This was my second visit to the Waikiki Aquarium. I love visiting aquariums and this aquarium…read morethough small it is very unique compared to other aquariums I have visited. The Waikiki Aquarium - is affordable, and focuses on local sea life. I have been to many aquariums with all the same fish. Most of the sea life here are smaller such as fish, jellies, sea horses but they do have a rescue Hawaiian Monk Seal in a large outdoor area. I was 13 the first time I went to this aquarium with my grandparents and I was so captivated by the sea dragons - this was the first place I ever saw them. I still have the stuffed one they bought me on that visit. My boyfriend also commented that he enjoyed this aquarium because it is focused on the local sea life. They are currently having some construction to expand and add some additional exhibits but overall it was one of the highlights of our trip. Highly recommend especially if you have younger children as it isn't a huge aquarium but alot of local sea life.

Visited in March 2025 while some areas were under renovation. Overall impression: not bad, just…read moreokay. The aquarium is very small, so expectations matter here. If you're visiting with kids, it's a solid, manageable stop. Short, educational, easy to get through without meltdowns. For adults only, though, it's probably not something you need to go out of your way for. That said, it does a good job showcasing local Hawaiian marine life. Lots of native fish and sea urchins, which is cool if you're interested in what actually lives in the surrounding waters rather than big flashy exhibits. The space itself feels a bit dated, and with the renovations happening, some areas felt even more limited. You can tell it's more of a local, educational aquarium than a major attraction. Bottom line: fine for families, quick visit, mildly interesting if you like local marine life. Not a must-do for adults, but not a regret either. Solid.

I was born and raised on Oʻahu, and I've always had this mindset that zoos and places like Sea Life…read morePark were sad environments for animals. It just never really sat right with me. I'm also not a huge wildlife or ocean life person in general, but my boyfriend loves aquariums and anything sea-related. He originally wanted to go to the Waikīkī Aquarium, but I surprised him with tickets to Sea Life Park instead. It was both of our first times visiting, and I'll be honest, I went in with a lot of preconceived notions. I couldn't have been more wrong. From the moment we got there, I was genuinely surprised in the best way. I learned so much about the animals, and you can really see how intelligent they are. What stood out the most to me was how passionate and caring all of the trainers were. It didn't feel like a "show" in a negative sense. It felt educational, thoughtful, and rooted in genuine care. Kekoa the monk seal completely stole my heart. I won't spoil his story, but learning about him is what truly shifted my perspective on the park and the kind of work they do. You can tell they are intentional about the animals they bring in and the role they play in research, rehabilitation, and education. The dolphin show was absolutely phenomenal. I've never seen anything like it before. It was not only entertaining, but also really highlighted the connection between the trainers and the animals. Another thing I really appreciated was the emphasis on education, especially for visitors. It's a popular tourist spot and they make a strong effort to teach people about respecting wildlife, like not touching animals you may encounter on the beach. It meant a lot to see that message being reinforced. If you're planning to go, I definitely recommend arriving right when they open so you can look at the daily schedule and try to catch all of the activities. Overall, this experience completely changed my perspective. I went in skeptical and left with a new appreciation for what Sea Life Park does. It ended up being such a meaningful and memorable day for both of us.

Sea Life Park used to be such a thrill as a kid! Watching the dolphin & whale shows, seeing…read morepenguins waddling around & seeing the seal lion show were highlights! It's just not the same as before. There were no shows at all while we were there. Just "educational talks" where someone feeds the animals and or just talks about them. There was one dolphin show but, it wasn't until 12:15p which was after we left. We did see some people swimming with the dolphins and the dolphins did a couple jumps for them that we saw. But, that was it. It's super small and honestly unchanged from when I was a kid. Super run down and outdated. At $25/adult & $20/child Kamaaina rate, is a pretty steep rate for what you get. It's $50/adult & $40/child for non-Hawai'i residents.

Local Hawaiian news said fishing ban may end soon so I went to closest shop near my hotel to get…read moresome info. Maybe fish prices will go down in California. Very small place but clean, in an industrial area. Young lady at counter very pleasant and answered some questions. She feels fish ban may end soon. Very small inventory but all fish look healthy. They quarantine fish here. She will check if they can ship to California. There was a beautiful gem tang in the display tang, big bucks wow. Asked about corals, corals are illegal in Hawaii. They can do custom fish orders.

Went in today for some Marine salt for my Opae Ula set up and they didn't have any, but Skylar was…read moresuper helping in that they do have salty water that you can buy for $2.00 a gallon. So I popped on down the the Orange Home improvement store and grabbed a 5 Gallon "Menehune" type water bottle so I could bring some home. They have all kinds of fish to choose from from Koi to File fish and a lot in between. Skylar was very helpful and knowledgeable in answering all my questions. She is super friendly immediately stopped what she was doing when I walked in to help me with what I needed. Definitely gonna go back again and again for all my aquarium supplies (fresh and salty kine) needs.

Excellent customer service, affordable prices. Can't go wrong! Helped me out with a tank I was…read morelooking for. For sure gonna come here to get more fish!

