Waikiki Aquarium Announces Summer Family Events

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Waikiki Aquarium Announces Summer Family Events
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FAMILY EVENTS IN THE SUMMER AT THE WAIKIKI AQUARIUM

When the sun is up and school is out, come spend the summer at the Waikiki Aquarium where there are exciting opportunities for all ages through monthly educational programs, classes and events. The summer schedule includes:

1) Small Fry

Wednesdays, April 13-May 4

A Session: 8:30-10:00 a.m.

B Session: 10:30 a.m.-noon

For the youngest learners. An adult and their 1- to 3-year old get to team up to discover the amazing undersea world of the Aquarium. Five weekly sessions include crafts, song, play and exploration of the exhibits. For adult-child teams. $60/adult & child ($80 for non-members). Pre-registration is required.

2) Aquarium After Dark

Friday, May 6 from 7:00-9:00 p.m.

Thursday, June 2 from 7:00-9:00 p.m.

Thursday, June 23 from 7:00-9:00 p.m.

Friday, July 15 from 7:00-9:00 p.m.

Discover if fish sleep on an after-dark flashlight tour of the Aquarium. Find the sleeping spot for the red-toothed triggerfish or the rock-mover wrasse. What color are yellow tang at night? Minimum age 5 years; youngsters must be accompanied by an adult. $10/adult, $7/child ($14/$10 for non-members). Pre-registration is required.

3) Marine Munchies
Monday, April 18 and 25 from 4:30-6:00 p.m. in Japanese

Monday, May 9, June 20 and July 18 from 4:30-6:00 p.m.

Discover animals’ adaptations for capturing their meals and what they eat at the Aquarium. Included is an exclusive after-hours animal feeding. Feed a sea anemone. Watch the octopus open a jar to get its dinner. Then it’s your turn to feed the animals in the Edge of the Reed exhibit. Minimum age 5 years; youngsters must be accompanied by an adult. $16/adult, $12/child ($20/$15 for non-members). Pre-registration is required.

4) Seasons and the Sea
Monday, May 2 from 2:00-4:30 p.m.

The Waikiki Aquarium invites Hawaii visitors and residents to learn about cultural traditions during Seasons and the Sea. The special event will officially mark the change from Ho`olilo (wet season) to Kauwela (hot or warm-dry season) as the sun sets into the crown of Pu`u o Kapolei, an occurrence that happens only once a year. Free with admission to Waikiki Aquarium.

5) Gyotaku with Riley Yogi and Norton Chan
Wednesday May 18 & 25 from 6:30-8:00 p.m.

Fishermen! Artists! Teachers! Learn the art of fish printing with local artist and fisherman Riley Yogi. On the first night, participants will use non-toxic black ink to print their fish. On the second night, techniques for adding watercolors will be taught. Supplies will be provided, but participants are encouraged to bring their own fish or octopus. Minimum age 14 years. $22 ($26 for non-members). Pre-registration is required.

6) Summer Nights at the Aquarium
Tuesday, June 7, July 5 and August 2 from 6:00-8:00 p.m.

Looking for something different to do on warm summer evenings? After the beach, stroll on over to the Aquarium with the family. Exhibits will be open, lights will be on and interpreters will be in the galleries all evening, so come at your leisure. Each evening will have a different educational theme relating to the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and the opening of the new exhibit. $6/adult, $3/child ($7/4 for non-members). Pre-registration is required.

7) Coral Spawning and Reef Romance
Sunday, July 3 from 8:00-10:30 p.m.

Each summer, rice corals in the Edge of the Reef exhibit and all over Hawai’i spawn two to four days after the new moon. Celebrate this rite of reef renewal with Waikiki Aquarium biologists. Learn about coral reproduction then go on a tour of the exhibits led by Aquarium staff. As well as viewing the coral spawning, you will observe courtship and nesting behaviors of various fish. Minimum age 14 years. $12 ($16 for non-members). Pre-registration is required.

