Big Island Manta Ray Snorkel! Our thoughts on the best company to book!

[@shaunabs7681]

Great video thank you! Were looking forward to doing the manta ray excursion, your tips for booking are super helpful.

[@AbbieandWiebe]

Oh good! Yes for sure the biggest thing is booking somewhere right in town. We didn’t realize just how close it was to Kona. You guys will have a blast!

[@vickiehutcherson6365]

Love seeing you guys traveling!

[@AbbieandWiebe]

That's so nice! Thank you for the support! We are having so much fun making these memories!

[@Josh.Vanjani]

Looks like a fun one, guys 👍! Thanks for the exciting underwater footage. Some day, if I can afford it (at $7k!) I'd like to get the Carl F. Bucherer "Manta Ray" watch.

[@AbbieandWiebe]

Thanks Josh! Yeah they were pretty cool seeing them that close up. I had to look up the watch you're talking about...def wouldn't pay that much for a watch lol, but looks nice! 😀

[@elliemendenhall5173]

When we went in February I was so nervous. They are big creatures but it was so cool. We had like 15 or more where we were

[@AbbieandWiebe]

Wow that’s a lot! It was hard to tell how many were there because there were so many tour boats in the area. My guess is they were spread out a lot.

[@elliemendenhall5173]

@@AbbieandWiebe ya. Our guide said that we had quite the show.

[@AbbieandWiebe]

That is awesome! It sounds like you were there at the right time!

[@carlettemoser3673]

I was going to book the "Manta Ray Advocates "; any thoughts? I was told you swim out about 50 yards from the beach, so I guess no boat ride out to them.

[@AbbieandWiebe]

That one I have not heard of but I would say that sounds like a good experience since it’s so close! Maybe that would be cheaper than others since there is no boat ride? I would definitely look into it! 😊

[@kaydub4595]

Did you do that one? I’m thinking of doing that specific one with my sister but worried about sharks lol

[@anhbarker]

I love the zoom in on Nacho's face. What a sweet baby!

[@AbbieandWiebe]

He was so curious to know what we were doing! He is such a cute baby 😍

[@catt5656]

🤙Thanks for sharing! I get motion sickness, so I will take a pill before going in for sure. 😆 How long were you under in the water? I see some tours said 20 mins, some is like 40 to 45 mins. We are thinking to go for the long one, but after you mention the arms are tired, then maybe 20 mins? Do you feel long enough? Was it cold at all inside the water? Thank you!

[@AbbieandWiebe]

You have some great questions! I do think a motion sickness pill will be a great idea! I can't remember how long our tour was out on the water. Time flew by while I was out there! If you do book the longer one, just remember you can always swim back to the boat if your arms get too tired. Our tour provided wetsuit jackets that really helped keep us warm. I didn't have any issues with being cold until after I got out. Then I just used a couple towels to warm up. I hope that helps! I would love to know how your experience goes. Leave me a comment to let me know! Thanks for the support! ❤️😊

[@michaelabraczinskas6879]

I found the tip very helpful to pick the right port or place to leave from, but you never said which one. You said book the one closest to the experience, but where is that??

[@AbbieandWiebe]

Well that answer is a bit tricky. We have since found out that the tour locations change because the manta rays move around. So on the night we went, they were literally 200 feet from the dock that Fair Wind Cruises leaves from. We used them for a snorkeling tour and had a really good experience 🥰

[@jeanliggett6963]

Too much WATER!! Great sunset

[@AbbieandWiebe]

Hahaha! With a fear of water, you would not enjoy it! 😂

[@fasteddie9877]

Did Wiebe have to pay for the excursion if he didn’t go in the water ? My wife would also love this, but not myself .

[@AbbieandWiebe]

Yes there is what they call a ‘ride along’ ticket. It’s not really much cheaper, probably because you’re taking a spot they could sell to someone else. We definitely suggest looking into one of the companies that leaves out of Kona closer to the destination spot.

[@jenniferking9831]

Weibe didn't go in the water. Did you have to pay for two?

[@AbbieandWiebe]

They had a ‘ride along’ rate, so we did have to pay some. I believe it was half the price so not terrible 😊

[@javiersigala9353]

Looks cool. I do have a question though. If someone eats to consider this experience but doesn't know how to swim, do they provide la life vest for those people ? Thanks

[@AbbieandWiebe]

@javiersigala9353 they didn't give anyone a life vest, I think the reason is because you need to be able to put your face down easily. They did give everyone those pool noodles and a few people had extra ones which basically act like life jackets!

[@javiersigala9353]

Thank you for the response ​@@AbbieandWiebe

[@javiersigala9353]

@AbbieandWiebe ..By the way, what's the duration of the experience?

[@AbbieandWiebe]

@@javiersigala9353 ours was close to 2 hours, but that was because the ride to and from the manta ray spot was around 45 minutes each way. The company did say there's another spot that is closer to the dock, so it depends on where the manta rays are at the time 🙂

[@javiersigala9353]

@AbbieandWiebe . So about 30 minutes in the water?

[@albertorojas3073]

I will be there may 20 2022

[@AbbieandWiebe]

So excited for you! You’ll have a blast! Will you be on the Big Island?

[@evesc6923]

What company did you use?

[@AbbieandWiebe]

It was Big Island Boat Tours just north of Kona.

[@MrArlo22]

Lame 😅

[@AbbieandWiebe]

Love the feedback! 😜

[@rhiandconnor3287]

The first manta ray that had that bent wing tip is named Amanda ray. Gotta be my favorite for sure. I work for ocean Encounters and it’s awesome seeing the captain and crew on youtube. Also typically it’s not as long of a boat ride. We only go south when there are no mantas at our northern site. The northern site right outside the Kona airport is only about a 20 minute boat ride. When they were rushing you it was just because we have to get back to the harbor for our 8pm trip and with the longer boat ride down south it’s a little time restrictive.

[@AbbieandWiebe]

Oh! Interesting! That's good information to know! ❤

[@losososvalleynursery1091]

Is there a snorkeling co manga ray you would suggest?

[@AbbieandWiebe]

For the manta rays it's a bit tricky because they move around, so one night they may be closer to one company and another night on the other side of town. It just so happened that this night in our video they were literally 50 from the dock that Fair Wind Cruises uses. We used them for a snorkeling tour earlier in our trip and we liked that experience. So you kind of just have to get lucky but I would still do some research when it comes to pricing and location.