Meeting the manta rays at Keauhou Bay (Nov 2017)

Hawaii was another spectacular trip that was extra special, as it also enabled me to meet up with my good friend, Juan, who has his own travel business and decided to travel to Hawaii at the same time as me  – he organises all my overseas trips for me. I started my trip in Big Island and then flew across to Maui, ending up in San Francisco for a couple of days on the way back.

My First stop was Keauhou Bay, which is south of Kona Airport, where I stayed at the beautiful Sheraton Kona Resort and Spa which is famous for viewing large manta rays. These magnificent creatures can weigh up to 3,000 pounds and have a huge wingspan that can reach 22 feet. So, after the sun sets at around 7 pm, you can pop along to the outside viewing area at ‘Rays on the Bay Bar and Grill’. Large beams of light are directed towards the water so that you can see the rays in all their glory. They come to the surface of the water at night to feed on plankton, and they can consume as much as 300 pounds of it in a day! If you’re feeling brave enough, you can even have an evening scuba or snorkel experience right next to the hotel. I did consider doing this, but the sea looked pretty choppy and it was of course pitch black out there. I did get some great views of them from the viewing area, though, so I wasn’t disappointed.