Honolulu Zoo and Waikiki Aquarium showcase Hawaii's wildlife wonders

Cookie & Keller
18 hours ago
5 min read

Jaws a Galapagos tortoise born in 1929, one of the zoos oldest residents — Jaws, a Galapagos tortoise, was born in 1929 and is one of the zoo's oldest and longest serving residents. He was safe at the zoo on Dec. 7, 1941 when Pearl Harbor was bombed.

Story By CHRISTENE MEYERS

PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER

"The Carpe Diem Kids"

Waikiki isn’t just about sun, surfboards and cocktails. For us, it's about enjoying marine life, wildlife and creatures of the ocean.

Add this winning duo to your Oahu itinerary: Honolulu Zoo and Waikiki Aquarium.

It's wonderful to find a perfect pairing of relaxing adventures just a short stroll from the beach hustle and busy city vibe.

These two spots offer a lush, green, and watery escape, perfect for a slow-paced morning or afternoon. You'll meet critters from around the world at the zoo, and a "rock star" sea lion who mugs for the camera at Waikiki Aquarium.

Honolulu Zoo entrance greets visitor with lush greenery and directional information — Visitors explore the Honolulu Zoo, greeted by signs showcasing the zoo's royal beginnings and a detailed map to guide their adventure. Lush greenery and welcoming signage create an inviting atmosphere.

A Royal Walk Through the Honolulu Zoo

Located at the end of Waikiki, the Honolulu Zoo is a 42-acre stunner. It’s unique as the only zoo in the U.S. to originate from a King’s grant of royal lands. It's just across the street and down a bit from the aquarium, making it a natural pairing of adventures.

The zoo is a much loved, truly local, historic spot in beautiful Queen Kapiolani Park. It's a great family place with welcoming banyan and monkey pod trees for shade and plenty of play area.

Waikiki Trolley stop for the Honolulu Aquarium and Zoo — The delightful Waikiki Trolley navigates through the vibrant streets of Honolulu, offering tourists a picturesque journey to the local zoo and aquarium for an educational and relaxing experience.

We hopped off the delightful Waikiki Trolley and strolled from the traffic and beach noise into this lovely oasis. We instantly forgot we were in the city. It’s lush, leafy, and filled with vibrant flowers, a calming retreat from Honolulu's fun but noisy bustle.

We met the zoo's energetic community engagements director, Shelby Carlos, who welcomed us to this laid-back oasis. What a treat to find this tranquil zoo in a bustling city of 345,000 people. We strolled at a leisurely pace, past endangered rhinos and salamanders and a tortoise who survived the 1941 Pearl Harbor attack. We found a shady bench for our lunch and watched the giraffes munch on theirs in an impressive, expansive habitat.

Zoo community engagements director Shelby Carlos poses next to an educational display on Hawaiian snails — Zoo community engagements director Shelby Carlos poses next to an educational display about Hawaiian native snails, highlighting the importance of conserving endemic species in island ecosystems.

Then we wandered to the noisy, colorful monkey residents, taking our time and never rushing. In two hours more, we saw lizards, iguanas, donkeys, foxes, sloths, penguins and the handsome state bird, the nene. The calming zoo atmosphere encourages contemplation and questions which helpful staff and docents are happy to answer.

We enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere, the perfect tropical reprieve. There's an open, friendly feel between exhibits with artfully arranged benches and shady areas to take a break and soak up the surroundings.

Honolulu Aquarium, seahorses cling to colorful coral — At the Waikiki Aquarium, seahorses elegantly hold onto coral, enchanting visitors with their fragile beauty.

Diving Deep at the Waikiki Aquarium

After wrapping up at the zoo, a short, scenic walk took us across the street to the cozy Waikiki Aquarium.

This is not a massive, theme-park style aquarium, and that’s its charm.

It is compact and designed for a quick, fascinating dive into Hawaiian marine life.

