Visit Maui: Maui Ocean Center

It's been well over a decade since I've been to the Maui Ocean Center, and since then, the "Aquarium of Hawai‘i" has opened up new exhibits and initiatives that continue to shine the spotlight not only on ocean life, but also on Hawai‘i and how the ocean is critical to all life - including to humans.

We were very fortunate to have been hosted by Maui Ocean Center and go on the Behind the Scenes Tour, where we learned about the Maui Ocean Center Marine Institute, which helps to rehabilitate turtles and restore coral reefs.  

We got to see the coral nursery, feed coral, feed young sharks, and even feed turtles!

Our guide, Izabelle, was awesome and sure taught us a lot!

The Behind the Scenes Tour is one of several tours you can book for an additional fee. 

Of course, even without an added tour there is still so much to see and learn at the Maui Ocean Center.

The Open Ocean is my personal favorite exhibit.  It features an underwater tunnel, so you get a great view of sharks and more swimming above and next to you.  

I also love how they really incorporate Hawaiian tradition and stories into the displays. There is also a Kaho‘olawe: History and Healing Exhibit that is well worth the time to peruse. ​

Aquariums are always fascinating - you get to see sea creatures that most don't encounter on a daily basis.  

What really impressed me with Maui Ocean Center is the abundance of local fish that were on exhibit.  It's a great place for keiki to learn about common fish that are eaten in Hawai‘i, like menpachi, moi, kala, and taape.

The Maui Ocean Center is a fantastic place for visitors of all ages to not only learn about sea life, but to also learn more about Hawai‘i! 

Maui Ocean Center
192 Maalaea Rd

Wailuku, HI 96793

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Visit Hong Kong: Ocean Park

One of my kids wanted to see a panda since we were in a Special Administrative Region of China, after all, so we made a decision to go to Ocean Park.

Ocean Park is an aquarium / zoo / amusement park all wrapped into one (it reminded me of Sea World).

It is a huge property, full of steep hills, and to get from one side to the other, you can take the Ocean Express (a train ride which shows videos as if you were underwater) or ride the Cable Car.

There were all sorts of carnival type rides, thrill rides, and other types of experiences. 

The Rapids

The Rapids is similar to the white water rides at other parks, but it was much shorter in duration.  It was fun, however, and we did get wet.  The family rode this ride multiple times.

They do offer FasTrack to beat any standby lines for rides and attractions, but there was no need for them at all when we went.  The lines were pretty non existent for everything.  

We did see a panda!  When we arrived to the Giant Panda Adventure, Ying Ying and Le Le were nowhere in sight.  We waited for a while, and thought we may have to return to try our luck, but as soon as a bunch of kid groups came in, Le Le emerged (we think he was brought out because of the kids).

We saw all sorts of animals and sea creatures.

My favorite exhibits were the Sea Jelly Spectacular and Shark Mystique.

The Grand Aquarium was large, but they had a lot of Baby Shark props and decals over some of the tanks, which may be appealing to some kids, but IMO they shouldn't have been on some of the displays. The props were fun for photo ops, however.  

They had numerous eateries on site (including Michelin Guide recommend eateries), and we went to Ice Cream Delight for some much needed cool treats.  

We had lunch at Club Panda, since it was air conditioned.  

There were several gift shops, animal experiences (for extra), and even a water fountain show.  

Of note - I did get a lot of bites here (from both mosquitoes and midges), so make sure to bring insect repellent in addition to sunscreen.

There really was a lot to do at Ocean Park.  You can spend an entire day there!  

Ocean Park Hong Kong

180 Wong Chuk Hang Road

Aberdeen, Hong Kong

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Visit Maui: Discover New Exhibits at the Maui Ocean Center

Touching sea creatures in the tide pool is a perfect way for little ones to learn.

It's been a minute since my family visited the Maui Ocean Center. In fact, I wrote a post here from 2015! Earlier this month, I attended a media visit to the Maui Ocean Center to see all the updates and changes they have made in the recent years.

