Making Memories Together

Meet the “Hāhālua” – Hawaii’s Gentle Giants On the Big Island and in Hawaiian culture, the majestic manta rays we swim with are known as Manta ray , but in the Hawaiian language they carry the name Hāhālua  (often spelled hahalua ). This name offers a beautiful clue into how Hawaiians related to these creatures: it literally breaks down as “hā”  meaning “breath” and “lua”  meaning “two” — so, “two breaths.” What exactly the “two breaths” refer to is up for interpretation. Som

When night falls over Keauhou Bay, the ocean takes on a quiet glow — a shimmer of light and life just below the surface. The floodlights from boats and shore draw in countless specks of plankton, and soon after, the true stars of the evening arrive: graceful manta rays, gliding in slow, hypnotic loops. If you’ve ever been lucky enough to join a manta snorkel here, you know the feeling — that surreal mix of calm and awe as these gentle giants pass within inches of you. The man