Sea Paradise
Sea Paradise is a tour agency that offers scuba diving tours and scuba certification courses.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1985
- HeadquartersKailua Kona, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Sea Paradise does
Sea Paradise is an eco-tourism tour operator founded in 1985, headquartered at Keauhou Bay on the Kona Coast of Hawaii's Big Island. The company operates daily snorkel and manta ray tours aboard the Hoku Nui, a 50-foot luxury sailing catamaran with capacity capped at 49 guests. Core products include Morning Snorkel and Afternoon Snorkel tours to Kealakekua Bay Marine Life Conservation District, plus 1st and 2nd Manta Ray Snorkel tours to Manta Village, where custom underwater light boards replicate plankton-attracting conditions that draw reef manta rays nightly (85%-95% sighting rate).
Sea Paradise generates revenue primarily through unit-priced tour ticket sales (adults $125-$165, children $45-$115, ride-along $65), with additional streams from private charters (weddings, corporate events, ash scatterings), onboard bar sales, branded merchandise, and gift cards. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via the company's website, FareHarbor-embedded booking, and phone/email for private events; the company does not use third-party resellers or OTAs.
The customer base comprises tourists visiting Hawaii's Big Island, families with children, marine wildlife enthusiasts, and private event organizers, with no enterprise anchor accounts. Sea Paradise holds certified membership in the Hawaii Ecotourism Association, complies with NOAA and Coral Reef Alliance marine tourism standards, and partners with the Manta Pacific Research Foundation and Manta Ray Advocates Hawaii on citizen science and photo-identification of 450+ individual reef manta rays. The company is privately held, locally owned, and operates with no disclosed investors, subsidiaries, or parent structure.
Sea Paradise firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sea Paradise
- Legal name
- Sea Paradise Inc.
- Website
- https://www.seaparadise.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1985
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Sea Paradise is a tour agency that offers scuba diving tours and scuba certification courses.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sea Paradise industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Eco-tourism boat tours
- NAICS
- Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (487210), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (48721)
- SIC
- Water Transportation (4400)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Guided Diving & Snorkeling Excursions (boat/shore trips) (THAAAIAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Whale Watching & Marine Mammal Tours (THAAAIAC), Catamaran & Sailing Cat Cruise Operators (THAEADAD), Marine Wildlife & Coastal Nature Tours (Whale/Dolphin Watching, Sea Kayaking) (THAAAEAD)
Keywords
Where Sea Paradise is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kailua Kona
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Sea Paradise business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Tour Ticket Sales: Sea Paradise generates revenue primarily from selling tickets to guided snorkel and manta ray tours aboard the Hoku Nui catamaran. Tour types include Morning Snorkel Tour ($165 adult), Afternoon Snorkel Tour ($125 adult), 1st Manta Ray Tour ($130 adult), and 2nd Manta Ray Tour. Additional revenue comes from child and toddler pricing tiers and Ride-Along observer tickets ($65).
- Retail Merchandise: Sea Paradise sells official branded merchandise including hats, hooded sweatshirts, and performance tops through its website, with some items fulfilled via FareHarbor booking links.
- Private Charters: Private charters aboard the Hoku Nui are available for weddings, vow renewals, corporate events, ash scattering, and other private occasions. Customized experiences include catering, beverages, music, and themed décor options. Booked by phone and email.
- Onboard Bar Sales: Alcoholic beverages including local brews, tropical cocktails, wine, seltzers, and mixed drinks are available for purchase on all day tours. Non-alcoholic beverages are included with tour tickets.
