Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, United States

Manta Ray Night Dive (Garden Eel Cove)

The Kona manta ray night dive at Garden Eel Cove (also known as Manta Heaven and Manta Village depending on the operator) is one of the most reliable and well-documented manta ray encounters in the world. Resident reef mantas (Mobula alfredi) have been individually identified by the Manta Pacific Research Foundation since the 1990s, with the catalogue now exceeding 280 animals along the Kona coast. After sunset, dive operators run two formations: divers kneel on a sand bottom in 9 to 12 metres holding lights pointed upward to seed a plankton bloom, while snorkellers float at the surface above doing the same. The mantas, with wingspans typically 3 to 4 metres, swoop in repeated barrel rolls inches above divers' lights to feed. The dive is suitable for open water divers because depth and current are minimal; the challenge is buoyancy and lighting discipline. Year-round encounters with very high success rates, particularly on calm summer evenings.