About Sea Paradise Hawaii
Sea Paradise Hawaii is a locally owned eco-luxury tour company founded in 1985 on the Kona Coast of Hawaii’s Big Island. For over 40 years, Sea Paradise has operated snorkel tours, manta ray night tours, and private charters from Keauhou Bay aboard the Hoku Nui — a 50-foot luxury sailing catamaran — combining marine education, Hawaiian cultural storytelling, and responsible ocean stewardship with genuine, unhurried hospitality. Sea Paradise is one of the original manta ray tour operators in Kona and one of the longest-continuously-operating ocean tour companies on the Big Island.
Quick Details — Sea Paradise Hawaii
Quick Details
Our Story
Sea Paradise opened in 1985 as one of the Kona Coast’s original ocean tour operations. The company’s first years were spent establishing what the tours should be — not just transportation to a snorkel site, but a genuine educational experience connecting guests to Hawaiian marine life and culture. That founding philosophy has remained unchanged for four decades.
In the 1980s and early 1990s, Sea Paradise recognized what was developing at the manta ray feeding site near Keauhou Bay — where lights from 1970s hotel construction had conditioned the local reef manta population to gather nightly — and became one of the original operators to run organized manta tours to Manta Village. Over 40 years later, that early decision has made Sea Paradise one of the most experienced manta tour operators on the Kona Coast, with a crew that has observed thousands of individual manta ray encounters and tracked dozens of named residents over decades.
The company remains locally owned and operated, with decision-making rooted in love for the Kona coastline and responsibility to the community that surrounds it. That local ownership shapes everything from hiring (crew members are trained from the water up on the Kona Coast) to environmental practices (eco-certified, conservation-partnered, and genuinely committed to the health of the reefs the tours depend on).
What Eco-Luxury Means at Sea Paradise
Sea Paradise describes itself as eco-luxury, and both halves of that term are intentional. The luxury is real: a 50-foot sailing catamaran capped at 49 guests, marine naturalist crew, full onboard facilities, food and beverage service, and a tour experience that is unhurried and genuinely attentive. The eco commitment is equally real: Hawaii Ecotourism Association certification, reef-safe practices across all operations, and active conservation partnerships.
What Sea Paradise refuses to do is make either of those qualities exclusive. The pricing is competitive. The tours are designed to be accessible to families, first-time visitors, and guests across all experience levels. The crew’s briefings are educational but not academic. Sea Paradise believes that the best ocean experience and the most responsible ocean experience are the same experience — and that both should be available to anyone who wants them.
The Sea Paradise Crew
Every captain and crew member aboard the Hoku Nui has earned their position through direct, hands-on experience on the Kona Coast. Some of the captains began as deckhands, working through every role on the vessel before reaching the helm. All hold USCG licenses. The crew also includes trained marine naturalists who lead reef and manta briefings on every departure, sharing Hawaiian ecological and cultural knowledge through the tradition of “talk story.”
Many of the current Sea Paradise crew have experience with other Kona ocean operators. In a small, tight-knit maritime community, that shared experience produces a crew who know the local water at a level that cannot be learned from a manual. They know the currents, the reefs, the named manta individuals, and the seasonal patterns of the coastline they navigate every day.
Culture, Community, and Continuity
Environmental Commitment
Sea Paradise is a certified member of the Hawaii Ecotourism Association and operates in compliance with the association’s principles of sustainable tourism. Environmental standards embedded in Sea Paradise operations include:
- Reef-safe sunscreen required on all tours — provided onboard
- Environmentally certified, non-toxic green cleaners for all gear and vessel cleaning
- Compostable food service products sourced from local vendors
- Recycling program in place for all vessel waste
- Dolphin SMART participant — responsible dolphin viewing protocols on all tours
- NOAA guidelines followed for all marine wildlife encounters
- Coral Reef Alliance West Hawaii Voluntary Standards for Marine Tourism
- Manta Ray Tour Operator Guidelines on all manta departures
Sea Paradise volunteers actively with Hawaii Wildlife Fund, Keep Puako Beautiful, and the Surfrider Foundation — organizations working on habitat protection, shoreline cleanups, and reef conservation across the Big Island.
