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Maui Ocean Center - The Hawaiian Aquarium
Use the Maui Ocean Center to both entertain and educate kids and adults with a variety of exhibits and live ocean creatures.
According to the Zagat survey U.S. Family Travel Guide, this marine park was voted the top-rated Hawaii attraction and one of the 50 top-rated attractions in the U.S. This marine park lets you experience in a few hours what takes days on different Maui tours and trips.
Maui Ocean Center TicketsTo read more about the Maui Ocean Center and to review ticket costs, visit my Maui Ocean Center Tickets page. Or phone toll free 877-489-3060 to talk to a Barefoot Tours Maui Ocean Center expert right now on Maui.Maui Ocean Center Exhibits Map
The Maui Ocean Center exhibits map gives you an immediate view of the depth and scope of this marine park.
This exhibits map provides locations and descriptions for Turtle Lagoon, the Tide Pool, Hammerhead Harbor, the Marine Mammal Discovery Center, the Hawaiians and the Sea Exhibit, the Open Ocean tunnel, the Surge Zone, the Living Reef, the Seascape Maalaea Restaurant, and the Gift Shop.
Maui Ocean Center Exhibits
The Maui Ocean Center contains several types of exhibits, including a series of indoor salt water aquariums that introduced us to the varied sea life in the ocean surrounding the Hawaiian islands.
Standing in the clear see-through tunnel of the Open Ocean exhibit is like snorkeling or scuba diving - but without the need for any gear.
But outside exhibits make up a lot of the marine park, and you get to stroll from outside pool to outside pool while you observe and experience ocean ecology and creatures. You can look for crustaceans in the Tide Pool, observe Hawaiian green sea turtles swimming in the Turtle Lagoon, and watch out for sharks at Hammerhead Harbor. There are also marine ecology and research exhibits.
Maui Ocean Center LocationLocated in the middle of Maui island near Ma'alaea, the Maui Ocean Center sits on a high spot overlooking the Pacific Ocean. You probably passed by the Maui Ocean Center on your way from the Maui airport to your West Maui or South Maui lodging.Maui Ocean Center Humpback Whales
The Maui Ocean Center humpback whale exhibit provides interesting background information on the whales that visit the shallow leeward ocean west of Maui each winter to calve and mate. The exhibit is a good complement to Maui whale watching.
Maui Ocean Center Submarine
We liked the marine research exhibit Makalii. This tiny Hawaii undersea research lab reminded me of the Beatle's Yellow Submarine. And this midget submersible is a small version of the Atlantis submarine that we rode in from Lahaina Harbor.
Maui Ocean Center VideoThis Maui Ocean Center video below gives a tour of the highlights of the ocean center. Click on the Play button in the image below to view the video.
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The Maui Ocean Center is known as the Hawaiian Aquarium, and you are inside for the many aquariums, including one that is so huge that you can walk through the center inside a clear tube, with marine life swimming all around you.