Manta Ray Night Dive/Snorkel

This was a mind-blowing adventure and my husband’s favorite activity that we did.  It was extremely affordable and well worth the money. We chose to do the snorkel option opposed to the scuba diving package and had a blast! This dive is always ranked in the top ten best dives in the world, currently it is ranked #7 at scubatravel.com.  The company we used was Kona Honu Divers and I highly recommend them. You can book a trip through them here. We went out in the early evening and snorkeled the reef for an hour or so before we got on the boat. Once on the boat we put on scuba suits and got flash lights and went back out into the water. It was amazing!!! There were so many manta rays I could not count them. I knew they were large, I have seen them in many aquariums, however, out in the open water, where they are directly under you or next to you. They are HUGE! As a snorkeler you shine your flash light down (the scuba divers shine theirs up) and the manta rays will flip in the light eating the plankton. No one told me they flip right beneath you. This scared me so bad, all I could think was “it’s going to sting me!” (Manta Rays don’t have stingers.) Like all loving girlfriends, I shoved Danny below me. Danny didn’t drown, and still ended up marrying me, so apparently I didn’t scare him off with my better you than me mentality. After, he convinced me that it would not sting me, or eat me (their gigantic open mouths are seriously a little nerve wrecking). I calmed down, it was so relaxing just floating there and enjoying this incredible experience. It is indescribable how amazing it is. The bubbles and lights from the scuba divers add to the experience. It really is something out of a dream. We did the five hour Manta Dive Package and spent less than a hundred dollars a person (super cheap for Hawaii). They also offer a variety of discounts like military and student. I booked with them six months in advance because I like to have my vacations paid for before I go, but there were people booking the day of.  Sorry I don’t have a picture of us in the water, my water camera broke earlier that trip and the disposable didn’t take very good pictures. However, I found a couple of pictures that do a good job showing the dive from a scuba diver’s view.