Who won’t like learning about different species that have surrounded the earth other than human beings, what is better than visiting a zoo or an aquarium? The zoos in Hawaii are very famous destinations for tourists to visit and learn about various species found there.
Zoos are the place where animals are kept and preserved for people to come and learn about them. Nowadays, the popularity of visiting zoos has increased as people have the curiosity to learn more about animals, as it’s a great spot to spend some quality time with family.
1. About Hawaii
Hawaii is a state of the USA and just 2,000 miles from the USA mainland in the Pacific Islands. It is surrounded by white sand beaches, sunny tropical weather, and beautiful scenery of the land, which makes it a great spot for tourists to come, relax, and unplug their stress.
Hawaii is one of the most beautiful places to exist on earth and also one of the popular tourist destinations, which automatically makes every spot in Hawaii famous, like beaches, zoos, parks, and many others. The state is filled with culture, beauty, and adventure in every corner of the place for tourists to have the time of their lives.
Since Hawaii is a state filled with so many beautiful beaches and greenery, the zoo in Hawaii is the prettiest. With so many animals to look at, tropical weather, and trees and plants surrounding the place, visiting the zoo in Hawaii is not a bad idea to begin with.
2. The Importance of Zoo in Hawaii
Hawaii is very famous for tourists, and every year, many people visit to be surrounded by white sandy beaches, beautiful atmosphere, and surreal nature. So having a zoo in a place where tourists attract a lot makes it equally famous.
Zoos are created to educate people about animals and also to conserve endangered species. Also, animals are a big part of nature, so visiting them also helps people to get close to a different creation of mother nature.
Zoos nowadays hold many educational programs, exhibits, and interactive activities that allow people to understand better about the species as well as participate in activities related to them.
The most famous and largest zoo in Hawaii is the Honolulu Zoo, which captures so many aspects of making people realize the importance of the preservation of animals as well as having a zoo increase the tropical ecological zones of the area.
3. The Famous Zoo in Hawaii: 5 Places to Not Miss
There are, in total, five zoos in Hawaii, and each one of them makes people experience so many different things with so many animals to look at and learn about. Zoos are a great way to educate children and adults about different species that exist on Earth and make them learn the importance of it.
Each zoo in Hawaii gives a different vibe to them, with different animals to watch and enjoy. Visiting the zoo with children is a great way of keeping them entertained as well as making them learn more about animals in a fun way.
3.1. Honolulu Zoo:
The Honolulu Zoo is a perfect place if one wants to learn and enjoy the beautiful flora and fauna of Hawaii state. The zoo is located at 151 Kapahulu Ave, Honolulu, H, and is a 42-acre area in Queen Kapiolani Park in Honolulu.
The main talk of this zoo in Hawaii is that it is the only zoo in the US that is built on a part of the 300-acre royal Queen Kapiolani Park as well as established by grants made by a sovereign monarch. There are about over 1200 species of animals found with their own designated habitats.
The main aim of the Honolulu Zoo is to preserve endangered species, provide education to people about conservation and its importance, and give a meaningful experience to the community. It is also known as a petting zoo, as people can feed and pet animals like pigs, goats, and giraffes.
One can find animals like elephants, green sea turtles, komodo dragons, and a lot of African region species that have been kept in the African savanna in their own specially designed habitats.
Also, there is a twilight tour in the zoo every Saturday after the public hours are closed; people who want to experience the animals and learn about them closely can opt for twilight tours, which are about two hours of a guided tour on Saturday evening with a great zoo parking lot.
The Honolulu Zoo in Hawaii is versatile in the number of animals that are made available from various regions like Central and North America, Asia, and Africa, and they are defined as three tropical ecological zones.
3.2. Waikiki Aquarium:
Just like visiting the zoo in Hawaii teaches people how so many different animals survive, it is important for people to also learn about Hawaiian marine life and what is a better place than visiting the Waikiki Aquarium, one of the best places to learn about aquatic life.
It is the Aquarium located in Honolulu city at 2777 Kalākaua Ave, HI, and is the second oldest aquarium that was opened in 1904 in the USA. Hawaii is known for its marine life and tropical weather, so the Waikiki Aquarium is home to many local marina life of Hawaii.
In total, there are about 3,500 organisms that have been kept in their own designated areas, surrounded by coral reefs and beautiful water plants.
The aquarium is beautiful, with marine life surrounded by so many water plants and a friendly atmosphere, so visiting it in the summer period is a great idea to have fun with family and children. Also, so many exhibits, programs, and activities take place in the aquarium to make people more involved in learning about marine life in fun ways.
