Put Me In The Zoo Review: Waikiki Aquarium Review
Date of visit: January 21, 2017
Does this zoo satisfy the reviewer’s Inner-3-Year-Old by featuring his lifelong favorite animals, giraffes and elephants?
Nope. The giraffes and elephants are a couple of blocks away at the Honolulu Zoo. Having Honolulu’s premiere animal attractions virtually next to each other makes for a convenient and nice day out for visiting both of them.
The Waikiki Aquarium is over 100 years old. It was built as an attraction to bring people out to the Waikiki waterfront on the Honolulu street car in the early 20th century.
The current aquarium is a modern conservation and education oriented facility run in partnership with the University of Hawaii. It is a fairly small aquarium that takes about an hour to see. The focus is on the native aquatic ecosystems and animals around the Hawaiian Islands.
Does this zoo have any animals that would excite a zoo aficionado?
Hawaiian monk seals! The endangered monk seal is one of only two endemic mammals in Hawaii (the other is the Hawaiian hoary bat). When I visited the aquarium had two individuals that were non-releasable rescue animals.
Does this zoo have any immersion exhibits that would impress a zoo aficionado?
There are several tanks of live coral and the fish that live around them. One of the unique features of the aquarium is a coral farm where you can see several species of coral grown that are shared with aquariums and research institutions around the world. There is also a tank with several giant clams.
There is a nice recreation of a Hawaiian freshwater stream habitat with native goby species. The largest tank in the aquarium has a collection of large fish like zebra shark and groupers. Cephalopods are represented by day octopus and nautilus.
There is a seahorse area with weedy sea dragons and several seahorse species. There is a nursery area for baby seahorses which are quite adorable.
Does this zoo have any good basic exhibits?
The monk seal exhibit has nice underwater viewing. Most of the aquarium is a traditional aquarium layout with small or medium sized tanks focused on specific habitats, adaptations, or organisms in themed habitat galleries.
Does this zoo have any exhibits that should be bulldozed?
The aquarium is really well maintained and I did not see any decrepit or empty exhibits that looked like they were in need of renovation.
The interpretation seemed to be set up for a handwand self-guided tour that is no longer operational. Perhaps they are in the midst of redoing their interpretation system? Most of the tanks were well-signed and had good scientific and conservation information.
Does this zoo have any elements that make it particularly family friendly?
The aquarium is definitely geared for families. There is a large touch tank in the outside zone of the aquarium next to the monk seal exhibit. Many exhibits are built at kid-height.
Does this zoo have any interesting plans for the future?
I did not see any indications of construction or coming attractions. The aquarium is right on the beach and hemmed in by a busy street on a relatively small footprint.
Would a zoo aficionado like this zoo enough to go out of his or her way to visit it?
Hawaiian monk seals are endangered. They can be seen in the wild on the south coast of Kauai in the Poipu Beach Park area (I saw three). If you don’t see wild monk seals then the aquarium is a good place to see them, and one of the few facilities that exhibit them (as I write this I think that the Sea Life park on Oahu and the Minnesota Zoo may be the only other places…please chime in if there are others). They are attractive animals.
The Waikiki Aquarium is a small, but high-quality aquarium. Probably anyone who likes aquatic life would enjoy a visit. Admission when I visited was only $12 for adults and they had reciprocal half-off admission for AZA zoos.
Date of visit: January 21, 2017
Does this zoo satisfy the reviewer’s Inner-3-Year-Old by featuring his lifelong favorite animals, giraffes and elephants?
Nope. The giraffes and elephants are a couple of blocks away at the Honolulu Zoo. Having Honolulu’s premiere animal attractions virtually next to each other makes for a convenient and nice day out for visiting both of them.
The Waikiki Aquarium is over 100 years old. It was built as an attraction to bring people out to the Waikiki waterfront on the Honolulu street car in the early 20th century.
The current aquarium is a modern conservation and education oriented facility run in partnership with the University of Hawaii. It is a fairly small aquarium that takes about an hour to see. The focus is on the native aquatic ecosystems and animals around the Hawaiian Islands.
Does this zoo have any animals that would excite a zoo aficionado?
Hawaiian monk seals! The endangered monk seal is one of only two endemic mammals in Hawaii (the other is the Hawaiian hoary bat). When I visited the aquarium had two individuals that were non-releasable rescue animals.
Does this zoo have any immersion exhibits that would impress a zoo aficionado?
There are several tanks of live coral and the fish that live around them. One of the unique features of the aquarium is a coral farm where you can see several species of coral grown that are shared with aquariums and research institutions around the world. There is also a tank with several giant clams.
There is a nice recreation of a Hawaiian freshwater stream habitat with native goby species. The largest tank in the aquarium has a collection of large fish like zebra shark and groupers. Cephalopods are represented by day octopus and nautilus.
There is a seahorse area with weedy sea dragons and several seahorse species. There is a nursery area for baby seahorses which are quite adorable.
Does this zoo have any good basic exhibits?
The monk seal exhibit has nice underwater viewing. Most of the aquarium is a traditional aquarium layout with small or medium sized tanks focused on specific habitats, adaptations, or organisms in themed habitat galleries.
Does this zoo have any exhibits that should be bulldozed?
The aquarium is really well maintained and I did not see any decrepit or empty exhibits that looked like they were in need of renovation.
The interpretation seemed to be set up for a handwand self-guided tour that is no longer operational. Perhaps they are in the midst of redoing their interpretation system? Most of the tanks were well-signed and had good scientific and conservation information.
Does this zoo have any elements that make it particularly family friendly?
The aquarium is definitely geared for families. There is a large touch tank in the outside zone of the aquarium next to the monk seal exhibit. Many exhibits are built at kid-height.
Does this zoo have any interesting plans for the future?
I did not see any indications of construction or coming attractions. The aquarium is right on the beach and hemmed in by a busy street on a relatively small footprint.
Would a zoo aficionado like this zoo enough to go out of his or her way to visit it?
Hawaiian monk seals are endangered. They can be seen in the wild on the south coast of Kauai in the Poipu Beach Park area (I saw three). If you don’t see wild monk seals then the aquarium is a good place to see them, and one of the few facilities that exhibit them (as I write this I think that the Sea Life park on Oahu and the Minnesota Zoo may be the only other places…please chime in if there are others). They are attractive animals.
The Waikiki Aquarium is a small, but high-quality aquarium. Probably anyone who likes aquatic life would enjoy a visit. Admission when I visited was only $12 for adults and they had reciprocal half-off admission for AZA zoos.
