WHERE TO FIND THE BEST MANTA RAY NIGHT DIVE IN HAWAII
The fact that Kona, Hawaii is the best place across the state to dive with manta rays at night, is an open secret. Because of the rise in popularity of this dive, it is important to decipher where the best places to have these close encounters are, and how to secure your spot aboard a reputable tour boat.
In the past we have described what a fun, ecologically responsible, and thrilling encounter with the giant manta rays entails; today we’ll be diving into where these tours go and what you can expect to experience in these large hubs of activity.
Travel to the Kona Sheraton Resort
If you are looking into booking your manta ray tour in Kona, you’ll notice that many of these boats frequent the bay around the Kona Sheraton, besides the stunning waters, there are other reasons that this has become the hot spot for night dives. The Kona Sheraton shines a ton of light onto the bay at all hours, meaning that it is constantly attracting phytoplankton and, as a byproduct, manta rays who come to feast on their favorite microscopic snack.
Why Manta Rays Frequent South Kona
While manta rays do call the warm waters around the Hawaiian Islands home, there is a special reason that they frequent the secluded bays along the Kona Coastline; it has to do with light. Manta Rays rely on phytoplankton as a primary food source, as the name suggests, phytoplankton are attracted to light. What the Kona Coast has to offer that not a lot of other places do, is large scale resorts and hotels, known to shine bright lights out of their waterfront properties, all night long.
The environment that the resort life in Kona provides, therefore attracts phytoplankton and thus the manta rays to feed. When you go on a manta ray dive in Kona you’ll notice that the swimming patterns which occur just below the surface are ways that they feed on the microscopic plankton.
Book Your Spot Aboard a Keauhou Bay Manta Ray Dive Tour
A manta ray night dive is an increasingly popular tour offered on the Big Island. Because of how much interest this excursion has drum up, as well as the group size allowed for this type of tour, it is important that you secure your spot aboard an accredited boat as soon as possible. If you want to learn more about how to find the best manta ray night dive, be sure to check out our article here.
Make sure that before embarking on a manta ray night dive, you choose a reputable and responsible tour operator who adheres to guidelines for wildlife protection and sustainable tourism practices, like Dolphin Discoveries. The manta ray night dive is an incredible and eco-sensitive experience that should be enjoyed responsibly to preserve the natural beauty of these magnificent gentle creatures and their habitats.