The most remote populated place on earth
As anyone who has visited Hawaii can attest, the scenery here is otherworldly in its beauty. They can also attest that Hawaii is a long way away. California is the nearest landmass, 2,400 miles away; Tahiti, to the south, is 2,500 miles away; and Tokyo is 4,000 miles away.
That isolation means that Hawaii, with its 1.4 million people, is the most remote populated place on earth. 90% of its endemic land species are found nowhere else on Earth. That uniqueness extends underwater too, where up to 50% of its sealife is found nowhere else.
See sealife you can’t see anywhere else
A visit to the Maui Ocean Center in Wailuku isn’t like a visit to a mainland aquarium — or any aquarium in the world. This one is focused on the unique Hawaiian sealife — a one-of-a-kind aquarium to see one-of-a-kind species.
Subterranean sealife that glows in the dark
Visits to aquariums are always about seeing a sort of nocturnal underwater world, where it’s always dusk, a halfway light permeating the tanks and the exhibition areas. Turn a corner, and suddenly I’d see huge glowing tanks of coral and fish of such vivid color that it’s almost as if Gauguin or Van Gogh created the arresting patterns. A translucent green tank houses translucent jellyfish, gently rising and falling. Another house invasive species in the Hawaiian waters. If you’re looking to zone out and de-stress, the jellyfish tank is a good stopping point.
If you want a little adrenaline, the nearby shark tank and shark tunnel have predators that are near but safely distant, with plexiglass between them and you.
The human factor matters
While aquariums I’ve been to invariably have someone in scuba gear interact with the fish — and you see that here too — Maui Ocean Center goes a stride or two further. One gentleman showed me how he weaves nets in a traditional Hawaiian fashion. Nearby are descriptions of the numerous ways Hawaiians have fished the bounty of their remote waters. From torch fishing to gathering by hand, to trapping fish, to the use of fishponds. Ancient Hawaiian aquaculture is explained in depth.
Observing and understanding sealife has progressed with technology, of course. On display is an exotic undersea research submarine called the Makali’i. This submarine was operated by the Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory at the University of Hawaii in the 1980’s.
Learning about the sacred, off-limits Kahoʻolawe Island
When you visit Kihei, Wailea and other points in Southwest Maui, you can’t help but see Kahoʻolawe Island, which overshadows nearby Molokini, famous for its snorkelling.
The Maui Ocean Center has rightly devoted a big exhibition to this mysterious sacred island and its tragic history. At 45 square miles, Kaho’olawe Island is the smallest of the main Hawaiian Islands. Its location made it a key navigation point for the Polynesian explorers who first discovered the Hawaiian Islands. The basalt quarry, the second largest in the archipelago, was used by ancient Hawaiians to create stone tools. The island has over 3,000 archaeological sites, from petroglyphs to heiaus, to fishing shrines,
In the 18th century, Captain Vancouver introduced goats, which, along with the cattle introduced later on, stripped the island of its native flora. The Hawaiian monarchy turned it into a penal colony between 1832 and 1853. And most devastating of all, the US military turned the island into a live-fire training and firing range after World War II started in 1941 and kept it that way for nearly 50 years.
The modern grassroots Aloha ‘Aina movement and the Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana (PKO) led first to the cessation of bombing on the island in 1990 and then to the return of the island to the State of Hawaii in 1994. Since then, the Kahoʻolawe Island Reserve Commission (KIRC) has led the arduous path to removing the unexploded ordnance and restoring the island to its former grandeur.
I loved and learned a lot in this section of the Maui Ocean Center and spent close to an hour here.
Immersive Cinema to take you underwater (without getting wet)
A highlight of my visit was watching, with special glasses, a 3-D film of Hawaii’s Humpback whales. The 15-or-so-minute film in the Sphere was as immersive as you can get, with gargantuan humpback whales gliding right towards you in your seat, complete with the eerie and memorable sounds that they make.
Prior to seeing this film at the Sphere, I saw another which showed an aerial view of Lahaina, devastated by the August 2023 wildfires.
Outdoor exhibits and scenery keep you anchored in Maui
Most aquariums everywhere are primarily indoor experiences with a couple of outdoor exhibits. The uniqueness of Maui Ocean Center is its extensive outdoor exhibits and the breathtaking view of Haleakala from the ocean-facing back of the center’s grounds. The tide pool is a treat for those with young children. What better way to experience sea animals than to safely touch them? There’s also the turtle lagoon to see what are my favorite sea creatures.
Maui Ocean Center is anchored to its location. Located right next door is the Mā‘alaea Ebisu Kotohira Jinsha, an historic Shinto fishing shrine that was built in 1914. It’s the only such Shinto fishing shrine in the world that is located outside of Japan. The Ma’alaea Harbor has plenty of boats that take people fishing or snorkeling or whale watching. The Expeditions Passenger Ferry has multiple daily crossings to Lanai from here. (They moved here after the August 2023 fire.)
After an eye-opening visit to Maui Ocean Center, I felt lucky to find my favorite shave ice, Ululani’s, which I could enjoy while listening to two musicians playing soothing music. At that moment, I realized again how Hawaii’s remoteness is integral to its appeal. For humans as well as sea animals, Maui Ocean Center reminded me how one-of-a-kind Hawaii is.
Tips for the trip:
-Parking isn’t free:
You need to pay for parking in the lot outside of the Maui Ocean Center. It is $3 an hour when I was there. If you can get parking at the Ma’alaea Harbor, it will be less.
-How much time should you spend:
Plan on at least two hours for the aquarium and one hour to eat and explore the Ma’alaea Harbor area.
–Where can you eat:
There is a restaurant, Seascape, and the Reef Café at the Maui Ocean Center and restaurants at the Ma’alaea Harbor (outside of the Maui Ocean Center).
-Things to buy:
There is a large gift shop and Hawaiian crafts are sold on the grounds.
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