Your Guide
🦈
Kai Mokuahi
Marine biologist and PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer. Has led manta ray encounters off Kona for 11 years and contributed behavioral data to the Manta Pacific Research Foundation. Maintains an ID database of 300+ individual mantas identified by spot patterns — he knows many of them by name.

Manta rays have been feeding in the waters off the Kona Sheraton for decades, drawn by plankton that accumulate under the resort's lights. The largest individuals have wingspans over 16 feet. They're completely harmless — no barb on their tail, no threat response to humans — and they have the largest brain-to-body ratio of any fish. At night, floating face-down in a lit-water dark ocean while a 16-foot animal performs barrel rolls beneath you is genuinely awe-inducing. Kai has watched this happen more than 2,000 times and his enthusiasm for it has not decreased. He will identify the individual manta you're watching by her spot patterns and tell you her name and where she was born.

What Your Day Looks Like

A sample itinerary

Evening (5:30pm)
Briefing at the dock. Kai explains the biology: how mantas feed on zooplankton, why they barrel roll, what the spot patterns mean for individual identification, why the Kona site is one of the most reliable manta encounters in the world. Safety briefing is thorough but the conclusion is clear: there is no risk, but there is wonder.
Encounter (6:30–8pm)
In the water as dark falls. You hold onto a board with dive lights pointing down — the light concentrates the plankton, which brings the mantas. Kai is in the water with you. The mantas arrive — usually within 20 minutes at this site. He identifies them by spot patterns through an underwater slate. He's named 180 of them. The one who does 12 barrel rolls in sequence, he calls 'Aria.'
Return (8–8:30pm)
Back aboard. Kai shows you the photo ID slate with the mantas you encountered and their histories — when first documented, maximum wingspan measured, frequency of visits. Hot towels. A brief conversation about the Manta Pacific Research Foundation's work and why this specific site matters for the species. Drop-off at the dock.
What's Included

Everything is handled

✓ Private manta encounter (your group only)
✓ Full wetsuit and snorkel equipment
✓ Dive lights for water illumination
✓ Marine biologist guide in water throughout
✓ Individual manta ID documentation from encounter
✓ Transportation from Kona hotels
Best For
◆ Marine life and ocean enthusiasts
◆ Underwater photographers (bring a housing)
◆ Anyone who wants a wildlife encounter that defies expectation
◆ Couples looking for a shared experience they'll talk about for years