Waikiki Aquarium Reflection

Prior to our class visit last week, I have only been to the Waikiki Aquarium once.  My previous visit occurred nearly five years and was a perk of attending a family friend's wedding reception that was held at the venue.  While there haven't been any major changes in the years between my visits, I headed into this recent site visit with a fresh perspective for learning in informal environments.

Before the visit...
Aside from our brief class discussions about the upcoming site visit, I did very little to prepare prior to going to the Waikiki Aquarium.  Usually when I plan such excursions on my own, I visit the venue's website to research prices, hours, and parking information.  This time, however, I just tried my best to remember my last visit and anything that stuck out to me during that time.  Surprisingly, the jellyfish tank is the only significant memory I have of that first visit.

During the visit...
Knowing that parking along Kapiolani Park can be limited, I arrived early for our site visit.  After walking to Starbucks for an iced coffee, I walked back to the aquarium and waited with our group.  We then broke into groups and began our visit.


My group initially asked for a paper map of the aquarium, which the aquarium doesn't provide.  We were pointed in the direction of the exhibit entrance, but opted to start with the outside exhibits instead.  One of the museum volunteers showed us some of the hands-on exhibits, where we were able to touch sea urchins, sea anemones, and hermit crabs.  We also saw the monk seal in the same area.  I found the outdoor exhibits to be the most interesting, as there were actual objects to touch.  

As we headed into the indoor exhibits, I noticed that not much had changed since my previous visit.  Each exhibit seemed to be different in the way that it provided information to visitors.  Several sections had touch-screens, but some simply showed picture slideshows while others required visitors to actually push on the screen to gain information.  The glass barriers around the tanks made it difficult for me to engage in the surroundings, although I realize that they are necessary.  I enjoyed seeing the one tank that was somewhat open in attempt to simulate the tropical environment.

I was drawn again to the jellyfish tank and the beauty of these fascinating sea creatures.

Jellyfish tank

Overall, I enjoyed my second experience at the Waikiki Aquarium.  Visiting as part of this informal learning environments class gave me a unique perspective as I went throughout my visit.  While there are exhibits that could be improved through more unifying technology, the aquarium gives visitors a taste of the sea life present in our islands.  

An example of one of the indoor tank exhibits