Maui Ocean

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Maui Ocean Center The Kid Friendly Interactive Aquarium

When you think about Maui Ocean Center, what do you think of first? Which aspects of Maui Ocean Center are important, which are essential, and which ones can you take or leave? You be the judge.

Located on the south side of Maui is Ma'alaea Bay, home to the Maui Ocean Center. The center is the largest tropical aquarium in not only the state of Hawaii, but in the United States altogether. If visiting the island of Maui, this spectator spot should not be missed. The ocean center has a huge aquarium that has water filtered into it from the Bay. This aquarium is as real as it gets. This tank has a tunnel that you can actually walk through. This makes for great pictures. You can get a picture of yourself standing face to face with a sand shark. While walking through the tunnel, you will see sharks and rays, and tons of different types of fish.

The best thing about the tunnel is that you can see the underside of the creatures as they swim above you. The tanks also boast a coral and tropical fish display that will amaze anyone. The coral itself is breathtaking. In fact this coral collection is the largest of any aquarium in the world.

Another amazing display inside the aquarium is the giant cylinder columns of jelly fish. They are several feet wide, and you can watch the jellyfish float above you. The sight of these creatures is both terrifying and mesmerizing at the same time.

Next you move along through the aquarium to the sea turtles tanks. These sea turtles have been injured at some point in their lives and their stay at the aquarium is only a temporary one. They will be reintroduced back into their natural habitat once they have recovered. This is my favorite exhibit in the aquarium. If you happen to visit during feeding time you can actually feed the turtles. It's great to watch these huge docile creatures chomping happily on their lunch.

The ocean center also has an interactive display on whales, where visitors can learn about these giant mammals. Whale watching is a big hobby in Hawaii. There are several whale watching tours available. Turtle bay resort located on the north shore of Oahu boasts that during the winter you can actually see whales from your balcony.

So far, we've uncovered some interesting facts about Maui Ocean Center. You may decide that the following information is even more interesting.

The Maui Ocean Center is a perfect place for families to visit. They offer a wide variety of exhibits for children that are both informative and exciting. There is also a touch pond, where children can pick up some of the creatures and actually handle them. They can see sea stars and sea urchins, as well as skates and rays. Be careful when stroking rays, however, you should always stroke them from head to tail in order to avoid being stung by there tails.

No kid friendly aquarium would be complete without food. The ocean center offers a cafe where you can grab lunch. They have light fare such as salads and sandwiches, and of course, ice cream. Also don't miss the great picture taking opportunities that the center has to offer. Along the backside of the aquarium there are some spectacular views of Ma'alaea Bay, and there is a dolphin statue located in the very front of the center that also makes for a great souvenir photo.

If you've picked some pointers about Maui Ocean Center that you can put into action, then by all means, do so. You won't really be able to gain any benefits from your new knowledge if you don't use it.

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Maui in March & April?

My family and I are planning to go to Maui the last week of march and first week of april. Will the water in the ocean and pools be warm enough to go in? I live in california and around that time, the water is freezing here.

The water around Hawaii is generally in the upper 70s to mid 80s, especially along the shores. The coolest time of year is in winter, when cooler currents come down from the north. But, this year is an El Nino year, which means the waters from Hawaii to California are about 5 degrees warmer than normal.

If you go in spring, you may find that staying out in the water for hours at a time (like on a snorkel trip, especially if you take a boat to deeper water) might be a bit chilly. But, you can get a half wetsuit (just the top part) at any surf or dive shop there for about $50 that will keep you plenty warm.

And, it is a good idea to have something like that for going on snorkel tours. Last February, my wife and I went to Maui (Kahana) and took a snorkel tour out of Lahaina to Lanai, across the channel to the west. The water was warm (about 80), but the trade winds were up to about 30 knots with 6 foot wind swells. And, the spray of the water along with the high winds made it extremely chilly. I had to wear my wetsuit the entire time to keep from freezing while we were in the boat. And, it is a lot more comfortable when you're actually in the water.

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Rosemary and Peter Shugar, in Hawaii for the past two weeks visiting Peter's elderly mother, were preparing for their trip home tomorrow. Instead, the Winnetka couple are among thousands in Maui, near Kaanapali Beach, trying to flee an impending tsunami. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a warning for the islands after a massive earthquake that struck Chile sent waves across the Pacific ...

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