Honolulu aquarium's viewing tunnel, offering an immersive experience with diverse marine life — Visitors marvel at the captivating underwater world in Honolulu's Waikiki Aquarium's viewing tunnel. It offers a fascinating, immersive experience while viewing diverse marine life.

It’s amazing how much marine life the aquarium designers got into a small space. Seal trainer and exhibit aquarist Cydney Johnson is justly proud of the endeavor. "We have over 500 species, which is noteworthy," she said. "We wanted to give people a great overview of what Hawaii has to offer in its wonderful marine life."

Her enthusiasm and expertise helped make the aquarium a popular school outing and a family favorite. She directed us to dazzling coral displays, a wonderful seahorse exhibit and to an engaging performance by Ho'a, the monk seal. We spent happy time with this endangered monk seal, a crowd favorite.

Monk seal Ho'a was born on Kaua'i in 2008, Hōʻa, also known as KP2, is a charming aquarium resident, — Ho'a a captivating monk seal, relaxes by the water's edge at the Waikiki Aquarium, enjoying a peaceful moment in his enclosure. He is a favorite of visitors at this small but charming Honolulu attraction.

Born on Kauai in 2008, Hōʻa, also known as KP2, is a Hawaii native and the aquarium's most charming resident. He was abandoned after birth for unknown reasons and rescued by scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. He is a much loved, thoroughly pampered rock star at Waikiki Aquarium.

This loveable critter has beautiful, expressive eyes and he brought squeals from the children as he performed diving and devouring techniques. He effortlessly gobbled sardines tossed to him by his trainer as reward for his performance maneuvers.

It's a wonderful, educational spot to learn about the ocean life surrounding the islands, and it takes only about an hour to explore.

Keller and Cookie pause under a banyan by the zoo — Keller and Cookie cheerfully stop for a selfie under a majestic banyan tree near the zoo entrance.

Why These Two tourist attractions?

For us, a visit to Hawaii is about balance. Waikiki can be intense. Pairing the Honolulu Zoo and Waikiki Aquarium offers a pleasant contrast: the zoo’s relaxed, landscaped beauty and the aquarium’s compact, ocean-focused education. This duo makes a perfect, low-cost, and easily accessible day. It’s "aloha" in its purest form -- unhurried, natural, and welcoming.

Honolulu Zoo: A "must-do" for tropical vibes, animal immersion, learning experience.
Waikiki Aquarium: A perfect quick stop for marine life lovers with a rock star monk seal named Ho'a who performs in regular shows.
Hawaii's state bird, the beloved nene, a lovely goose, is on view in Honolulu Zoo, and you may see others wandering free as you approach the Waikiki Aquarium. The nene is a threatened and protected species.

If you're in Honolulu looking for a break from the sand, these two spots are calling.

Say aloha to the zoo and aquarium for a perfect Honolulu day!

Our Tips:

Bring sunscreen and comfortable shoes!
Get on the trolley near your hotel (many convenient stops.) Hit the zoo first. You can bring or buy lunch. It gets sunny, so bring a hat too.
Plan a few hours at the zoo where there's a lot to see. After lunch, stroll to the aquarium and plan an hour or so. Don't miss Ho'a and his antics and the graceful sea horses.

More information:

Hawai‘i Nautical boarding area, inviting guests to explore sunset cruises and private charters and more — Hawai‘i Nautical boarding area invites guests to explore sunset and whale cruises, private charters and more.

UP NEXT: From pleasures on land to fun at sea, we take you to Hawaii Nautical's exciting array of ocean adventures. We look for whales -- and find them -- then stay aboard for a sunset cruise. Then we're exploring the wonders of Japan -- from Ninja food tours with seafood, sushi and other delicacies, unusual hotels and attractions from museums to Tokyo's spectacular tower, the intricate but excellent transportation system, temples, shrines and more. Remember to explore, learn and live and check back often for tips travel and stories on nature, adventure, cruising, performance and more. Please share the link:

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