Waikiki vs Monterey

[o.c.d.]

Me and my wife are trying to plan a vacation to Waikiki or Monterey Bay.Of course It's mainly to go to the aquariums.I've never been to any large aquariums and we are having trouble deciding .I am very interested in reef and I'm not sure if Monterey has a reef exibit.If anyone has been to one or both and enjoyed please tell.

[dodgersfan25]

waikiki as in hawaii?

well if so, then go to waikiki, with no doubts about it

yeah monterey is nice and all, but i wouldnt fly all the way out to that area just for the aquarium. it is a very nice aquarium, but i wasnt blown away by it. i wouldnt come all the way from canada to see it

hawaii on the other hand is simply amazing............maybe you could see the real reefs by snorkeling

[davocean]

Wakiki, warm water/weather, biggest aquarium you'll ever see!
Save Monteray for summer/spring, check butterfly sanctuary then as well, very cool.
Aquarium is awsome IMO

[slimbolen99]

I've been to both and both are amazing. Waikiki is spectacular. They have one of the largest clams I've ever seen (it's something like 3 feet long). Really neat facility, and if you ask someone in charge very nicely, they may even let you tour the research facility.

[corals b 4 bills]

Why not wait for the new aquarium at the steinhart in San Francisco? 120,000 gallon Reef.

[o.c.d.]

Waiting for vacation no thanks, Id rather have my wife blown away then plan another aquarium vacation.So far she has picked Jamacia,Cuba,St.Martin,St.Thomas,Bahamas.We both enjoy snorkeling and she likes beaches.When is the new San Francisco aquarium opening?

[tydtran]

For reef exhibits, there is no comparison between Monterrey and Waikiki. Monterrey highlights local live in this part of the pacific. The major exhibits are dedicated to kelp forests and fish local to the area. There are also nice deep water exhibits and a nice jelly fish display. Tropical reef display is limited to a few tanks with very limited corals. Most people on this site have better looking reef aquarium. Waikiki, in contrast, has great displays. They are also doing groundbreaking work in terms of fish and coral propagation.

[TCU Reefer]

I just got back from Maui two months ago and we were able to stop by the Waikiki aquarium in Honolulu. It was a great experience to say the least.

When you first enter, there are some displays explaining the basics about corals.

They had a small pico set up where you could use an attached magnifying glass to view the coral polyps up close to see the difference between different coral species.





Next was a brackish setup with archers and clownfish among others.





The next displayed had a huge hammer coral.



Cool anemone and clown tank. I couldn't count the number of nems.

[TCU Reefer]

I was very impressed with the main display tank. The coral colonies were huge. It also contained three massive gigas clams. Pictures speak more than words (there were some photos with lots of micro bubbles from surges so please excuse them).





The clams were easily 2-3 feet in length and a foot in width. Look at the fish for size reference.







Large stag

[TCU Reefer]

Monti cap

[TCU Reefer]

Various shots.



Beautiful crosshatch trigger





They displayed a tutorial on what type of equipment is used and what their purpose served. There were also signs that explained the significance and definitions of salinity, calcium, alkalinity, and ORP. Very educational for non-hobbyists.

[TCU Reefer]

There was also a small scale model on how one of their displays is set up.





Once outside, there was a large lagoon/bay display. It represented a tide pool, reef and bay area.

[TCU Reefer]

Attached to this display was a small pool of water that housed a few urchins and starfish. A volunteer was there to educate visitors about these creatures.





There was a display that housed two seals.

[TCU Reefer]

I really liked the outdoor reef tank. One volunteer stated that the aquarium is actively practicing propagation and shares their corals with other aquariums. They did not give out free samples. :sad: The tank uses natural sunlight only. The corals displayed incredible polyp extension.

Check out the surge system.

[TCU Reefer]

Black tang





Imperator angel





Beautiful purple acropora...not so beautiful picture.

[TCU Reefer]

Cool shot of the large acropora colony and palm trees.



The zero edge clam tank is right next to the outdoor reef tank (I believe they are plumbed into the same system). It was awesome. There were a variety of different species and their colors were impressive.



Nice squamosa

[o.c.d.]

Wow nice pics,I must say I'm thinking Waikiki is a must see.

[TCU Reefer]

Any questions?

[o.c.d.]

Ya,If we stay and play in Waikiki were staying 7 days should we try to fit the Maui Ocean Center in or is that pushing it?Not sure how easy it is to jump from island to island

[TCU Reefer]

It's only a 30 minute plane ride. Depending on how many other activities you want todo during your vacation, the Maui Ocean Center would be doable. The plane tickets were pretty reasonable. We didn't get a chance to go while we were in Maui.

[o.c.d.]

Thanks for the pic posts those Clam shots turned out awsome!

[cloak]

Originally posted by corals b 4 bills
Why not wait for the new aquarium at the steinhart in San Francisco? 120,000 gallon Reef.

I agree. I got lost in the roundabout...

There all great.

[iairj84]

It would be hard to say no after seeing those pics but being in california I must say the Monterey bay aquarium is spectacular (for lack of a better word.) I have been there 3 or 4 times and I'm amazed more and more every time... You're not going to see the reefs that you will at Waikiki but as far as looking at the different types of ocean critters and ocean life non reef related the monterey aquarium has to have it beat by a good amount... As for a vacation spot monterey is really a nice area, I wouldn't probably wanna stay for a week but for a nice extended 4 day weekend it would be great.

I have been waiting for the steinhart aquarium to open ever since I saw a show on it on the discovery channel last year. I can honestly say I will do everything I can to be one of the first through those doors. I'm a lover all kinds of wildlife so it should be an awesome place!

[tigereye37]

As long as you're going to waikiki......... You definitely have to check out Hanauma bay while your on Oahu. You will practically never get a chance to snorkel in a place like this again. The geography of the sunken volcano has created a place with more sea/reef life than many others. You might get some info off the link below:

http://www.honolulu.gov/parks/facili...ay/welcome.htm

Seriously though, that place was life changing.

[marlin_dory]

well in my opinion i would go to monterey bay because you live in canada so less money to pay towards ur plane trip to hawaii and besides if you ask someone nicely they will let you tour there filter systems and another thing is all of there saltwater displays are constantly circulated with the bay outside of the aquarium
or you could go to europe and go to the velencia aquarium the largest aquarium in the world