Experiences You Should Have

Cycling from Jasper National Park to Banff National Park

Jim Simms talks about his trip when we cycled from Jasper to Banff. The trip took about 4 days and he and his group stayed in hostels along the way and even had a support car following them that the cyclist could get into if they got tired. You're on the bike about 8 hours a day and you can work on those butt muscles by practicing cycling at your local gym. You ascend between 2000-3000 meters but there are descents in this trip, but Jim found the descents to be more challenging than the ascents. You could reach up to 50 mph when going downhill! Disc brakes are recommended to help control your speed. Most of these trips happen in August and you don't have to go alone!

Check out Elbow Valley Cycling Club to find out when they are doing their next trip!

Kona Manta Ray Night Dive & Diving in Kona

Diving in Kona, Hawaii and experiencing the Kona manta ray night dive is an experience to remember. Kevin Stewart with Kona Honu Divers shares a how-to guide on getting SCUBA certified and the best time to dive with the manta rays at night in Kona. Kona Honu Divers is my personal favorite dive shop and highly recommend booking the night dive with them. If you have non-divers with you, you can do see the mantas at night by snorkeling on top of the water. Listen above to my interview with Kevin Stewart.

Photo by Jeff Milisen

Best Snorkeling in the World

You may not be a Scuba diver and that's ok. If you are looking for the best snorkeling in the world, the Manta Ray Night Snorkel really in Kona, Hawaii, really is the best snorkel trip you can take in the world. The boat leaves an hour or so before sunset, and you can see a beautiful Kona sunset as you head out to see the manta rays. You then pop on your fins/mask and hop in the water with an instructor. You quickly kick over to a surfboard and you hold on and look down.

There are lights shining down from the surfboards and many Scuba divers are on the bottom (20-25 feet below) shining lights up. This is one of the most well lit night dives and snorkeling sites in the world. The light attracts plankton, which then attracts manta rays. Manta Rays come gliding in and start to do a dance below (or above if diving) your eyes. You will see them swim in an up and down circular motion sometimes as they feed on the plankton, and this is truly a magical experience you should try.

What Types of Skills are Needed to Snorkel or Dive with the Manta Rays?

If you are snorkeling, you need to be comfortable in the open ocean. If you want to dive, you need to have an Open Water diving certification. You can get your Scuba certification while you are in Kona, Hawaii, do you 4 checkout dives and make the manta ray night dive your 5th dive. In order to get Scuba certified, you need to be at least 10 years old, be cleared by your doctor to dive, and you need to be able to pass written and skills tests in the pool and ocean with your instructor.

How Much Does the Kona Manta Ray Night Dive Cost?

It costs $125 to dive includes your air tanks or nitrox, weights, and dive light.

How Much Does the Kona Manta Ray Night Snorkel Cost?

It costs $115 for the manta ray night snorkel which includes mask, snorkel, fins, and wetsuit.

Are Manta Rays Dangerous?

Manta Rays are not dangerous, they don't have a stinger or barb like its cousin the stingray. However, they are massive and divers are at risk on the bottom to get bonked on the head and even have a manta ray bump the regulator and mask off a diver. If this happens, don't panic, put your regulator back in, your mask back on and breathe calmly. You are surrounded by other divers and dive instructors and you are only 20-25 feet deep.

Accessibility and Diving if You're Handicapped

If you are handicapped or have limited mobility you may still be able to dive. Find out more information on adaptive diving here.

Ready for Another Adventure?

Some nights when the boats come back from the Kona manta ray night dive and snorkel, they go back out for Blackwater Diving. This is only for scuba divers, not snorkelers, and you should be very comfortable with night diving to do this adventure. Learn about Blackwater Diving from my interview with the famous underwater photographer, Jeff Milisen.