Maui Ocean Center

Friday 17 February
The weather was a bit cooler today, and wet, so we decided (together with half the island!) that it would be a good day to visit the aquarium! It was well worth the visit, despite the queues for different exhibits. My thumbnail picture shows the Hawaiian green sea turtle, or honu. They are the largest hard-shelled sea turtle in the world, reaching lengths of four feet and weighing in at over 300 lbs! Their upper shell ranges from brown with yellow and light brown streaks to black, while their lower shell is light yellow. As adults they mainly eat algae and sea grasses, which turn their fat layer green, thus giving them their common name.
Another interesting part was the 3D sphere film on humpback whales of Hawaii. According to Maui ordinances, they are prohibited from exhibiting live cetaceans, including whales, dolphins and monk steals, so instead provide opportunities to learn about these animals through exhibits and the film.This was the longest line, and it was getting toward closing time, and we were afraid we might not make it, but fortunately we did. This was filmed in their realm beneath the waves, so gives you a different perspective to seeing them from the shore, or on a whale-watching trip. Then there were all the colourful fish from different levels of the reef.
Step count: 4,242