Sunset Manta Ray Snorkel Kona on a 50-Foot Catamaran
Two hours and fifteen minutes on the water: the sail along the Kona coast at sunset first, the reef mantas in the water once it is dark.
Updated 21 October 2026
In shortThis is a 2 hour 15 minute evening on a 50-foot catamaran: a sail along the Kona coast while the sun sets, a briefing on the mantas, then the snorkel after dark with professional certified guides in the water alongside you, working in English. Snorkel equipment, instruction, wetsuits and swim noodles are provided, and water, juice, soft drinks and post-snorkel hot cocoa and tea come with the ticket. It fits travellers staying in Kailua-Kona who want the sunset at sea as part of the trip and are comfortable swimming at the surface with a noodle to hold.
2 h 15 mintour length
from $155per adult
★ 4.9872 reviews
What the sunset manta ray snorkel Kona evening involves
The trip runs 2 hours 15 minutes and divides into two parts. First comes the sail along the Kona coast on a 50-foot catamaran while the sun drops; then the boat sets up over the viewing area, the crew gives an explanation of the animals you are about to see, and the in-water part begins once the light has gone.
The mantas come for plankton, and plankton comes to light. Boats work with dive lights and lit floats at the surface, which concentrate the plankton in a pool of brightness; the reef mantas feed by looping through it with their mouths open, often directly below snorkelers. That is the whole reason these trips leave around sunset instead of in the afternoon.
In the water you hold on and stay horizontal. Snorkel equipment, instruction, wetsuits and swim noodles are provided, and the professional certified guides get in with the group rather than watching from the deck. Keep your legs flat and behind you, do not reach for a manta, and leave the flash off: the rules on this coast are the same on every boat, and Hawaii state law makes it illegal to capture, take, possess, abuse or entangle any ray in state marine waters, with fines running from $500 to $10,000.
Drinks are part of the ticket: water, juice and soft drinks on board, hot cocoa and hot tea once you are back out and drying off. Beer, wine and cocktails are sold separately from the bar on board. Towels are not provided, so pack one, plus something warm for the ride back, because you will be wet in the dark with the boat moving.
Sunset and Manta Ray Snorkel Adventure
The highest-rated tour on this site at 4.9 ★ from 872 reviews. Two hours and fifteen minutes on a 50-foot catamaran, with wetsuits, swim noodles and hot cocoa after the water, from $155 per adult.
Check in at the KONASTYLE office 30 minutes before departure, at 75-5660 Palani Drive, Ste C8, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740. The office sits at the Courtyard Marriott, next to the pool.
Do not go to the boat first: guests who turn up at the dock are sent back to the office to check in.
Departure time moves with sunset through the year, so confirm your exact time on the booking page before you plan dinner around it.
Age categories on the ticket: infant 0-4, youth 5-12, adult 13 and over.
Hotel pickup and drop-off is not included, so arrange your own transport to Palani Drive and allow time for parking.
Bring a towel and dry clothes. Wetsuits, swim noodles, mask and snorkel are supplied by the operator.
Photos: ours and the tour operator's
What is included
Included
Professional guide
All taxes, fees and handling charges
Use of snorkelling equipment
Complimentary soft drinks, juices and water, plus hot cocoa and hot tea after the snorkel
Not included
Alcoholic drinks (beer, wine and spirits are available for purchase on board)
Gratuities
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Towels (bring your own)
How this sunset manta ray snorkel Kona trip compares
Pick this one if you want the sunset sail included and a larger, steadier platform under you: 2 hours 15 minutes, from $155, and the strongest rating in this group at 4.9 ★ from 872 reviews. The Sunset Manta Ray Tour in Kailua-Kona covers similar ground over 2 to 3 hours from $149. If you would rather be on the water for the shortest possible time and go straight to the mantas, Manta Ray Snorkeling by Night in Kailua-Kona takes an hour from $127, and the KONA Manta Ray Night Snorkel runs 1 hour 20 minutes from $95, which is the cheapest starting price of the four.
Tour
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From
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Sunset and Manta Ray Snorkel Adventure (this page)
Check dates for the Sunset and Manta Ray Snorkel Adventure
Departure times move with sunset, and evening slots fill first in the drier months. The booking page shows the current times, the starting price from $155 and the check-in time 30 minutes before at the KONASTYLE office.
