It’s no secret that the waters off the coast of the Hawaiian Islands are teeming with incredible sea life and reefs just waiting to be explored. And while not everyone feels comfortable snorkeling, and even fewer are scuba certified, the entire family will enjoy getting up close and personal with the sea life that lives in the waters surrounding our beautiful islands during a trip to the Maui Ocean Center. Sure, a visit to the Maui Ocean Center is as fun as it is educational, but did you know that you could embark on an epic behind-the-scenes tour where you can feed sea turtles? 

The three-acre Maui Ocean Center is not only the largest tropical aquarium in the Western Hemisphere but it features the largest collection of living corals in the United States. It’s been rated as a top family attraction by Zagat surveys and several other travel review sites — and it’s easy to see why.
Kent Buckingham/Flickr
There are more than 60 exhibits that showcase everything from tropical reef fish, stingrays, and green sea turtles to sharks, octopus, eels, and sea jellies.
Smart Destinations/Flickr
The enormous aquarium and oceanography center is also home to an amazing exhibit called The Open Ocean — a 54-foot acrylic tunnel that offers 360-degree views of marine life, including manta ray sharks, stingrays, and tropical fish in a 750,000-gallon tank.
James Darpinian/Flickr

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While we love wandering the aquarium’s exhibits for ourselves, there’s something super special about the behind the scenes tours offered throughout the week.
Maui Ocean Center, The Aquarium of Hawaii/Facebook
Tour guests will not only go behind the scenes to the Aquarium Lab, but will learn all about sharks and turtles as well as how the staff cares for marine life.
Maui Ocean Center, The Aquarium of Hawaii/Facebook
The highlight for most visitors is the opportunity to help a marine naturalist with a broadcast feeding at Turtle Lagoon and Nursery Bay. We bet you’ve never experienced anything quite like this before.
Maui Ocean Center, The Aquarium of Hawaii/Facebook
Tours are one hour long, can be added to your journey pass, and should be booked online in advance. The tours are appropriate for ages five and up and we’re sure the entire family will love this adventure!
Maui Ocean Center/Website

The Maui Ocean Center is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Behind the Scenes tours are one hour in length and advanced reservations are recommended. For more information, visit the Maui Ocean Center website or follow them on Facebook. Have you ever gotten up close and personal with the Hawaiian green sea turtle? Share your experience with us in the comments below!

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