Hawaii Turtle Tours

What Hawaii Turtle Tours does

Hawaii Turtle Tours is a locally owned boutique tour operator headquartered at 1441 Kapiolani Boulevard in Honolulu, Oahu, founded in 2011 by CEO Benjy Gilholm and COO Ernest Egan. The company sells small-group adventure experiences on Oahu, capping tours at 22 guests, with the flagship being the full-day Oahu Circle Island Tour with Turtle Snorkeling (priced at $149 per adult and $129 per child). It supplements this with three tiers of private/concierge tours at $800, $1,399, and $1,999 for groups up to 7, 14, and 24 respectively, a dedicated Spanish-language private tour, and a gift card product. Distribution is direct-to-consumer: customers book through the company's website via FareHarbor and are picked up from 9 Waikiki hotel locations daily between 7:00–7:40 am.

The business model is a straightforward per-tour unit-pricing, pay-as-you-go structure with no subscription, licensing, or recurring components. Go-to-market relies on organic discovery through review platforms (TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice, Google/Trustindex verified badge, 9,000+ aggregated five-star reviews and 3,130 Google reviews), social media presence, and word-of-mouth. The company employs approximately 6 people, including the two co-founders, Operations Manager Raul Marin, and a rotating roster of named guides (Justin, Mike, Nevin, Marvin, Raul, Mole). Guides are HMAR (Hawaiian Marine Research) Steward-certified, a differentiation tied to responsible wildlife viewing at North Shore turtle sanctuaries. A charitable partnership with Make-A-Wish underpins a CSR positioning that the company uses in marketing.

There is no proprietary technology platform of consequence; the stack consists of a FareHarbor booking widget, a WordPress site, and standard review widgets. The company's defensibility rests on its local talent moat (lifeguard-trained, surfer-local guides), brand reputation accumulated over 15 years, and Waikiki hotel pickup logistics, rather than on software or AI capability. Geographic reach is limited to the single island of Oahu, with no announced expansion to other Hawaiian islands or international markets.

Name

Hawaii Turtle Tours

Legal name

Hawaii Turtle Tours

Website

https://hawaiiturtletours.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Hawaii Turtle Tours is a locally owned, boutique Oahu tour operator founded in 2011, offering small-group (max 22 guests) circle island tours with turtle snorkeling, premium private concierge tours, and Spanish-language tours to visitors of Hawaii via direct online booking.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Guided Tours and Adventure Tourism

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Reef, Island & Coastal Ecotours (mangroves, lagoons, sea caves) (THAAAIAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Guided Diving & Snorkeling Excursions (boat/shore trips) (THAAAIAB), Sightseeing & Scenic Boat Tours (Harbor, Sunset, Dolphin/Whale Watching) (THAJAJAA)

Keywords

• Guided island tours
• Turtle snorkeling experiences
• Circle island adventures
• Private concierge tours
• Oahu sightseeing tours

Headquarters

HQ city

Honolulu

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. Circle Island Adventure Tour: Primary revenue stream from full-day circle island tours with turtle snorkeling. Adults $149, children $129, infants free. Includes Waikiki pickup, transportation, guide, lifeguard, and snorkel gear.
2. Private/Concierge Tours: Premium private tours with concierge planning service. Pricing tiers: $800 (up to 7 guests), $1,399 (up to 14 guests), $1,999 (up to 24 guests). Fully customizable itinerary.
3. Gift Cards: Gift cards sold for tours with no fixed date, easy to use, valid on all tours, instant delivery.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Hawaii Turtle Tours operates small-group guided tours on Oahu, Hawaii, with the flagship offering being the full-day Circle Island Adventure featuring sea turtle snorkeling at a North Shore sanctuary. The product line also includes fully customizable private concierge tours (group sizes up to 7, 14, or 24 guests), a Spanish-language private tour variant, and gift cards valid on all tours. All tours include Waikiki hotel pickup, local driver/guide/lifeguard, and snorkel gear.

