Sleeping with the Fishes

Photo cred: J

Of all of the things we wanted to do during our time on the Big Island, night snorkeling with manta rays was at the top of our list. R's cousin and her family were on the Big Island a couple of weeks before and had a great time doing this, so we decided to use the same tour company, SunLight on Water.

We arrived at their boat slip in Honokōhau Small Boat Harbor for check in at 5:45PM. Not wanting to suffer from motion sickness, I came prepared with Dramamine. I've learned that sitting in front seems to help, so I found a seat at the bow. Once everyone donned their wetsuits (provided) and they went over safety info, we were on our way by 6:00PM.

Of course, they can't guarantee seeing mantas but based on their experience, they brought us about 10 miles south to the feeding spot in Keauhou Bay next to the Sheraton Kona Resort. And we weren't alone...

Once anchored, they put out a floating contraption which shines a light down into the water. The light attracts plankton to the surface, which in turn bring the mantas to feed on the plankton. We were each assigned a loop to hang onto around the perimeter of the platform, where we floated face down and waited for mantas to come for their dinner.

The water was warm, and just floating there was actually kind of soothing. And thanks to the Dramamine (less drowsy formula - yeah, right!), I was having trouble keeping my eyes open.

Yep, I actually dozed off, with my face IN THE OCEAN!

I'm not exactly sure how long I nodded off, but I was definitely awake when these guys finally showed up...

And yes, that's me shrieking in the audio, because from my vantage point, I was staring straight into their gullet when they came up and did their back flips. Afterwards, the crew had warm water waiting to help us rinse off as we got back onto the boat. Nice touch!

The family is all in agreement - what an awesome experience! Saiki-delic All-Time Top 10!