3.3. Maui Ocean Center, The Aquarium of Hawaii:
One of the amazing aquariums no one should miss if they truly want to learn about the marine life of Hawaii and love to feel surrounded by the ocean, then visiting the Maui Ocean Center is the place.
The ocean center is located at 192 Maalaea Rd, Wailuku, HI, and is almost 3 acres, which makes it the largest tropical reef aquarium in the Western Hemisphere. One of the cool things about this aquarium is that it not only allows one to admire the marine life from the outside but also allows one to participate in the activities.
Like shark diving, yoga, and snorkeling with the help of professionals which allows interested people to get a closer look at marine life, apart from marine life, the aquarium center also gives plant tours as the center has been covered with so many unique plant life.
The ocean center is connected with the Pacific Ocean so the coral reef that has been developed for thousands of years gives unnatural beauty to the marine life in Hawaii, so visiting the Maui Ocean Center is a must to get close to the marine life that exists on earth.
3.4. Panaewa Rainforest Zoo and Gardens:
Panaewa Rainforest Zoo and Gardens is located at 800 Stainback Hwy, Hilo, HI, and is famously known for its tigers among tourists. It is an amazing rainforest and tropical zoo, which makes it popular to visit in the daytime as the weather is beautiful to enjoy.
It is famously known for preserving a Bengal tiger and is the only zoo in the United States that exists in the rainforest. All the greenery in this zoo is natural, and within it, the animals find their home, which is a specialty that has drawn tourists on a large scale.
There are about 80 different species of animals preserved and more than 40 different species of trees, plants, and flowers in the rainforest. The Panaewa Rainforest Zoo and Gardens is breathtaking as it is surrounded by nature, and what is a better place to visit if one wants to learn more about real nature and its creation than visiting a rainforest zoo is the perfect answer.
The zoo is also a garden, so the atmosphere and surrounding place are very cool and enjoyable for having a relaxing time with family.
3.5. Sea Life Park:
To finish off the tour of five zoos in Hawaii, the last place one should definitely go is the Sea Life Park. Or if one doesn’t have time to tour all the zoos in Hawaii, then also visiting the Sea Life Park is the best because it has preserved all different types of species in one place.
The Sea Life Park is a marine park with mammal activities taking place, a bird sanctuary, and an aquarium located at 41-202 Kalanianaʻole Hwy, Waimanalo Beach, HI, on the island of Oahu. Spending the whole day playing with dolphins by participating in interactive activities is one of the focus points of this park.
Apart from dolphin shows, one gets to see sharks, turtles, penguins, and sea lions, as well as unique aquatic marine life, on the Oahu island of Hawaii. It is also a great bird sanctuary, so roaming around and learning about various birds is also a great idea to have fun.
The Sea Life Park also holds many interactive activities with different types of mammals, educational programs for the community, and many other activities that show why animals are important to nature and Earth.
It is a must to visit the Sea Life Park as so many types of species, from birds and marine to land animals, can be found in one place, which adds a lot of enjoyment for the family and children.
4. Benefits of a Zoo
It is not possible to learn about various species of animals until they are preserved and conserved in the zoo. There are a lot of benefits to places like zoos being created to make humans aware of how important it is to understand other living beings and try not to harm them.
- In the American tropical forests, one gets to see so many other regions of animals with the help of zoos, as their own specially designed areas are created for animals to live comfortably.
- Zoos are a great way to spend some quality time in nature by looking at other creations of mother nature.
- Also, through the help of zoos, people get to see extinct animals or learn about them, which is not possible anywhere else.
- From pink flamingos and komodo dragons to African elephants, there are some types of species that can’t be found everywhere; however, in the zoo in Hawaii, one gets to be familiar with them.
- Zoos are the only way where people can be comfortable learning about wild animals in a safe environment.
- Nowadays, people can also camp in various zoos, which allows them to enjoy both the activity of camping in nature as well as learning closely about animals.
- Zoos are also a way through which wildlife is conserved without getting harmed.
- Zoos protect endangered species of animals, birds, and aquatic life and keep them preserved comfortably.
- Zoos help in making sure that rare species are properly protected and don’t go extinct.
- Also, there are so many animals preserved in the zoo of various types, so visiting any zoo allows people to see so many animals in one place and learn about them.
5. Final Note
Visiting any place that shows human beings the importance of other species of the earth is a place that no one should miss out on visiting. Zoos are a great way to spend some time with family and friends and help oneself and others by educating and learning the importance of the conservation of animals.
The Hawaii region is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, which gives perfect weather for so many types of animals and birds to survive by creating their own region of habitats. As well as, zoos also help people to watch and learn about exotic animals and birds in a safe environment.
Last Updated on by Sathi Chakraborty, MSc Biology
