As a unique way to experience the Hawaiian waters off the Kona Coastline, Eka Canoe Adventures utilizes a historically accurate, recreated 40 ft. Hawaiian double-hulled sailing canoe, one of only a few that exist in the entire world. On the Waa Kini Kini, you will enjoy the generations of knowledge imparted upon you by the skilled and professional crew of Eka Canoe Adventures. Aboard this unique vessel, you and your party will enjoy magical snorkeling adventures or even private charters.
No matter which exciting adventure you choose with Eka Canoe Adventures, you will experience the magic of the ancient Hawaiian people along with the modern-day beauty of the islands. This unique setting makes an ideal backdrop for weddings, memorials, proposals, memorable family gatherings, and more. In addition to the private charter experience, you can also choose the public tour option, which is also extremely enjoyable.
The most popular tour option offered by Eka Canoe Adventures is the Kona Manta Ray Snorkel. It was even named the most thrilling experience on earth by Travel Channel. On this night tour, you join in and watch magnificent manta rays as they glide through the ocean water searching for their dinner. Some of these gentle giants can get enormous, weighing more than 1,000 lbs and spanning over 15 feet. There is no need to fear them though, even with their immense size as they only feed on plankton.
Join Eka Canoe Adventures for this night snorkel trip, which is an activity that can only be experienced in a few locations on earth, one of them being the Big Island of Hawaii! Enjoy a canoe ride to the manta ray snorkel site, located near the mouth of Keauhou Bay. Here, you will listen to safety instructions and directions as well as information about snorkel gear, then you will get into your wetsuits and enter the water guided by the crew members. You will be situated around the light board, which attracts the photosynthetic plankton towards your location, bringing the manta rays in close. Check-in for this night experience at Keauhou Bay finger pier. The snorkel experience lasts around an hour. The water in this area is 30 feet or more, which requires previous swimming experience to participate.
Eka Canoe Adventures provides high-quality, comfortable snorkels and masks. There are also several prescription mask options for guests who need those. If you wear contacts, you can instead wear a normal mask but make sure your contacts don’t wash away in the ocean.
When it comes to the snorkel tour, Eka Canoe Adventures prides itself on keeping its group sizes small to enhance the experience for all involved. This means that group size is limited to no more than 12 guests at a time to ensure that everyone has plenty of room on the Kini Kini and has plenty of attention from instructors and crew.
The minimum number to launch a tour is two. Therefore, if you are lucky and strike during the off-season perhaps you can actually procure a “private” tour for the group price if no one else has booked the experience. Of course, in terms of the night snorkeling experience, we tend to group guests to consolidate trips when applicable, so this is not a common occurrence. In most cases, if you want a private experience, you will have to opt for the private charter option over the standard tour.
While there are other operators in the region that might offer snorkeling adventures or even a look at the beautiful Manta Ray, Eka Canoe Adventures is one of only a few companies that still utilize the historically accurate Hawaiian double-hull canoe, and it is the only commercially licensed company to do so in Hawaii. They also specialize in Manta Ray experiences and promote small group sizes. In short, this makes for a one-of-a-kind adventure aboard a one-of-a-kind vessel.
Insider Tips:
-You can bring your own camera.
-Eka Canoe Adventures recommends booking early in case a tour has to be rescheduled. If you have to cancel, ensure 24-hour notice for a refund.