The Maui Ocean Center is so much more than an aquarium. In addition to the many amazing ocean life exhibits, they also offer cultural practitioner presentations and storytelling including iʻa (fish) net weaving, traditional Hawaiian mea hana (tools), niu (coconut) weaving, wood kālai (carving), lei making, hula, and more. They currently have two ongoing Hawaiian cultural exhibits: Hawaiians and the Sea exhibit and the Kahoʻolawe exhibit. 

Also new to the ocean center is the the Humpbacks of Hawaiʻi Exhibit & Sphere.  The sphere is the first-of-its-kind in Hawai‘i, offering a 3D experience that allows guests to connect with humpbacks in their world by integrating 4k imagery and a 7.1 surround sound system. Definitely do not miss this experience included with your admission. 

The center also offers additional experiences like a 90-minute Hawaiian Culture & Plant Tour led by a dedicated naturalist showcasing the ecological and cultural connections between land and ocean in Hawaiian culture and an after hours yoga class called Aquari-OM.  

The Hawaiian Culture & Plant Tour is a multi-sensory experience.

The tour includes a  hands-on experiences with kalo (taro root)

The Aquari-OM yoga class was unique and fun!

Don't miss out on one of the best views of Māʻalaea Harbor at Seascape restaurant where they serve daily fresh-caught fish from the very same harbor. The restaurant prides itself on sustainable dining and is a Platinum Certified “Ocean Friendly Restaurant” which means every dish they serve is environmentally friendly. The menu is crafted by award-winning Executive Chef Enrique “Henry” Tariga.  

Kalo Poke Nachos

I'a Chef's Fish Poke Bowl 

What was most impressive to me in this visit is that I learned about the Maui Ocean Center Marine Institute, a non-profit, and its commitment to coral reef restoration and sea turtle rescue and rehabilitation. The institute operates one of only four land-based coral nurseries in the US and also rehabilitates sick and injured sea turtles in Hawaiʻi. 

Truly, my recent visit to the Maui Ocean Center was eye-opening and gave me a new appreciation for Hawaii's surrounding sea and local culture. It was such a unique experience and definitely a must-visit in Maui.

Maui Ocean Center

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Waikiki Aquarium's New Lea Lea Little Planet Digital AR Aquarium Exhibit

We recently checked out a super fun interactive experience at the Waikiki Aquarium - the Lea Lea Little Planet Digital AR Aquarium.

Presented in partnership with HIS Go Japan, this traveling exhibition lets guests dive into the world of augmented reality, as they dig through a digital sandbox, create art through digital spray painting, and watch their artwork come alive in a digital aquarium.  

In Sand Party, the kids hunted for treasure and explored different terrains in a very cool digital sandbox.  

They could build volcanoes and create oceans, and they hunted for whales, fish, diamonds, and statues.

The kids had a lot of fun in Spray Painting, as they spray painted trees, rainbows, words, and more with digital paint.  

They created such a colorful scene!

The kids spent the most time at the Draw Your World, where they selected an object from several different coloring sheets (boat, plane, train, etc.), colored and decorated the object, scanned it, and watched the magical aquarium to see their creations come to life.

It was really neat to see each individual child's art and how their creativity shone through.

Of course there's still so much to see at the Waikiki Aquarium itself.  We enjoyed seeing all of the sea creatures, big and small.

The Lea Lea Little Planet Digital AR Aquarium runs through September 30, 2018 with daily sessions at 9 am, 11 am, 1 pm, and 3 pm.  An additional fee after admission to the Waikiki Aquarium is $8/adult, $15/child (children 3 and under are free).

Limited free parking is available in the Waikiki Aquarium lot for 2 hours (must get a parking pass from the aquarium).

Waikiki Aquarium
2777 Kalakaua Ave
Honolulu, HI 96815
(808) 923-9741

Mahalo to the sponsor for complimentary admission to the Waikiki Aquarium and the Lea Lea Little Planet Digital AR Aquarium.

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