I bought a mated pair of apistogramma and they just bred in my home setup. Here's the mama with…read morefree swimming fry.

A little bit of ocean right in the midst here in Aulani…read more.. Not only can you get a free peek of the fishes though some windows located right across Lava Shack you can actually take a dip along with the fishes for the day or your length of stay though the hours here are short 10am to 3pm so plan your experience accordingly your day pass does allow you to enter and exit as you like as for the day it's $25 for adults and $20 for keiki and for your length of stay it's $45 for adults and $35 for keiki. It is a fun option without packing it all up and voyaging out to the beach this fun and cool place makes exploring something new a breeze as everything here is contained to snorkel and explore nothing like I've ever seen and it's Aulani of course. Thank you!

Yes! Perfect place to start a snorkeling experience. My 7 year old daughter loved it! I loved it…read moretoo. Plenty of beautiful fish, a lifeguard, they provide float vests and snorkel gear. You can also bring your own gear and they allow you to wear it. I took my own.

The owner Faraz is a stand up guy. Thus far all my interactions with him have been of a caring,…read moreexacting business owner. It helps that he is very experienced, energetic, and truly loves what he does. Without reservation I highly recommend him.

I recently got into saltwater and setup a reef tank at home and in the office. Came across Aquatic…read moreExperts and I'm so glad to have found Faraz and his staff. We looked at Custom Aquarium setups and decided to go with Red Sea tanks with a medium sized one for home and a large one in the office. Faraz's crew handled the full delivery and installation. This thing weighs over 500 pounds before filling with any water and they took the time to set it up right and make sure it was level on the floor. They did some custom plumbing work so that one pump can handle the return and reactor. They also installed a RO/DI system in the office so I don't need to lug water around all of the time. We use them for livestock and maintenance. They can handle 100% of your tank or can work with you as a partner. In the office, we have them come for service every 2 weeks and they give us tasks to complete on the weeks they aren't here. The tanks have never looked better. Faraz has tried (unsuccessfully) to teach me patience and has proven to be right with his advice. This week he saved my home tank from a devastating crash. I was thinking I wanted to make some changes to the aquascape and was about to pull out a few rocks in favor of some others I had at home. Fortunately I called Faraz first and he suggested that I perform a few tests first. Turns out those rocks would have been lethal. The ammonia readings were off the chart and if those rocks went in the tank poor Nemo would have been swimming with the fishees... What really makes these guys deserve a top rating is their responsiveness. Faraz is great at responding to texts and emails. I'm trying to learn and grow in this cool hobby and am glad to have Faraz to turn to.

Food and experience were good. Lots of variety in the type of foods; also very tasty…read more Hula show was excellent with very talented and funny performers. Great that performers had selected my grandson to perform and "embarrass".

This entire situation has honestly left such a bad taste in my mouth…read more We paid for transportation to and from the luau as part of our package. At the end of the night, we stood outside in the rain waiting for the shuttle for about 40 minutes, only to then be told the shuttle had broken down and it would be another 40 minute wait. My husband is disabled and sick, cold, wet, and exhausted, and we were basically left with no real option other than paying out of pocket for a Lyft/Uber. Manager Lisa was very kind and told us we would absolutely be reimbursed, so we trusted that it would be handled. Since then, it has been weeks of being bounced around through emails, empty apologies, promises that reimbursement was "approved," and claims that management would contact us directly, yet nothing has actually been resolved. What is most upsetting is that this could have been fixed so easily. Instead, we've had to repeatedly chase down a company over reimbursement for a problem THEY caused. It feels incredibly disrespectful and dismissive, especially after spending good money to support their business and after the stress of trying to care for a disabled spouse in the rain while stranded after an event. The luau itself may have been beautiful, but this experience afterward completely overshadowed it. Not sure if I'll ever get a refund, save yourself the headache and go to another luau.

Disclaimer: While I've never been employed by the Sanctuary, I have served as an alternate on its…read morecommunity Advisory Council for both the Education (2008-10) and Honolulu County (2010-12) seats. The Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary was created by Congress in 1992 to protect humpback whales and their habitat in Hawaii. The address listed is for the Sanctuary's main office on Oahu which is not open to the public. The Sanctuary itself encompasses shallow (less than 600 feet), warm waters surrounding six of the main Hawaiian Islands (Kauai, Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lanai, and Hawaii) and constitutes one of the world's most important humpback whale habitats . Click here to view a map of the Sanctuary boundaries: http://hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov/documents/images/boundary3.jpg While the Sanctuary's various education, outreach, and research initiatives differ somewhat from island to island, it's best known for hosting an annual "Ocean Count" event on the last Saturday of January, February, and March (peak whale season) of each year from 8:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. During the event, over 2,000 volunteers on Kauai, Oahu, and Hawaii islands simultaneously record whale sightings and behaviors from over 60 coastal sites. Click here to view results from past Ocean Counts: http://hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov/involved/ocprojectresults.html It's website is updated regularly with information about public lectures, research results, and other helpful information regarding whale watching within the Sanctuary as well as opportunities to get involved as a volunteer.