Catalina Adventure Tours

What Catalina Adventure Tours does

Catalina Adventure Tours, operating as Island Enterprises, Inc., is a privately held tour and entertainment company headquartered in Avalon, California, on Catalina Island. Founded approximately 1989 by Jeffrey Stickler, the company provides marine and land-based excursion products to tourists and visitors to Catalina Island, including day-trippers, vacationers, and cruise ship passengers. Its product portfolio centers on the Nautilus Semi-Submarine — a custom-built yellow semi-submersible introduced in 1999 as the first of its kind constructed from high composite fiberglass material — and the Sea View Glass Bottom Boat, complemented by a nighttime flying fish cruise, seasonal Fourth of July fireworks cruises, and a series of land-based eco-tours (Inside Adventure Tour, Best of Avalon and Scenic Mt Ada Tour, Summit Sunset Tour, Safari Island Adventure) conducted aboard safari trams into Catalina's interior.

The company's underlying technology is purpose-built marine and overland equipment. Marine vessels feature large circular viewing windows, torpedo-style fish feeders positioned at each passenger seat that enable interactive underwater fish feeding for an additional onboard fee, and a custom lighting system for nighttime tours. Land tours use open-air safari trams ("The Eagle" and "The Falcon") to traverse Catalina's interior and reach scenic viewpoints up to 1,500 feet in elevation. The Nautilus Semi-Submarine represents the principal proprietary technical asset, designed in-house by the founder.

Revenue is generated through a direct-to-consumer model: one-time ticket sales for individual tours, optional onboard add-on fees for fish feeding, private tour rentals for groups, and digital gift cards sold in any denomination. Bookings flow through the company website (catalinaadventuretours.com) integrated with Peek.com, and through FareHarbor for reservation processing, with on-site ticket sales at the Green Pier (ocean tours) and Mole Terminal (land tours). Customer acquisition is largely organic, relying on Catalina Island tourism traffic, word-of-mouth, and social media presence on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. The company employs 11-50 people, has no institutional investors, and operates exclusively in the United States (California).

Name

Catalina Adventure Tours

Legal name

Island Enterprises, Inc.

Website

https://catalinaadventuretours.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Catalina Adventure Tours is a privately held Avalon, California-based tour company operating marine and land excursions on Catalina Island, serving tourists and visitors with its custom-built Nautilus Semi-Submarine, Sea View Glass Bottom Boat, and guided eco-land tours since 1989.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine and Eco-Tourism Excursions

NAICS

Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (48721), Tour Operators (561520)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro primary industry

Sightseeing & Scenic Boat Tours (Harbor, Sunset, Dolphin/Whale Watching) (THAJAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Shore Excursion Operators (Tours & Activities) (THAEAFAC), Adventure & Expedition Travel Agencies (THAKAFAB)

Keywords

• Marine tour services
• Glass bottom boat tours
• Semi-submarine excursions
• Eco adventure tours
• Catalina Island excursions

Headquarters

HQ city

Avalon

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Tour Tickets: One-time ticket sales for semi-submarine tours, glass bottom boat tours, and land excursions. Primary revenue stream from individual tourist bookings.
2. Onboard Add-on Fees: Additional fees charged for fish feeding experience aboard tours. Revenue from optional add-on services during tours.
3. Private Tour Rentals: Private rental of tours including Nautilus Semi-Submarine, Bison & Buffalo tours, or customized tour packages for groups.
4. Gift Cards: Digital gift cards sold in any amount and emailed to recipients for tour purchases.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Catalina Adventure Tours is a tour operator that runs custom-built semi-submersible and glass bottom boat marine excursions, plus guided land eco-tours, from Avalon, Catalina Island. Bookings are taken via the company's website (powered by Peek.com) and at on-site ticket windows at Green Pier and Mole Terminal, with private rentals, gift cards, and seasonal fireworks cruises as complementary offerings.