8) Summer by the Sea
June 13-17 and June 27-July 1 from 8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. everyday; 5:00-7:00 p.m. on Fridays

Spend a week of summer learning what lives in Hawaiian waters. What’s the best way to learn? By doing! Snorkel, swim and explore the coast from Waikiki to Diamond Head. After a morning of outside adventures, the Aquarium turns into our classroom. Learn about the animals in our exhibits and watch them being fed on special behind-the-scenes tours. This year the Waikiki Aquarium also take the students on a virtual tour of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. On the final Friday evening, families are invited for a student-led tour of the Aquarium. For marine biologists ages 8-12 years. All students should be confident swimmers and enjoy snorkeling. $250/child ($300 for non-members). Pre-registration is required.

9) Oceans Alive!
Movement: Fins, jets, arms & legs
Wednesday, July 6 from 9:00-10:30 a.m.

Animal Homes: Sand, seaweed, coral & water

Thursday, July 7 from 9:00-10:30 a.m.

Sing, dance, move and groove. Draw, color, create and play. Observe, watch, look and touch. Learn more about the sea during Oceans Alive! Move through stations and enjoy a variety of hands-on activities while exploring the diversity of the marine world. Designed for keiki 2 to 5 years old. $5/person ($7 for non-members). Pre-registration is required.

10) Tidepool Exploration
Wednesday, July 13 from 7:30-9:30 a.m. Kewalo

Friday, July 15 from 8:00-10:00 a.m. Makapu’u
Sunday, July 31 from 8:30-10:30 a.m. Makapu’u

Spend a morning discovering sea slugs, collector crabs, brittle stars, spaghetti worms, ghost shrimps and a variety of other animals that the tide reveals. Explore shoreline, reef flat and tidepool habitats with Waikiki Aquarium naturalists. Participants must provide their own transportation to the field site. Minimum age 5 years; youngsters must be accompanied by an adult. $12/adult, $8/child ($15/$10 for non-members). Pre-registration is required.

ABOUT WAIKIKI AQUARIUM

Founded in 1904 and administered by the University of Hawai'i at Manoa since 1919, the Waikiki Aquarium is located on the shoreline of Waikiki Beach next to a living reef and across from Kapiolani Park. The Aquarium -- third oldest in the U.S. -- showcases more than 500 marine species, and maintains more than 3,500 marine specimens. Public exhibits, education programs and research focus on the unique aquatic life of Hawai'i and the tropical Pacific.

The Aquarium welcomes more than 320,000 visitors annually, and is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. except Honolulu Marathon Sunday and Christmas Day. Admission is $9 for visitors; $6 for local residents, active duty military with ID, students with ID and seniors; $4 for youths ages 13-17 and persons with disabilities; $2 for juniors ages 5 to 12; and free for children 4 and under and Friends of Waikiki Aquarium (FOWA) members.

MISSION:

To inspire and promote understanding, appreciation and conservation of Pacific marine life.

DESCRIPTION:

Founded in 1904, the Waikiki Aquarium is the third oldest public aquarium in the United States. A part of the University of Hawai`i at Manoa since 1919, it is located next to a living reef on the Waikiki shoreline. Exhibits, programs, and research focus on the aquatic life of Hawai`i and the tropical Pacific, with roughly 320,000 people visiting the Aquarium each year. Over 3,500 organisms are on exhibit representing more than 500 species of aquatic animals and plants.

EXHIBITS:

Waikiki Aquarium exhibits focus on the diversity of aquatic, shoreline and coral reef habitats and living communities of Hawai`i and the tropical Pacific. Among the highlights:

Corals Are Alive! interactive exhibits showcasing corals, their biology and conservation
SeaVisions Theatre shows videos that illustrate shoreline conservation and how you can be a responsible reef visitor
South Pacific Marine Communities features South Pacific habitats and species, including colorful reef corals and fishes, giant clams, groupers and snappers and intriguing partnerships such as anemonefishes and their host sea anemones
Hawaiian Marine Communities recreates Hawaiian habitats from wave-swept surge zone to deep reef slopes, and from young to ancient reefs; celebrates distinctive reef life, including the longnose butterflyfish
Ocean Drifters Gallery features a 1,000-gallon moon jelly tank and a seasonally changing jelly wall that may contain white-spotted jellies, blue blubbers, sea nettles, box jellies and ctenophores
Hunters on the Reef 35,000-gallon exhibit is home to Hawaiian sharks and jacks; shark interpretive panels introduce shark biology, research, conservation and safety. New Spyball camera provides up close shark encounters in real time on a television screen
Edge of the Reef naturalistic shoreline exhibit offering opportunities for supervised observation and hands-on interactions with selected marine life
The Coral Farm exhibit and working research facility for propagation of reef corals
Giant Clams exhibit and working research facility for propagation of clams
Hawaiian Monk Seal Habitat features the endangered Hawaiian Monk Seal found only in the Hawaiian Islands
Aquaculture features moi, a popular food fish, whose numbers have declined in the wild
Coastal Gardens with native Hawaiian plants adapted for life close to the sea

