Maui Ocean Center will celebrate Hawaiians and the Sea month in March
CALENDAR LISTINGS
Event: Hawaiians and the Sea
Synopsis: Embrace the spirit of the Hawaiian culture; explore the bond shared between Hawaiians and the sea as the Aquarium shares with you a series of time-honored practices and traditions, guest speakers, children's activities, craft vendors, local cuisine and much more.
Dates: March 1-31, 2010
Time: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Place: Maui Ocean Center
Cost: Activities included with park admission (excludes lunch specials and upgrades)
Event: Whale Watching at Harbor Plaza
Synopsis: Join volunteers from the Whale Sanctuary at the Aquarium's Harbor Plaza every Monday as they offer guests help with spotting Humpback whales and interpreting their awe-inspiring behaviors. Located next to Ma`alaea Bay, the Harbor Plaza is a great place for whale watching!
Date: Mondays- March 1, 8, 15, 22, 29- 2010
Time: 9:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m
Place: Maui Ocean Center
Cost: Included with park admission
Event: Fins & Flippers Tour Package
Synopsis: Upgrade to the "Fins & Flippers" tour package to learn fascinating facts about hammerhead sharks and Hawaiian green sea turtles! Participants will enjoy a guided Ocean Naturalist tour along with a supervised feeding of the animals at Hammerhead Harbor and Turtle Lagoon. Sign up at the Aquarium's front gate or call (808) 270-7089 for reservations. Space is limited, reservations are recommended.
Date: Tuesdays- March 2, 9, 16, 23, 30- 2010
Time: 11:30 a.m
Place: Maui Ocean Center
Cost: $10 per person, park admission not included
Reservations: Recommended, call 808-270-7089
Event: Dive into a Good Book!
Synopsis: Enjoy a visit with local children's authors in the Maui Ocean Center Store every Sunday. The authors include Judi Riley (When I am Quiet on Maui, When I am Quiet on Oahu), Barbara Berg (Alohahonu), Jamie David (Johann Sebastian Humpbach) and Katie Grove-Velasquez and Michael Ogata (New Friend for Nai`a). Call the Store at 808-270-7061 on the day of a signing event for the individual author schedule.
Date: Sundays- March 7, 14, 21, 28- 2010
Time: 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Place: Maui Ocean Center
Cost: Complimentary
Event: Green Day
Synopsis: The Aquarium will highlight green living with enhanced Ocean Naturalist presentations with an important message to conserve our ocean, land, and energy resources. Maui Ocean Center will also feature its own green modifications, including the six wind turbines.
Date: Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Time: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Place: Maui Ocean Center
Cost: Included with park admission
Event: Turtle-rrific Thursday
Synopsis: Enjoy an up close and personal encounter with green sea turtles at the Turtle Lagoon! Interact with Maui Ocean Center's curatorial team, the people who care for the animals daily, to learn about the turtles' special diet while at the Aquarium, their behavior, biology, and more.
Date: March 18, 2010
Time: 2 p.m.
Place: Maui Ocean Center
Cost: Included with park admission
Event: Discovery Saturday
Synopsis: Take a closer look at Hawaii's marine environment at the Discovery Pool Exhibit! Interact with a water educator from The Digital Bus to learn about Hawaii's oceans, the importance of healthy reef eco-systems and more. Computers at the exhibit will show guests a variety of ocean organisms under a microscope and allow real time tracking of the exhibit's pH balance, O2 level, salinity and water temperature over time.
Date: March 20, 2010
Time: 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Place: Maui Ocean Center
Cost: Included with park admission
Event: No Ka `Oi Friday
Synopsis: Immerse yourself in Hawaiian culture! Enjoy a complimentary Mid-Day Mana`o tour with the Aquarium's volunteer staff, ono (delicious) island-style lunch special in the award-winning Seascape Ma`alaea Restaurant and more.
Date: March 26, 2010
Time: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Place: Maui Ocean Center
Cost: Activities included with park admission (excludes lunch specials and upgrades)
Maui Ocean Center will celebrate Hawaiians and the
Sea month in March
February 4, 2010, MA`ALAEA, MAUI, HI - E komo mai! Maui Ocean Center invites visitors to embrace the spirit of Hawaiian culture with a month of exciting and interactive experiences! The profound bond shared between Hawaiians and the sea, lived out and honored to this day, will be celebrated with special Ocean Naturalist presentations, a daily dining special featuring ono (delicious) Hawaiian-inspired foods, entertainment including traditional performances and cultural demonstrations from local halau, Hawaiian practitioners and storytellers, Hawaiiana craft vendors, exciting children's activities and the Aquarium's monthly signature event, No Ka `Oi Friday.
Maui Ocean Center will mark its 12th anniversary on Saturday, March 13, 2010 with a variety of special activities and more. Additional activities for guests to enjoy include whale watching from the Aquarium's Harbor Plaza on Mondays, the Fins & Flippers tour package upgrade on Tuesdays, Turtle-rrific Thursday, Discovery Saturday and the Aquarium's event highlighting eco-awareness, Green Day.