- Gift Cards: Sea Paradise offers gift cards available in any amount through its website, allowing customers to purchase prepaid tour experiences.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Morning Snorkel Tour — 8:30 AM, ~4.5 hours, Kealakekua Bay, breakfast and lunch included |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Afternoon Snorkel Tour — 2:00 PM, ~3 hours, Kealakekua Bay, snacks included |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | 1st Manta Ray Snorkel Tour — around sunset, Manta Village, wetsuit included |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | 2nd Manta Ray Snorkel Tour — after dark, Manta Village |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Ride-Along Option — non-swimmer observer on manta tours |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Private Charter — fully customizable |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Sea Paradise product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sea Paradise operates guided ocean snorkel and manta ray night snorkel tours from Keauhou Bay on the Kona Coast of Hawaii's Big Island. All tours depart aboard the Hoku Nui, a 50-foot luxury sailing catamaran, visiting Kealakekua Bay Marine Life Conservation District and Manta Village. The company also offers private charters for weddings, corporate events, and special occasions, plus branded merchandise and gift cards.
Product overview
Sea Paradise is an eco-luxury ocean tour company operating since 1985 from Keauhou Bay on the Kona Coast of Hawaii's Big Island. The core offering consists of four tour products: Morning Snorkel Tour and Afternoon Snorkel Tour (both visiting Kealakekua Bay with marine naturalist guides), and 1st Manta Ray Snorkel Tour and 2nd Manta Ray Snorkel Tour (night tours to Manta Village). All tours depart aboard the Hoku Nui, a 50-foot luxury sailing catamaran. Additional offerings include Private Charters for events such as weddings and corporate gatherings, Official Gear merchandise, and Gift Cards. The company positions itself as eco-luxury, combining premium vessel amenities with environmental responsibility and marine education.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Morning Snorkel Tour
Quantifiable outcome
- 85%–95% nightly manta ray sighting rate, year-round
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Sea Paradise
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Sea Paradise technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature3 records
Sea Paradise partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Manta Pacific Research FoundationcoreSea Paradise partners with the Manta Pacific Research Foundation to support manta ray conservation and research. The partnership involves sharing guest manta photographs for the research catalogue, encouraging guests to submit images to the Manta Ray Tracker database, and contributing to the ongoing photo-identification program that has catalogued 450+ individual manta rays on the Kona Coast. Captains also log manta sighting data after every departure, supporting operational research records.
- Manta Ray Advocates HawaiicoreSea Paradise supports the Manta Ray Advocates Hawaii photo-identification programme, which catalogues individual manta rays using unique belly spot patterns. Guests are encouraged to photograph manta undersides during tours and submit images to the Manta Ray Tracker database. This citizen science initiative has contributed to identifying over 450 individual reef manta rays along the Kona Coast.
- Hawaii Ecotourism AssociationcoreSea Paradise is a certified member of the Hawaii Ecotourism Association (HEA), the leading organization establishing sustainable tourism standards for Hawaii's nature-based visitor industry. Certification requires demonstrated compliance with environmental, operational, and cultural responsibility standards.
- Coral Reef AlliancecoreSea Paradise follows the West Hawaii Voluntary Standards for Marine Tourism developed by the Coral Reef Alliance. These standards promote reef protection, responsible wildlife interaction, and careful use of marine resources along the Kona Coast.
- NOAAminorSea Paradise follows National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) guidelines for marine wildlife encounters, including best practices related to sea turtles, dolphins, whales, and manta rays. The company also participates in the Dolphin SMART program, a collaborative NOAA and nonprofit initiative promoting responsible dolphin viewing practices.
- Hawaii Wildlife FundminorSea Paradise volunteers with and supports Hawaii Wildlife Fund, an organization working on habitat protection, shoreline cleanups, ocean debris removal, and reef conservation across the Big Island.
- Surfrider FoundationminorSea Paradise volunteers with and supports the Surfrider Foundation, an organization dedicated to protecting the world's oceans, waves, and beaches through grassroots activism.
- Keep Puako BeautifulminorSea Paradise volunteers with and supports Keep Puako Beautiful, a community organization focused on environmental preservation and beautification in the Puako area of the Kona Coast.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Sea Paradise competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Fair Wind Hawaii: Fair Wind Hawaii operates snorkel, diving, and manta ray night snorkel tours from Keauhou Bay on the Big Island — directly overlapping Sea Paradise's primary product mix, location, and customer base. It is the most directly comparable competitor in Kona.