ENDANGERED SPECIES:
Hawaiian monk seals; ‘öhai (endemic Hawaiian coastal plant)

UNIQUE SPECIES:

Pacific giant clams; Hawaiian stream gobies; rare deep-reef butterflyfish; bearded armorheads; masked angelfish; and diverse native coastal plants

CONSERVATION & RESEARCH:

The Waikiki Aquarium is a working research facility, conducting numerous conservation and research programs, including:

Husbandry, nutrition and behavior of aquatic and marine aquarium specimens
Husbandry and propagation of chambered nautilus
Spawning behavior, larval rearing, and propagation potential of selected reef fishes
Identification & treatment of diseases, parasite infections and other ailments of aquarium marine life
Coral husbandry, propagation and conservation
Hawaiian monk seal metabolic and bacteriological research
Giant clam husbandry and propagation
Sea jelly husbandry and propagation
Deep reef coral research
Coral Ark: archiving and husbandry of rare Hawaiian corals

EDUCATION PROGRAMS:

The Waikiki Aquarium offers numerous education programs, including:

Interpretive services: staff or volunteers enrich the visitor experience with explanations of the exhibits, demonstrations, and hands-on experiences
Self-tour opportunities for individuals and groups: interpretive graphics & exhibits, handouts are available.
School Program: presentations and docent-assisted tours for school groups, grades K - 6
Outreach and special request presentations for schools and community groups
Community Enrichment Program: year-round natural history fieldtrips, classes, and workshops for children, families, and adults
Information services: staff answer questions from visitors & community on marine and aquarium-science related topics

OPPORTUNITIES:

The Waikiki Aquarium affords a number of opportunities to get involved through:

Membership: Join the Friends of the Waikïkï Aquarium (FOWA) to enjoy the annual benefits of free admission, 20% discount at the Natural Selections gift shop, quarterly mailings of our beautiful and informative magazine Kilo i’a, free salt water pick-up, and facility rental privileges at “Family” and “Family Plus” levels. To select the membership level right for you, please see the Visitor Services staff or contact Events and Membership Manager Raina Fujitani at (808) 440-9008 for more information.
Volunteerism: When you donate your time and curiosity to the Waikiki Aquarium, you are rewarded with diverse and challenging opportunities to help make a difference!
- Education – Docents provide on-site presentations and tours to elementary school groups and provide outreach programs for school and community groups. Interpreters at the Edge of the Reef exhibit assist visitors and provide up-close observations of Hawaiian marine life.
- Live Exhibits – Assist with husbandry, tank maintenance and feeding.
- Natural Selection Shop – Assist with stocking inventory and sales.
- Membership/Public Relations/Special Events - Assist with bulk mail outs & communications with Aquarium members, public relations surveys, record-keeping and special events.

AWARDS:

The Waikiki Aquarium has received several awards for its research and conservation efforts, including:

2008 Keep It Hawai`i Award
2003 Munson Aquatic Conservation Exhibit (M.A.C.E.) Award from the American Zoo & Aquarium Association (AZA) for South Pacific Marine Communities exhibit
2003 Edward H. Bean Award from AZA for Long Term Tropical Pacific Coral Propagation Program

DIRECTOR: Dr. Andrew Rossiter

EMPLOYEES: 35 full-time, 36 part-time, 33 affiliate staff

HOURS: 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily (except Honolulu Marathon Sunday and Christmas Day)

ADMISSION: $9 for visitors; $6 for local residents, active duty military with ID, students with ID and senior citizens; $4 for youths ages 13-17 and persons with disabilities; $2 for juniors ages 5 - 12; and free for children 4 and under and Friends of Waikiki Aquarium members

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