Product overview

Hawaii Turtle Tours operates as a locally owned boutique tour company offering small-group adventure tours around Oahu, Hawaii. The product portfolio centers on the flagship Oahu Circle Island Tour with Turtle Snorkeling as the core experience, supplemented by two private tour variants: the Concierge Experience (English-language private tours with pre-trip planning) and the Spanish-language Private Tour offering. A gift card product enables gifting tour experiences. All tours feature local expert guides, Waikiki hotel pickup, and access to scenic lookouts, North Shore destinations, and turtle snorkeling locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Oahu Circle Island Tour with Turtle Snorkeling Full-day small-group tour (max 22 guests) covering scenic lookouts, famous beaches, North Shore stops, local food spots, and sea turtle snorkeling at a North Shore turtle sanctuary; includes Waikiki hotel pickup, driver/guide/lifeguard, and snorkel gear, priced at $149 per adult and $129 per child.
• Oahu Private Tour – Concierge Experience Fully customizable private circle island tour with pre-tour concierge planning for groups of up to 7 ($800), 14 ($1,399), or 24 guests ($1,999); includes private vehicle, dedicated local guide, flexible itinerary, and Waikiki pickup.
• Oahu Private Tour – In Spanish Spanish-language private tour service led by Raul, offering a 100% private group experience with personalized planning, flexible itinerary, and concierge service; vehicle options include Kia Carnival (up to 7), Ford Transit (up to 14), and a minibus (up to 24 passengers).
• Oahu Tour Gift Card Gift card redeemable on all Hawaii Turtle Tours experiences with no fixed date, valid on every tour, easy to use, and delivered instantly.

Quantifiable outcome

• 9,000+ 5-star reviews achieved
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Make-A-WishminorOthersCharitable partnership where Hawaii Turtle Tours provides free tours for Make-A-Wish children. The company also gives back through donations to Hawaii's homeless and creates local jobs.
• HMAR (Hawaiian Marine Research)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHawaii Turtle Tours guides are HMAR Steward certified, following responsible wildlife viewing practices. The partnership focuses on marine conservation education and protecting Hawaii's sea turtle population while providing educational tours.
• FareHarborcoreTechnology or IntegrationBooking software integration provider for online tour reservations. Handles availability, booking flow, and payment processing for tour bookings.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Viator (Tripadvisor): Global tours-and-activities marketplace that resells Oahu snorkel and circle-island tours including direct competitors — relevant as the dominant OTA pressuring pricing and customer acquisition economics for small operators.
• Hawaii Activities (HawaiiActivities.com): Hawaii tour and activity booking platform/aggregator — not a direct competitor but a distribution channel that lists tour operators including Oahu snorkel/circle-island tours.

Broad incumbents

• Roberts Hawaii: Largest Hawaii ground-tour operator with extensive Oahu circle-island and inter-island tours — a broad incumbent competing on itinerary breadth, schedule density, and hotel pickup coverage.
• Polynesian Adventure Tours: Established Hawaii-wide tour bus and sightseeing operator with Oahu circle-island tours — broader portfolio and larger scale, but directly overlapping on the flagship Circle Island product.
• Kualoa Ranch: Major Oahu nature-activity destination offering tours, horseback rides, and movie-site experiences — competes for the same 'must-do Oahu nature day' tourist wallet share.

Direct peers

• North Shore Shark Adventures: Oahu North Shore-based marine wildlife tour operator offering shark-encounter and snorkel experiences to tourists, directly competing for the same North Shore day-trip customer.
• Atlantis Submarines Hawaii: Oahu-based marine sightseeing operator offering submarine and waterfront snorkel excursions — directly comparable marine-themed family-friendly tourist offering.
• Hawaii Nautical: Multi-island Hawaii snorkel, sail, and whale-watch operator with Oahu departures — comparable product (snorkel + scenic water tours) and overlapping tourist customer base.
• Wild Side Specialty Tours: Oahu-based operator running small-group snorkeling, dolphin, and whale watching tours from Waikiki — the most directly comparable competitor to Hawaii Turtle Tours on product mix (marine wildlife + small group), geography, and target customer.
• Dolphins and You: Oahu dolphin-watching and snorkeling tour operator with similar Waikiki departure points and small-group positioning, competing for the same marine-wildlife-adventure tourist segment.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hawaii-turtle-tours

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

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 Hawaii Turtle Tours