Ocean Project Maui

What Ocean Project Maui does

Ocean Project Maui, LLC is a privately held marine research and education organization founded in 1979 in Kahului, Maui, Hawaii, operating as a direct-to-consumer provider of private snorkeling tours. The company employs 11-50 staff, including credentialed marine biologists and naturalists, and delivers custom-designed private snorkel tours for families and groups visiting Maui. Tours include all equipment (masks, snorkels, fins, wetsuits, flotation devices), a beach-based safety orientation, expert-led marine education, and professionally edited underwater photography as standard inclusions.

The business is structured around five operational pillars: Safety, Marine Awareness, Marine Education, Marine Research, and Lasting Memories (photography). The company maintains a large collection of legally and ethically sourced marine teaching aids accumulated over decades, supports community outreach through donations, and partners with Make-A-Wish, Dream Imua, Hawaii Wildlife Fund, Maui Ocean Center Marine Institute, and local schools. It is a bootstrapped LLC with no external funding, no parent company, and no disclosed revenue.

The go-to-market is exclusively direct: customers contact the company by phone or email (or via the Squarespace-hosted website) to request a quote, with pricing not publicly disclosed. Marketing relies on organic channels — an active blog (50+ posts in the #COLORSOFTHEOCEAN series), TripAdvisor visibility (consecutive Travelers' Choice Awards from 2021 through 2024 and again in 2026), and a BBB A+ accreditation. Ownership transitioned from founders Mel and CT to current owner and marine biologist Jennifer Koskey, who was mentored by the original founder beginning around 2001. The company survived the August 2023 Maui wildfires with operations intact.

Name

Ocean Project Maui

Legal name

Ocean Project Maui, LLC

Website

https://oceanprojectmaui.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ocean Project Maui, LLC is a privately held Maui-based marine research and education organization, founded in 1979, that operates private snorkeling tours led by marine biologists for visiting families and groups, supported by community outreach and conservation partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Tour Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro primary industry

Guided Diving & Snorkeling Excursions (boat/shore trips) (THAAAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Marine Conservation & Citizen-Science Experiences (reef monitoring, turtle walks) (THAAAIAH), Dive & Snorkel Equipment Rental, Retail & Boat Services (compressors, gear hire) (THAAAIAL)

Keywords

• Private snorkel tours
• Marine education services
• Marine research programs
• Guided snorkeling experiences
• Marine tourism Maui

Headquarters

HQ city

Kahului

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

Revenue model

1. Private Snorkel Tours: The company generates revenue through offering private, custom-designed snorkel tours around Maui for families and groups. Each tour is staffed by dedicated marine biologists and naturalists and includes equipment, safety orientation, and professionally edited images of the experience.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Ocean Project Maui sells private, custom-designed snorkel tours around Maui that are staffed by marine biologists and naturalists. Each tour includes equipment, safety orientation, educational marine content, and professionally edited photos. The company also delivers marine education programs (field trips, summer institutes) and conducts marine research, supported by community outreach efforts including Make-A-Wish and Dream Imua partnerships.

Product overview

Ocean Project Maui is a marine research and education focused organization offering private snorkeling tours on Maui, Hawaii. The core offering is custom private snorkel tours guided by marine biologists and naturalists, which include equipment provision, safety orientation, professional photography, and educational marine experiences. The company operates five integrated pillars: Safety, Marine Awareness, Marine Education, Marine Research, and Lasting Memories. All tours are private and tailored to each family or group, with additional donation and community outreach programs supporting marine conservation efforts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Private Snorkel Tours on Maui Custom private snorkeling tours around Maui, Hawaii, guided by dedicated marine biologists and naturalists. Each tour is individually designed for a specific family or group, includes all equipment (masks, snorkels, fins, wetsuits, flotation devices), starts with a thorough safety orientation on the beach, and incorporates educational marine life content along with professionally edited photos for guests to share afterwards.
• Marine Education Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• Travelers Choice Award winner for multiple consecutive years (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2026) on TripAdvisor

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Dream ImuaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA program similar to Make-A-Wish that Ocean Project Maui has partnered with to provide lasting memories for people with disabilities who thought they would never be able to enjoy the ocean.
• Make-A-WishminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOcean Project Maui has worked with Make-A-Wish to grant wishes and provide ocean experiences for children facing serious illnesses.
• Maui Ocean Center Marine InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with marine conservation organization focused on marine research and education efforts in Maui.
• Hawaii Wildlife FundminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal conservation organization that Ocean Project Maui has partnered with for marine wildlife protection and education.
• Local SchoolsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOcean Project Maui has worked with local schools providing educational field trips and summer programs.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Trilogy Excursions: One of Maui's largest and most established snorkel and sailing tour operators, offering similar Maui reef snorkel experiences from West Maui and Ka'anapali. Directly comparable in core activity (guided snorkel excursions) and target market (Maui visitors and families), though operates at higher volume with both shared and private options.
• Sea Maui Charters: Maui-based operator offering private snorkel and dolphin-watch tours. Direct competitor targeting the same premium private-charter, family-traveler segment that Ocean Project Maui serves.
• Maui Classic Charters: Maui snorkel and whale-watch charter company offering private and small-group tours. Comparable in delivering premium guided snorkel experiences for families and visitors on Maui.
• Sail Maui: Maui catamaran and snorkel tour operator offering private and group snorkel charters out of Ma'alaea and Lahaina. Direct competitor in the Maui private snorkel tour category for families and groups.
• Pride of Maui: Larger Maui snorkel and whale-watch tour operator running large-capacity catamaran excursions. Comparable product (guided reef snorkel tours in Maui) but serves higher-volume group bookings rather than small private groups.
• Pacific Whale Foundation: Maui-based nonprofit eco-tour operator running snorkel, whale-watching, and reef education trips. Highly comparable as both a marine education-led tour operator on Maui serving families and conservation-minded travelers, with overlapping mission-driven positioning.
• Blue Water Rafting: Maui adventure snorkel operator offering small-group ocean rafting snorkel tours to remote reefs. Comparable in delivering small-format, education-oriented reef snorkel experiences on Maui.

Emerging players

• Reef Biosearch / Hawaii Reef Studies: Small Hawaii-based marine biology and citizen-science education outfit offering snorkeling-based reef monitoring programs. Comparable in the marine-research and reef-education overlap with Ocean Project Maui's marine research and education pillar.

Broad incumbents

• Atlantis Submarines Maui: Larger, established Hawaii marine tourism operator offering submarine and surface reef experiences. Comparable as a marine-recreation tour operator in Hawaii targeting similar family leisure visitors, but with broader portfolio and far larger scale.

Regional players

• Hawaii Ocean Project: Hawaii Island (Big Island) based snorkel and manta-ray tour operator. Comparable in operating small-format, naturalist-led ocean snorkel tours, but based on a different Hawaiian island rather than competing directly on Maui.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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 Ocean Project Maui