Night Diving with Manta Rays in Kona, Hawaii

If you’re new to this blog, then I am Mia DaPonte and I share my life underwater with you after I got certified as the youngest female Master Scuba Diver in the USA! I was also chosen to be a member of the 2025 PADI Jr. AmbassaDiver team. Our AmbassaDiver motto is “Seek Adventure. Save the Ocean.” That means we want everyone to experience the amazing world beneath the waves — and take care of it at the same time.

You can also follow me and all my adventures on Instagram: @underwaterwithmia.

Hi again. Recently I went to Hawaii with my family. This trip was so beautiful and amazing, but the best part was the diving. My mom and I left a day early, before everyone else, to travel to the Big Island to dive with manta rays at night with Kona Diving Company. We were so excited and ready to see these amazing creatures. We didn’t want to miss the opportunity – it’s in my book, 100 Dives of a Lifetime.

We loved Kona Diving Company, and the dive leaders, Cody and Dave, had great stories. I learned so much about creatures that live in the Pacific Ocean. The first dive was before sunset so that we could explore the reef. It was really cool and nice to see different fish than what we are used to seeing when we dive in the Caribbean. I saw eels, trumpetfish, these really beautiful purple boxfish, and so much more. The landscape of the reef was also very beautiful. The water was clear but not as warm as I expected it to be in Hawaii. Towards the end of the dive, there was a big cold front that came in, and I decided to head to my safety stop to warm up for the night dive. I was also really happy to have my Sharkskin with me.

My mom stayed down a little longer, and the guide took her to a spot where some of the manta rays might come out early. She saw one! His name was Tim, and he could be identified by a deformed fin. I was so excited to get back in the water after that!

During our surface interval, we ate brownies, watched a beautiful sunset, and talked about our next dive and how to recognise the different manta rays by their names based on the patterns on their bellies.

When we finally jumped in the water, it was pitch black, but everyone had a flashlight, which made it easier to see. When we descended, we knelt around a big circle made of rocks called the fire pit. The dive leaders placed lights in the middle of the pit, and the manta rays showed up to feast on the plankton that was attracted by the lights.

It was so amazing seeing manta rays, and some of them were really huge, with 10 to 15-foot wingspans. I will never forget seeing these animals glide right over my head. It was cool to see how they eat. Manta rays have these horn flaps around their mouths, and they help guide the plankton into their mouths. On our dive, we saw seven different manta rays.

I’m so glad that I had the pleasure of having this amazing experience. Hawaii, in general, is a beautiful place, and it was so cool to see a different part of the world. I would definitely recommend diving to see manta rays in Kona, Hawaii, because it is an amazing experience.

Thank you for reading my blog. Sea you next time with more exciting adventures coming up! I can’t wait!