SUSTAINABLE TOURISM
Sea Paradise recognizes the importance of protecting Hawaii’s ocean environment. We’re committed to incorporating the values of Hawaii Ecotourism Association’s principles of sustainable tourism within our tours. This includes:
- Providing reef-safe sunscreen aboard our vessel and educating visitors on its use on all tours
- Using environmentally-friendly, green-certified cleaners to clean gear and equipment
- Promoting dolphin SMART, Coral Reef Alliance’s West Hawaii Voluntary Standards for Marine Tourism, Manta Ray Tour Operator Guidelines
- Following all NOAA guidelines to ensure the safety of our marine life
- Implementing a recycling program and encouraging staff and guests to recycle
- Including cultural significance of each historical site during briefings
- Volunteering with local non-profit groups to protect and conserve the environment (Hawaii Wildlife Fund, Keep Puako Beautiful, and Surfrider Foundation)
- Using compostable products sourced through local vendors
- Using energy efficient appliances as well as timers on air conditioning units
- Using moorings when available or anchor in sand to reduce our carbon footprint
- Encouraging customer feedback at the end of each tour
For more information, please visit: https://www.sustainabletourismhawaii.org/ An important note: Although sunscreens may be advertised as “reef safe,” many still contain harmful ingredients that can negatively impact the reef and ocean wildlife. We would like to encourage everyone to check their sunscreen for these harmful chemicals, and only purchase sunscreen without the following: oxybenzone, octinoxate, octisalate, avobenzone, octocrylene, homosalate, and nanoparticles It is our responsibility to protect and preserve the reef, so we can share its beauty with generations to come. Sea Paradise offers Reef Safe sunscreen onboard. If you have any questions about your sunscreen or how to better protect the reef, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us or ask a crew member on board.
About Sea Paradise — FAQ
Sea Paradise Hawaii was founded in 1985 on the Kona Coast of Hawaii’s Big Island, making it one of the original and longest-continuously-operating ocean tour companies in Kona. Sea Paradise was among the first operators to offer organized manta ray snorkel tours from Keauhou Bay, recognizing the significance of the Manta Village feeding site in the early years of its formation.
Yes. Sea Paradise Hawaii is a locally owned and operated company. Decision-making is rooted in the Kona community, and the company’s hiring, environmental practices, and tour philosophy all reflect direct investment in the health of the coastline and community the company depends on. Sea Paradise is not affiliated with a national tour company chain or resort group.
Sea Paradise is a certified member of the Hawaii Ecotourism Association and operates in compliance with its sustainable tourism principles. The company also follows the Coral Reef Alliance’s West Hawaii Voluntary Standards for Marine Tourism, participates in the Dolphin SMART program, follows NOAA guidelines for marine wildlife interactions, and adheres to established Manta Ray Tour Operator Guidelines. Sea Paradise volunteers with Hawaii Wildlife Fund, Keep Puako Beautiful, and the Surfrider Foundation.
Sea Paradise operates four regular tour types from Keauhou Bay: Morning Snorkel Tour (8:30 AM to ~1:00 PM, Kealakekua Bay, breakfast and lunch included), Afternoon Snorkel Tour (2:00 PM to ~5:00 PM, Kealakekua Bay, snacks and bar included), Sunset Manta Ray Tour (first departure, around sunset, Manta Village), and Late-Night Manta Ray Tour (second departure, after dark, Manta Village). Private charters are also available by phone or email for any occasion.
Sea Paradise can be reached by phone at (808) 322-2500, by email at info@seaparadise.com, and online at seaparadise.com. For private charters, contact Sea Paradise directly by phone or email.
The crew were professional, kind, knowledgeable and fun.
Extremely clean, with luxury bathroom facilities.
Lots of refreshments and snacks, also a freshwater shower to wash off as you get out of the sea.
One thing I did notice that Sea Paradise was doing that other boats around us weren’t doing. Sea Paradise puts crew members on paddle boards as lifeguards in the areas that you are swimming. That’s a big plus for safe in my eyes and I appreciate that.
Thank you again for the great time and great memories.
