i missed the turn to the mau'i ocean center (which is located in the ma'alaea harbor village), so i ended up turning around here. little did i know i would have a photo opportunity!	i learned a little bit about humpback whales.	but didn't see any.
just the vast pacific ocean.	and more of it.	at last my intended destination!
i tried to get the kama'aina (local) rate but they wouldn't go for it without a hawai'i driver's license.	the surge zone where "pounding waves provide shelter from predators to strongly swimming and juvenile fishes". the waves weren't pounding but the specimens were certainly impressive!	another shot of the same area this time showing water flow.
unlike other aquariums (e.g., monterey bay aquarium), the maui ocean center focuses mainly on fishes and invertebrae indigenous to hawai'i.	mamo (hawaiian sergeant).	these might be alo'iol'i (hawaiian dascyllus).
hinalea'akilolo (yellowtail coris) in the foreground, coral structures and hinalea lauwili (saddle wrasse) in the background.	puhi paka (yellow margin moray eel).	another shot of the same.
kala kea (whitemargin unicornfish).	note the little horn.	they really do look like this.
and here they are: mala puhi (hawaiian garden eel).	'ala'ihi (hawaiian squirrelfish) on dispaly.	glow-in-the-dark coral.
kalaha (amberjack) and a couple of mano lalakea (whitetip reef shark).	some useful shark information.	and something about rays (which i intend to have when i go to france!).
some rays. they're called hailepo in hawaiian.	a great sign.	just like in the movies.
but unlike the movies, this was a hammerhead shark, something you don't see very often.	it resisted being captured on film.	aside from the that one picture from the top, it managed to elude me.
you can barely make it out.	these subjects were more cooperative.	as was this turtle.
if you go snorkeling on molokini rumor has it that you can swim with the turtles.	turtles hang out here.	and finally, the undersea cave.
another whitetip reef shark. note the distinguishing color on its dorsal fin.	i don't know what these are but they have beautiful fins.	jellyfish.
probably a school of kihikihi (moorish idols). the odd one in the group is a lau'ipala (yellow tang).	the first one i've ever seen on display, niuhi (tiger shark).	a recreation of life in the deep sea.
same thing.	viewable from a 240-degree clear acrylic tunnel.	another shot.
another shot.	a yellow tang swimming above my head.	inquisitive visitors.
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last modified: wed dec 29 02:39:41 pst 1999
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