Waikiki Aquarium

Do not miss this! Half of Hawaii is its underwater world, so plan to spend at least 2 hours discovering it. Behold the chambered nautilus, nature's submarine and inspiration for Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. You may see this tropical spiral-shelled cephalopod mollusk -- the only living one born in captivity -- any day of the week here. Its natural habitat is the deep waters of Micronesia, but aquarium director Bruce Carlson not only succeeded in trapping the pearly shell in 1,500 feet of water (by dangling chunks of raw tuna), but also managed to breed this ancient relative of the octopus. Plenty of other fish also inhabit this small but first-class aquarium, located on a live coral reef. The Hawaiian reef habitat features sharks, eels, a touch tank, and habitats for the endangered Hawaiian monk seal and green sea turtle. Recently added: a rotating biodiversity exhibit and interactive displays focusing on corals and coral reefs.

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