotation, bottled water and light snacks, and it carries by far the most reviews. Spend more and you buy space or scenery: Manta Magic from $145 caps the boat at 12 passengers for one focused hour, while the catamaran sunset trip from $155 gives you a 50-foot deck, a sail along the coast at dusk and 2 h 15 min in total.
All tours compared
