Honolulu Aquarium: a Marine Fantasy for
the Whole Family

Located on the Waikiki shoreline, the Honolulu Aquarium is a wonderful stop when you want to take a break away from sun worshipping on the beach.

Within their cool and darkened walls, you can find reef and tiger sharks in the deep tank and giant colorful Palauan clams. These were raised from little hatchlings no bigger than a dime, to now measure more than 2 feet.

The longest running exhibit here is the Edge of the Reef, an outdoor tank which was one of the first touch pools in the US.

Other must-see exhibits are:

• The barrier reef – a giant tank with 100 species of fish and live coral. See if you can spot the giant 500 lb clam!


• The biodiversity special exhibit – keep an eye out for the tendril like weedy seadragon, the pink leaf dragonfish and the reclusive hairy hermit crab


• The jet-set exhibits – these are creatures which propel through water such as the Hawaiian day octopus, the big-fin cuttlefish which pulsates with flashes of light, and the chambered nautilius, which is little changed from its ancestors millions of years old

This is also one of the few places where you can come close and personal (relatively) to the critically endangered Hawaiian monk seal. There are two adult male seals here named Nuka 'au and Maka onaona. Despite intense conservation efforts, only about 1300 of these seals (which are found only in the Hawaiian islands) still remain.

Many have been lost to entanglement in the debris and fishing nets in the oceans. Children will love the feeding show which takes place several times a day, where the monk seals roll around, and in and out of the water for food.

Awe your kids by pointing out the different types of jellyfish, as they dance, like aquatic ballerinas, across the tank. There are moon jellies, white-spotted jellies and lagoon jellies - now how cool is that?

See how many crabs, eels and octopus and other night creatures you can spot as you wade up to your knees with aquarium staff.

Enchant your kids with a memorable flashlight tour: once a month, armed with flashlights, visitors soft-shoe through the aquarium to explore the nocturnal habits of the marine life. Do fish really sleep with their eyes open?



The Honolulu Aquarium has several education and conservation programs. It is internationally well known for its work in coral propagation and through its coral ark program, is growing rare Hawaiian corals for reintroduction into the wild. After your visit here, you will come away not only entranced, but also better informed.

Want a deeper aquatic experience? Then go to the next level: swim with the dolphins, play with gracious manta rays, watch the sea lions, penguins, tropical birds at Sea Life Park. Imagine touching, feeding & kissing a dolphin - that's a once-in-a-lifetime experience not to be missed!

After you leave here, you might have time left to enjoy the other things to do in Honolulu as well!

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