A few weeks ago my husband and I visited Maui along with my daughter Jenny; her husband, Josh; and our three-year-old granddaughter, June. About eight years ago we spent almost two full weeks on Maui (minus June, of course), and we were looking forward to visiting a few of our favorites from that trip and exploring some new spots. On our first two full days on the island, we had the chance to delve into the underwater world of Maui in two unique ways.

We arrived at the Maui Ocean Center (“the Aquarium of Hawai‘i”),    located at Mā‘alaea Harbor, just as the gates opened, planning to beat the heat of midday (and accommodate June’s afternoon nap).  We could easily have spent the entire day there, as the aquarium hosts numerous exhibits that explore sea life as well as Hawai‘ian culture and its connection to the sea. Two examples: Near one of the exhibits, a young man wove representations of creatures from palm fronds. For June, he created a charming little angel fish.   A little later, I enjoyed a chat with a gentleman who was creating a hand-knotted casting net nearby the outdoor café. He told me all about the tradition of creating these nets, and he now is teaching his grandson the craft he learned from his grandfather. We wandered from one exhibit to another, mesmerized by jellyfish here   and assorted reef fish there.   June especially appreciated the floor-to-ceiling tanks that allowed her to get nose-to-nose with their residents, and we also enjoyed walking through the Open Ocean Tunnel, a large acrylic tube passing through the center of the aquarium’s largest tank, while sharks and rays glided directly above our heads. We also had the opportunity to (gently) touch dwellers of the Tide Pool, a touch tank that houses an interesting assortment of star fish  and sea urchins.

The next day we enjoyed an underwater tour — without getting wet — when we stepped aboard the Reefdancer,  a semi-submersible that sails out of Lahaina on Maui’s west side. We first wandered under the largest banyan tree in Hawai‘i — and the entire United States — in Lahaina’s Banyan Court Park, covering a full city block, and waited next to some 19th-century cannons (that Global Traveler tote surely was handy for carrying all our daytrip necessities)   before we were invited to board our yellow submarine.

We stepped down into the interior of the vessel, which has large windows on either side of a single aisle with individual stool-like seats lined up along the windows. I was pleased to find the space was air-conditioned and not stuffy at all. After a few safety instructions, we were quickly underway, with our narrator describing the seascape gliding along just feet under our semi-sub. We immediately started spotting tropical fish    and even sea turtles on the ocean floor.Once we arrived over the main reef, two onboard snorkelers dove into the water to begin searching for sea critters to point out and share with us.   Because the boat wasn’t completely full, we could move back and forth across the aisle to peer out either side, depending on the view there. The sub gradually motored along, so that view was constantly changing, making for an engaging tour as our guide kept up a stream of information about what we were seeing. For the return trip to the harbor, we were invited to step up topside to take in the views of nearby Lāna‘i,  wreathed in clouds, and the variety of boats sharing the water with us.   The 75-minute tour was very reasonably priced and fun and informative, too.

We ended our morning in Lahaina with lunch at Lahaina Pizza Company on Front Street, featuring an open-to-the-street second-floor dining room looking out over the harbor. We enjoyed delicious deep-dish pizza, local brews and watching the boats go by. On the way back to our condo in Kihei, we stopped at one of our old favorites, the Olowalu Farmers Market, to pick up some fresh tropical fruit, local chocolates and other goodies.

Our weeklong trip to Maui was off to an excellent start with this immersion into the sea around us. More on our Hawai‘ian journey next week!

— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor