In this video you can see how close the Manta Rays came and the zooplankton they are feeding on. It was a jarring clonk to be whacked by a fish the size of a VW bug. The crowd of snorkelers trying to view the Rays close up pushed me down so that a Manta Ray knocked into me when eating the plankton. I was able to hold the light steady for a minute or so which drew the Manta Rays directly below me. The Manta Rays swam toward the light right up to my feet. They fed on the plankton by opening their huge mouths to suck it in. The plankton ultimately drew in the giant Manta Rays. Holding on to the ring made this possible. The light only worked if it was held very steady for a long enough time to attract the plankton. We were given a handheld bright white light to draw plankton to us and bring the manta rays closer. The giant manta rays had room to swim and feed between the snorkelers and divers. The snorkelers stayed on the top and looked down. Scuba divers were led to the bottom of the bay next to the lights to see the view from below. The lights had already drawn in thousands of fish to feed on the zooplankton. While holding on to the ring I could see the lights in the water directly below me. Our tour boat was the only one that provided these type of rings. Each ring could support about 10 people and it was very helpful to have something to hold on to. The tour boat provided two styrofoam rings that we could hold on to while watching the fish and manta rays below. Each tour boat uses a different color so we know which boat to return to. We were given colored identification lights to attach to our snorkel mask. We swam out to the circle of light from the boat. The tour operators put the lights there to attract marine zooplankton which in turn attracts the Manta Rays. I could see a circle of bright blue where the water was illuminated by lights shinning up from at the bottom of the bay. We were lucky that night because a huge number of Manta Rays showed up. They can't guarantee that the Manta Rays will show up. A guide explained the rules about not touching or disturbing the Manta Rays. The tour provided snorkeling and scuba equipment or you could bring your own. When our boat arrived in the Ho‘ona Bay, five other tour boats were already there. Other tours have meals and additional time on the boat as a part of their tour package.Īfter leaving Kona harbor, darkness settled in quickly. There was no meal served on my tour, just licorice. Tour boats from Kona Harbor leave for Ho‘ona Bay in the early evening to be there by dusk. I signed a release form (which released the tour companry from most everything) in the parking lot and boarded after they launched the boat. My tour boat was in the parking lot and not yet launched, which surprised me a little since it was a big boat. The harbor has plenty of parking as well as bathrooms. My night snorkeling adventure with the Manta Rays began at the Kona harbor. It is an awesome, overwhelming, and unforgettable experience to snorkel or dive next to these giant creatures. Over 60 giant manta rays are said to be living off the coast of Kona and on crowded nights 20 or more may show up in the bay drawn in by huge lights that attract their food. Giant Manta Rays gather at a spot on the Kona Coast, near the Kona airport, in Ho‘ona Bay (Garden Eel Bay). Night Snorkel with Manta Rays in Kona KONA MANTA RAYS A Night Snorkeling Experience
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