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As we listen to the briefing at the dive site Nai’a, we’re all itching to get in the water. We’re near the entrance to Honokohau Harbor, which is becoming a reliable spot for sighting tiger sharks — big ones, up to 14 feet, underwater photo pro and marine biologist Jeff Milisen tells me. Laverne, for example.

“The first time I ever saw her, she just sort of cruised by,” Milisen says. “And her body just kept getting bigger. It’s like that scene in Star Wars where the spaceship comes in. It looks big, and then it keeps getting bigger and bigger.” Alas, after only a few minutes underwater, Kona Honu Divers divemaster Kevin Stewart turns to the group and shrugs. No tigers for us today. Turns out, we get an underwater show without the sharks.

As we gather at our safety stop, I see Kona Honu Divers owner Byron Kay take off like Usain Bolt, and I swivel to see what’s caught his attention. It’s a pair of spinner dolphins, who are putting on an acrobatic display just a few feet from our group. Nai’a is the Hawaiian word for dolphin, and spinners are often spotted here, where they come to rest after a night of hunting in deeper water.

The surprises underwater continue off the Big Island, the state’s largest — and getting bigger year by year. At times, streams of lava pour into the ocean, where they form new land. Hawaii Island is home to five volcanoes. Two of them — Mauna Loa and Kilauea — are responsible for the lava flows.

“It’s almost impossible to see the whole thing even if you’ve lived here your whole life,” says Kay. “But Kona is a smaller, local community — everybody knows one another. That’s what I really love about this place — the outdoors, underwater, the people. It’s a trifecta.” It’s Hawaii Island’s aloha spirit that makes it beloved. Aloha is commonly used to say hello and goodbye, but it also means love, peace, kindness and mercy. It is at the heart of what Hawaiians consider to be one of their most cherished values, a spirit as prevalent as the fish underwater. (Hawaii has nearly 700 fish species, and almost one-quarter endemic.) Endemic species and lava formations are not the only things that make diving off Kona singular. A couple of iconic post-sunset dives were pioneered here — black-water and manta night dives, each of which is totally worth delaying your post-dive happy hour.

“It doesn’t matter whether you’ve had five dives or 1,000, this is the most unique dive you will ever do,” says Sarah Matye, a marine biologist briefing us for Jack’s Diving Locker’s famous Pelagic Magic dive.

Tethered to the boat and equipped with a dive light, it takes a while to remember Matye’s briefing: “If you’re not seeing anything, concentrate on looking just outside your mask for really small animals.” Our lights are shining like tiny suns in the inky water while a universe of creatures, some of them perfect miniatures of their adult selves, like the swordfish that drifts past. I’m swimming in a massive petri dish of organisms.

I’m also eager to make the manta ray night dive. Our Kona Honu crew has been skunked the past two nights at Garden Eel Cove, so we head to Sheraton Kona Resort, another popular spot where mantas feed. Divemaster Kevin Hipp holds up a book of photos of the mantas that frequent these waters. If you photograph a manta that’s not on the website of the Manta Pacific Research Station, you get to name it. “We have a lot of funny names like Stephen Colbert Ray, Sugar Ray and Darth Vader Ray,” Hipp says.

We fin down to where Kona Honu has placed its underwater LED lights, hunker down in the sand in about 35 feet of water and point our lights toward the surface. Nearly instantly, two mantas arrive, doing loop the loops over our heads.

Eventually, maybe 50 scuba divers are crouching in a small circle, and a few more mantas join the party. It’s a bit of a circus, but a privilege to be in the water with these animals. I vow to do what I can to protect them. Back on board, we’re cold but happy. I’m reminded that one definition of the aloha spirit is “the joyful sharing (alo) of life energy (ha) in the present (alo),” a perfect definition of our getaway to the Big Island.

Dive Operators in Kona

1. Jack's Diving Locker

There’s an efficient, yet fun-loving air to this popular dive center, both inside the retail store and on board its boats. An avid videographer, co-owner Jeff Leicher’s enthusiasm for the island’s scuba diving is infectious: “I’ll travel 36 hours to go to the South Pacific and do a dive that’s different, but here, after a 15-minute boat ride, it’s more unique than anywhere else.” Located on Ali’i Drive in the Coconut Grove Marketplace, the dive center has a heated dive pool, air-conditioned classrooms, repair lab and retail store. Both 46-foot Kea Nui and 32-foot Nai’a Nui have camera rinse buckets, freshwater showers, marine heads and shade.

2. Kona Honu Divers

Located on Luhia Street, Kona Honu Divers first opened its doors in 2001. “I came to Oahu to interview for a job on Big Island, and I thought, I might as well fly over to Big Island and take a look,” says owner Byron Kay, a passionate scuba diver and freediver. “I flew into Kona airport and I saw these lava fields, and I said, ‘Wow, this place is amazing.’” The shop offers gear rentals and has a fully stocked underwater photo center. Honu One is a 46-foot, custom-built dive boat with a marine head, freshwater showers, dedicated camera table, rinse tank and lots of shade.

3. Big Island Divers

Located on Kaiwi Street in Kailua- Kona, Big Island Divers is newly renovated. “We pay attention to the small things and take really good care of people,” says owner John Swanson. From the postdive towels and hot cocoa served after night dives, Big Island Divers is serious about customer service. Its largest boats have marine heads.

4. Kona Aggressor II

This 80-foot catamaran’s seven-night trips are a bit long for a weekend getaway, but there’s no better way to get up-close views of whales in winter, including humpbacks; scuba divers occasionally have in-water encounters.

Scuba Diver's Guide To Kona

• AVERAGE WATER CONDITIONS Water temps are in the mid- to high 70s in winter and spring, low 80s in summer and fall. Viz is generally excellent, up to 100 feet, depending on the season and conditions.

• WHAT TO WEAR 3 mm to 5 mm full wetsuit. You might want to layer on a hood and vest during night dives.

• TRAVEL TIP “Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is about 4,000 feet above sea level, so make sure you’ve allowed enough time after diving before making the drive.”

• WHEN TO GO Year-round

• HOW TO GET THERE It’s a five-hour flight from LA or San Francisco to Kona International Airport.

Surface Stops

• Drink Stay in Kailua-Kona and hang loose with a handcrafted Longboard at the Kona Pub & Brewery on Pawai Place for a post-dive brew.

• EAT Sample ahi poke — a spiced, marinated raw tuna — at Huggo’s on the Rocks, a Big Island institution since 1998 that’s located on the water on Kahakai Road.

• SLEEP The Courtyard King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel in Kailua-Kona rocks a traditional luau, in a gardenlike setting with tranquil ocean views.