Whale Watching from Harbor Plaza
The Harbor Plaza at Maui Ocean Center is the perfect spot to catch a glimpse of the magnificent Humpback whales breaching and spouting. Volunteers from the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary (HIHWNMS) will staff a whale watching booth in the Aquarium's Harbor Plaza every Monday; March 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29. Each week, from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., volunteers will assist guests with spotting Humpback whales and explain their captivating behaviors. Guests may also download the fun and educational whale activity page for children online at mauioceancenter.com.
"Fins & Flippers" Tour Package
Discover fascinating facts about Hawaii's hammerhead sharks and green sea turtles on an exciting tour led by an Ocean Naturalist. Guests will also enjoy the exclusive opportunity to participate in a supervised feeding of the animals in the Hammerhead Harbor and Turtle Lagoon exhibits. Tours are offered on Tuesdays; March 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30, at 11:30 a.m. for a tax inclusive fee of $10 per person in addition to park admission. Signups for the tour are taken at the Aquarium's front gate or can be made in advance by calling (808) 270-7089. Space is limited and reservations are highly recommended. Tour meets at the Audio Guide Return booth.
Dive into a Good Book!
Enjoy a visit with local children's authors in the Maui Ocean Center Store every Sunday. These popular authors will be featured from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., including Judi Riley (When I am Quiet on Maui, When I am Quiet on Oahu), Barbara Berg (Alohahonu), Jamie David (Johann Sebastian Humpbach) and Katie Grove-Velasquez and Michael Ogata (New Friend for Nai`a). Call the Maui Ocean Center Store at 808-270-7061 on the day of a signing event for the individual author schedule.
Green Day
On March 17, 2010, a day normally celebrated by donning green outfits and pinching those who don't, the Aquarium highlights green living with Green Day. Enhanced Ocean Naturalist presentations will include an important message to conserve our ocean, land, and energy resources, and eco-friendly organizations will be present in the park to share information about their earth-friendly companies. Maui Ocean Center's own green modifications, including the installation of six wind turbines, will be featured for the public.
Turtle-rrific Thursday
The Aquarium's talented curatorial staff will host a personal turtle encounter on Thursday, March 18, 2010 at 2 p.m. in the Turtle Lagoon. Turtle-rrific Thursdays is an ideal way for guests to learn about Hawaii's beloved ocean-dwellers, the Hawaiian green sea turtle, in a relaxed atmosphere while interacting with the curators who care for the sea turtles daily. Interact with the curatorial team to learn about the turtles' special diet while at the Aquarium, their behavior, biology, and more. Guests of all ages will enjoy these up close encounters with the green sea turtles at Maui Ocean Center. This activity is included with park admission.
Discovery Saturday
Take a closer look at the ocean with the interactive Discovery Saturday activity on March 20, 2010 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. A water educator from The Digital Bus will talk about Hawaii's marine life, the importance of healthy reef ecosystems and more from inside the Discovery Pool Exhibit. A computer hooked up to a digital microscope will display a close up look at a variety of organic objects found in the exhibit. Another computer will track the pH balance, O2 level, salinity and temperature of the Discovery Pool over time. This activity is complimentary with park admission and appropriate for all ages.
No Ka `Oi Friday
Guests are invited to immerse themselves in the rich Hawaiian culture on March 26, 2010. In addition to a Mid-Day Mana`o tour with the Aquarium's enthusiastic volunteer staff, an ono (delicious) island-style plate lunch special will be served from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the award-winning Seascape Ma`alaea Restaurant. Activities, excluding any upgrades or lunch specials, are included with park admission.
Children's Activities
Children will enjoy learning about marine life with exciting crafts and story time throughout the month. On March 5, 13 and 22, children may join Maui Ocean Center's volunteers at the craft station in the Marine Mammal Discovery Center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Every Saturday at 11:30 a.m. in the Hawaiians and the Sea Exhibit, an Ocean Naturalist will host an intriguing story time, followed by a craft. Craft and story time activities are appropriate for children ages 3 through 12 and complimentary with park admission.
The mission of the Maui Ocean Center is to foster understanding, wonder and respect for Hawaii's marine life. Maui Ocean Center was named "Top-Rated Family Attraction" by ZAGAT Survey in U.S. Family Travel Guide, a "Leader in Responsible Tourism" on the Top 100 Blue List by Islands Magazine, and selected "Best Value Family Attraction on Maui" by the readers of Up! Magazine. This state-of-the-art marine park is centrally located in oceanfront Ma`alaea, within minutes of Maui's major resort areas, and is open daily from 9am to 5pm, and 9am to 6pm in July and August. For more information please contact the Maui Ocean Center: 192 Ma`alaea Road; Ma`alaea, HI 96793; telephone (808)270-7000, facsimile (808)270-7070, email info@mauioceancenter.com or visit website www.mauioceancenter.com.