Ocean Center
Published On: Oct 26, 2006

When visiting Maui, Hawaii, the Maui Ocean Center is an absolute must on everyone's itinerary. The Maui Ocean Center is an aquarium like no other with an eye for detail that encompasses an impressive collection of marine life.

The Maui Ocean Center overlooks the Pacific Ocean, is conveniently located in Ma'alaea, and is near all of the major resorts on Maui. Visitors usually take at least an hour and a half to tour the facility, but often end up staying longer to revisit favorite exhibits or enjoy a meal at one of the two restaurants. For visitors who choose to book in advance, the Maui Sightseeing Pass offers admission to the Ocean Center.

While at the Maui Ocean Center, visitors will cover three acres and enjoy sixty exhibits. There are digital audio guides that inform tourists of the merits of each exhibit and live naturalists giving informative presentations every half hour at various exhibits.

Some of the unique displays at the Maui Ocean Center include live coral, garden eels, lionfish, Hawaiian wrasse, sea turtles, sharks, and rays.

For those feeling particularly adventurous while visiting the Maui Ocean Center, the aquarium offers shark diving! On Mondays, Wednesday, and Fridays, visitors can make reservations to dive in the 750,000 gallon shark tank.

For those fascinated with sea turtles, the Maui Ocean Center provides glimpses into the research project they are performing. Baby sea turtles are tagged and visitors can keep up with their locations at a special exhibit.

Marine Mammal Discovery Center is a new exhibit that is causing great excitement at the Maui Ocean Center. Guests can participate in interactive displays of mammals found in the ocean around Hawaii.

Such animals include seals, dolphins, and whales. Life sized models of these mammals at the beginning of the exhibit help children and adults alike understand the species a bit better before heading into the heart of the exhibit.

Some of the most interactive exhibits at the Maui Ocean Center are found in the Dolphin Playpod. The similarity between the bone structure of a human hand and a dolphin's fin, dolphin's camouflaging abilities, methods of dolphin locomotion, and dolphin communication are all found at this exhibit.

The Maui Ocean Center is open from 9:00 am until 5:00 pm every day of the year. If you are traveling with a group, private tours of the Maui Ocean Center can be arranged.

The Maui Ocean Center is a fun and educational aquarium that is enjoyed by all who visit it. Remember to make this remarkable location part of your Maui experience.

Maui Ocean Center
192 Ma'alaea Road
Wailuku, Hawaii 96793
(808) 270-7070

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