Product overview

Catalina Adventure Tours is a tour company operating on Catalina Island offering a portfolio of marine and land-based excursion products. The company operates two primary ocean tour vessels: the Nautilus Semi-Submarine (a yellow custom-built semi-submersible with underwater viewing and fish-feeding capabilities) and the Sea View Glass Bottom Boat (offering above-water and below-surface viewing). These are complemented by the Catalina Nighttime Flying Fish cruise and seasonal Fourth of July Fireworks Cruises. On land, the company offers three distinct tours: the Inside Adventure Tour (rugged interior eco-excursion), the Best Of Avalon & Scenic Mt Ada Tour (city and scenic tram tour), and the Summit Sunset Tour (elevated sunset adventure). All tours can be booked for private rentals, and digital gift cards are available. The company has operated for over 35 years, originally launching the first glass bottom boat and introducing the Nautilus in 1999.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Nautilus Semi-Submarine Excursion Custom-built yellow semi-submersible submarine tour from Avalon, Catalina Island featuring large circular windows, spacious below-cabin seating, and torpedo-style fish feeders letting passengers feed fish from their seats. Available for over 30 years.
• Sea View Glass Bottom Boat Excursion 55-minute narrated glass bottom boat tour into Lover's Cove marine preserve with 360-degree above-water coastal views and underwater viewing through glass, including fish feeders at each seat for an interactive experience.
• Catalina Nighttime Flying Fish & Undersea Adventure Cruise 55-minute nighttime cruise aboard the Sea View Glass Bottom Boat through Lover's Cove and along Avalon's coastline in search of Catalina's famous flying fish, using powerful all-around lights to illuminate the ocean.
• Inside Adventure Tour Two-hour guided eco-land excursion traveling ten miles into the rugged interior of Catalina Island, with views of bison, deer, bald eagles, ravens, and Catalina Island fox, plus stops at Airport-in-the-Sky and the Nature Center.
• Best Of Avalon & Scenic Mt Ada Tour Guided tour aboard the safari tram 'The Eagle' covering Avalon's landmarks including the Catalina Casino, Lover's Cove, Wrigley Mansion, and Mt. Ada vistas, with a stop at Descanso Beach.
• Summit Sunset Tour One-hour guided adventure aboard safari tram 'The Falcon' ascending to 1,500 feet elevation at the Summit, offering narrated views of Catalina's vistas, rolling hills, rugged coastline, and sparkling waters.
• Safari Island Adventure Open-air vehicle excursion exploring the Catalina Island Conservancy with opportunities to view buffalo (bison) and other wildlife along scenic photo stops.
• Fourth of July Fireworks Cruises Independence Day celebration cruise aboard the open-aired Nautilus Semi-Submarine or the Sea View Glass Bottom Boat offering a unique vantage point for viewing Catalina Island fireworks.
• Private Tour Rentals Private rental of any tour—including the Nautilus Semi-Submarine, Bison & Buffalo tours, or fully customized tour packages—for groups seeking an exclusive experience.
• Gift Cards Digital gift cards available in any amount, emailed to recipients and redeemable across all tour offerings.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• FareHarborcoreTechnology or IntegrationFareHarbor is used as the booking and reservation platform for processing online reservations and payments. When customers book through checkout, they are subject to FareHarbor's customer terms of service and privacy practices. FareHarbor facilitates payments and reservations for Catalina Adventure Tours.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching: Dana Point operator of whale watching, dolphin, and ocean sightseeing tours. Directly comparable as a Southern California marine sightseeing operator targeting tourists with narrated cruises and add-on experiences.
• Davey's Locker: Newport Beach operator of whale watching, deep-sea fishing, and marine sightseeing tours — explicitly referenced by Catalina Adventure Tours on its website. Same core business: narrated scenic boat tours selling individual tickets to Southern California tourists.
• Helgren's Sportfishing: Oceanside Harbor operator offering whale watching, sportfishing, and marine excursions. Comparable Southern California harbor-based tour operator with similar vessel size, pricing, and tourist customer profile.
• Newport Landing Sportfishing & Whale Watching: Newport Beach-based whale watching and sportfishing tour operator serving the same Southern California tourism market as Catalina Adventure Tours. Highly comparable in offering type, customer segment, and booking/distribution model.
• Harbor Breeze Cruises: Long Beach-based operator of whale watching, harbor cruises, and marine sightseeing tours departing from the LA waterfront. Closely comparable business model: scheduled scenic water tours with on-board narration, departing from a Southern California port for tourists.
• Cruise Newport Beach: Newport Beach-based operator offering harbor cruises, whale watching, and special event cruises including the Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade. Comparable in boat tour product mix and target customer (SoCal tourists and event-goers).

Emerging players

• Ocean Institute: Dana Point marine education nonprofit offering tidepool hikes, tall ship sails, and marine science programs. Comparable in marine-based experiential tourism with educational/family angle overlapping Catalina Adventure Tours' underwater viewing value proposition.

Broad incumbents

• Spirit Cruises: National operator of dining and sightseeing cruises across multiple US ports. A larger incumbent offering overlapping marine sightseeing experiences to tourists and event-goers; comparable category though broader portfolio and corporate structure.

Regional players

• Catalina Express: Primary ferry transportation provider to Catalina Island from mainland Southern California. Comparable as a key upstream tourism channel — Catalina Adventure Tours' customers arrive largely via Catalina Express — and competes indirectly for tourist discretionary spend on the island.
• Channel Islands Sportfishing Center: Ventura/Channel Islands operator offering trips to the Channel Islands marine ecosystem. Comparable niche-tourism operator offering marine experiences off the Southern California coast, though in a different departure geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/catalinatours
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php?id=61581462522386
• Instagraminstagram.com/catalinaadventuretours
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/catalina-adventure-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 Catalina Adventure Tours