Great Turtle Kayak Tours

What Great Turtle Kayak Tours does

Great Turtle Kayak Tours is a privately held, founder-led outdoor adventure tour operator founded in 2012 by Paul Spata and headquartered on Mackinac Island, Michigan. The company runs guided kayak, stand-up paddleboard (SUP), and — as of 2024 — hiking tours for visitors to Mackinac Island and surrounding waters including Round Island, Bois Blanc Island, St. Ignace, and Mackinaw City. Tours are operated seasonally from May 1 through late September (kayak) or late October (hiking), with a base price of $50 per hour per person and an average tour duration of two hours. Equipment is sourced from premium manufacturers (Native Watercraft, Liquid Logic, and Paluski for kayaks; Pau Hana and Imagine Surf for SUPs; Bending Branches paddles) and bundled into the tour price, with safety credentials (ACA and Red Cross certified guides) underpinning the experience.

Name

Great Turtle Kayak Tours

Legal name

Great Turtle Kayak Tours

Website

https://mackinackayak.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Great Turtle Kayak Tours is a privately held Mackinac Island, Michigan tour operator offering guided kayak, SUP, and hiking experiences to the island's ~900,000 annual visitors, with seasonal operations from May through October and pricing at $50 per hour per person.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Outdoor Adventure Tours

NAICS

Tour Operators (56152), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (4872)

akta.pro primary industry

Kayaking, Canoeing & SUP Tours (Guided/Paddling Excursions) (THAJAJAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water & Marine Guiding Services (Kayak, Canoe, Raft, SUP, Sailing) (THAAALAB), Kayaking, Canoeing & SUP Coastal Tours (THAAAIAF), Snorkeling Tours & Reef Experiences (THAJAJAE)

Keywords

• Guided kayak tours
• Stand-up paddleboard tours
• Guided hiking tours
• Outdoor adventure tours
• Mackinac Island tours

Headquarters

HQ city

Mackinac Island

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Guided Kayak Tours: The primary revenue stream comes from guided kayak tours priced at $50/hr/person for predefined tours. Tours include equipment rental (kayak, paddle, life vest), guide services, and safety instruction. Average tour duration is 2 hours.
2. Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) Tours: SUP tours are offered as an alternative to kayaking, available as single sessions or combined with kayak tours. Same pricing structure as kayak tours.
3. Hiking Tours: NEW for 2024 - guided hiking tours on Mackinac Island visiting landmarks like Arch Rock, Sugar Loaf Rock, and Fall Colors tours.
4. Private Custom Tours: Custom private tours available by popular demand, offering dedicated guide attention, customizable destination and time, and exclusive experience of Lake Huron.
5. Paddling Lessons: Private, customizable sea kayak skills training and instruction lessons covering proper equipment usage, capsize recovery, and surfing techniques.
6. Merchandise Sales: Retail store offering GTKT branded merchandise including hats, t-shirts, sweatshirts printed on sustainable materials.
7. Used Gear Sales: Sale of lightly used kayaks, paddles, and other paddle gear. Delivery available within 100 miles of the Mackinac Bridge.
8. Gear Rental Add-ons: Additional revenue from dry bag rentals and wet shoes sales for customer convenience.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Great Turtle Kayak Tours is a guided outdoor adventure tour company based in Mackinac Island, Michigan, founded in 2012. It sells and delivers paid, guide-led kayak tours, stand-up paddleboard (SUP) tours, and guided hiking tours to tourists visiting Mackinac Island. The offering is an in-person, experience-based service rather than a physical or digital product.

Product overview

Great Turtle Kayak Tours operates as a guided outdoor adventure tour company offering water-based and hiking experiences centered on Mackinac Island, Michigan. The core product portfolio consists of guided kayak tours (single and tandem), stand-up paddleboard (SUP) tours, and hiking tours, all available as either shared/public tours or customizable private tours. Equipment rental is bundled with tours and includes kayaks from Native Watercraft, Paluski, and Liquid Logic; SUPs from Pau Hana and Imagine Surf; paddles from Bending Branches; and life jackets. Additional services include paddling lessons and instruction, camping gear rental for overnight island trips, photo/video packages, gift certificates, and branded merchandise. The company operates seasonal tours from May through October, with their most popular offerings being Sunrise & Sunset Cruises, Arch Rock Excursions, and the 2024-added Hiking Tours. The business has been operating since 2012 and was recognized with the TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Award 2025 and USA Today 10Best recognition since 2020.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Guided Kayak Tours Guide-led kayak excursions on the waters around Mackinac Island, Michigan, sold to individual tourists and small groups visiting the island.
• Stand-Up Paddleboard (SUP) Tours Guide-led stand-up paddleboard tours on the waters around Mackinac Island, Michigan, offered to tourists and visitors as a low-impact water activity option.
• Guided Hiking Tours Guide-led hiking tours on Mackinac Island, Michigan, providing land-based outdoor recreation for tourists and visitors who want a non-water activity.

Quantifiable outcome

• #1 rated of 19 tours on Mackinac Island with 716+ reviews
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Round Island Lighthouse Preservation SocietyminorOthersNon-profit organization formed to help aid the preservation and restoration efforts at historic Round Island Lighthouse. The company participates in the Annual Open House at the Lighthouse and leads tours during the event.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Viator: TripAdvisor-owned global marketplace for tours and experiences, including kayak and SUP tours. Comparable because it is the dominant distribution channel where small kayak tour operators list to reach non-organic visitors.
• Airbnb Experiences: Online experience marketplace where local guides offer kayak and outdoor activities. Comparable as a platform peer that aggregates similar DTC tour inventory and competes for the same traveler mindshare.
• GetYourGuide: Global tours and activities marketplace with significant kayak and SUP tour inventory. Comparable because it represents both a distribution channel opportunity and a competitive threat to Great Turtle's direct-booking model.

Emerging players

• GetMyBoat: Peer-to-peer boat and watercraft rental marketplace offering kayak and SUP rentals in tourist destinations. Comparable as an emerging digital channel that could either complement or disintermediate small local kayak tour operators.

Regional players

• Torch Lake Kayak & Watersports: Michigan-based kayak and paddleboard rental/tour operator on Torch Lake. Comparable as a regional Great Lakes paddle sports operator with a similar mix of rentals, tours, and lessons, though operating in a different geography.
• Door County Kayak Tours: Family-owned kayak tour operator in Door County, Wisconsin offering guided paddling experiences on Lake Michigan waters. Comparable as a small, locally-expert-led guided kayak tour business in a tourist destination.
• Shepler's Mackinac Island Ferry: The dominant ferry operator to Mackinac Island and a key upstream tourism partner. Comparable because feed traffic from Shepler's directly determines Great Turtle's addressable customer base and starting point for tours.

Others

• Mackinaw City Tourism Bureau: Regional destination marketing organization for Mackinaw City and the surrounding Straits area. Comparable because it channels traveler demand that Great Turtle depends on, particularly relevant given the currently paused Mackinaw City routes.

Direct peers

• Pictured Rocks Kayak Tours: Michigan Upper Peninsula kayak tour operator offering guided paddling trips on Lake Superior. Comparable to Great Turtle as a destination-anchored, expertise-led guided kayak and SUP tour business in the Great Lakes region.
• Mackinac Island Carriage Tours: Headline tour operator on Mackinac Island competing for the same tourist dollar from the ~900,000 annual ferry visitors. Comparable because it sells the same finite pool of visitor time and attention on the island, with a similarly strong local brand and seasonal operations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mackinackayak
• Facebookfacebook.com/greatturtlekayaktours
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/great-turtle-kayak-tours

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Great Turtle Kayak Tours