The Maui
Ocean Center, the largest tropical aquarium in the western hemisphere and
better known as “The Hawaiian Aquarium” features a 750,000-gallon Open Ocean
exhibit with a 240-degree view acrylic tunnel.
We knew my 4 year old son, who loves sharks, would love exploring the
tunnel at the Maui Ocean Center!
We made a
beeline to the Marine Mammal Discovery Center where the kids played with interactive
displays and games. My favorite exhibit
was the Sea Jelly Gallery. Watching the
jelly fish is so calming and almost hypnotizing. When my daughter was a baby, it was our
favorite sea creature to watch.
The Open
Ocean exhibit is a 750,000-gallon salt-water aquarium where you can watch stingrays
and large, fast-swimming fishes like sharks and jacks. The highlight for us was the 54-foot-long
clear acrylic tunnel that gives its visitors a 240-degree view of nearly 2,000
fishes. It was absolutely amazing. My son and I could have stayed in that tunnel
for hours. What’s really cool is that certified
SCUBA divers age 15 and older may enter the exhibit as part of the Shark Dive
Maui program. What an experience that
would be!
The kids also
enjoyed taking a closer look at the marine life in the Tide Pool where they
learned that touching with two fingers is the way to feel the sea stars,
urchins and sea cucumbers. Other
favorite exhibits were watching the unique looking hammerhead sharks in
Hammerhead Harbor and seeing the older green sea turtles swim in the Turtle
Lagoon and the younger sea turtles in a tank.
There is so
much to see and do at the Maui Ocean Center!
The Living Reef exhibit realistically portrays the wonder of Hawaii’s
coral reefs from the rocky surge zone to the edge of the deep reef. Visitors will see marine creatures like moray
eels, octopus, lobsters, sea horses, nocturnal fish and much more! The Coral Reefs exhibit explains how coral
reproduces, thrives, and influences our lives.
These exhibits are especially awesome and informative if you plan to do
some snorkeling in Maui.
Touching sea creatures in the tide pool is a perfect way for little ones to learn. |
Our family
definitely recommends a stop at the Maui Ocean Center when visiting Maui. It is fun for the entire family! After the hours you will surely spend fascinated
here learning about our beautiful sea life, be sure to make your final stop at
the Maui Ocean Treasures. The gift shop
is truly a one stop shop for all your souvenir needs, from cookies to toys to
artwork. You will be sure to find
something awesome to remember your Maui vacation!
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