- Body Glove Cruises: Body Glove Cruises runs catamaran snorkel and manta ray night snorkel tours from Kailua-Kona, sharing the same manta sites, customer profile, and Hawaii Big Island tourism channel as Sea Paradise.
- Hawaii Forest & Trail: Hawaii Forest & Trail is a Big Island eco-tour operator offering nature-based guided experiences, sharing the eco-certified, naturalist-led, high-touch guided tour model that Sea Paradise uses for its snorkel and manta tours.
- Mauna Kea Summit Adventures: Mauna Kea Summit Adventures operates guided adventure tours on Hawaii's Big Island, targeting the same visitor demographic and trip-planning channels as Sea Paradise's snorkel and manta experiences.
- Big Island Divers: Big Island Divers is a Kona-based dive and snorkel operator offering manta ray night dives and reef snorkel tours, overlapping with Sea Paradise on product, location, and ocean wildlife experiences.
Broad incumbents
- Atlantis Submarines Hawaii: Atlantis Submarines operates large-scale submarine and water-based sightseeing experiences across Hawaii, serving the same tourist activity budget as Sea Paradise but with a much broader, multi-island portfolio and a different delivery modality.
Regional players
- Captain Dan's Snorkel Tours: Captain Dan's operates snorkel and dolphin watch tours in the Kona area. It targets similar visitors and overlap on ocean activities but has historically operated on smaller vessels from Honokohau Harbor.
- Honolua Surf Co. Honolua Surf Co. is a Hawaii-based ocean lifestyle and water-sports brand offering surf lessons, snorkel tours, and apparel. While Maui-based, it competes for the same ocean adventure tourist trip-planning and discretionary spend as Sea Paradise.
Others
- Snorkel Bob's: Snorkel Bob's is a Hawaii-wide snorkel equipment rental chain frequently used by independent tourists. It is an adjacent ecosystem player that competes for the snorkel-experience budget and is often a substitute for guided tours.
- Dolphin Quest Hawaii: Dolphin Quest operates marine encounter and dolphin interaction experiences in Hawaii, competing for the same marine wildlife tourist wallet and family/group event bookings as Sea Paradise's private charters.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Sea Paradise social profiles
Digital presenceSea Paradise compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
Sea Paradise financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sea Paradise leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Sea Paradise funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sea Paradise M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sea Paradise
What does Sea Paradise do?
Sea Paradise operates guided ocean snorkel and manta ray night snorkel tours from Keauhou Bay on the Kona Coast of Hawaii's Big Island. All tours depart aboard the Hoku Nui, a 50-foot luxury sailing catamaran, visiting Kealakekua Bay Marine Life Conservation District and Manta Village. The company also offers private charters for weddings, corporate events, and special occasions, plus branded merchandise and gift cards.
Is Sea Paradise a public or private company?
Sea Paradise is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Sea Paradise founded?
Sea Paradise was founded in 1985. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Sea Paradise based?
Sea Paradise is headquartered in Kailua Kona, United States, in the North America region.
How does Sea Paradise make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Tour Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are retail Merchandise, private Charters, onboard Bar Sales and gift Cards.
Who are Sea Paradise's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Fair Wind Hawaii, Body Glove Cruises, Hawaii Forest & Trail, Mauna Kea Summit Adventures and Big Island Divers. Atlantis Submarines Hawaii is listed as a broad incumbent. Regional players are Captain Dan's Snorkel Tours and Honolua Surf Co.. Others are Snorkel Bob's and Dolphin Quest Hawaii.
Does Sea Paradise have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sea Paradise.
What industry is Sea Paradise in?
Sea Paradise's product category is Eco-tourism boat tours. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAAAIAB, Guided Diving & Snorkeling Excursions (boat/shore trips), with a secondary code of THAAAIAC, Whale Watching & Marine Mammal Tours. Its NAICS code is 487210 and its SIC code is 4400.