Is Sea Life Park worth a visit? | Family activities on Oahu

Great for Guano

My first visit to Sea Life Park was to obtain piles of their precious seabird guano. You weren’t expecting that, were you? At Sea Life Park, they rehabilitate injured seabirds and I was in need of of guano for my thesis research … it was a match made in heaven. Each month I would pick up the trash bags of frozen guano they stored for me and a crowd would gather to get a glimpse of the crazy guano girl. I didn’t mind. I’m quite comfortable with my oddness.

A Real Visit and Disappointment

It wasn’t until my son was born many years later that I went to actually visit the park like a normal person. I went along with our baby hui, a support group of sorts for new moms, but only vaguely remember the dolphin and sea lion shows. What stuck in mind was the oppressive August heat and I was in no hurry to return.

My son, on the other hand, was smitten with the park. He thought the dolphin show was the greatest show on earth and so we returned for his birthday. The experience was … underwhelming. In 2013 the park was run down, with little signage or education. The main draw was the dolphin show and everything else felt like an afterthought.

Changes for the better

Since 2013, Sea Life Park has been making improvements including the addition of the Discover Reef Pool – a touch tank featuring local marine life. They’ve also added more signage and have cleaned things up a bit. However, it still has a feeling of neglect.

Highlights include the dolphin show, reef pool, sea turtle and shark feeding and, unexpectedly, the walk-in aviary where you can feed parakeets and lovebirds (Hey Piggie, is there a bird on. my head? for the Mo Willems fans). It’s generally not crowded and there are shady spots throughout the park where you can hide on a hot day. Plus the gift shop has air conditioning. You can easily see everything in about 90 minutes but get out of there before you get hungry. The restaurant is overpriced and terrible.

Tickets range from $40-60/person (discount for purchasing online in advance and included with the Go City pass) and $30/$25 (adults/children ages 4 and up) for Kamaaina and military. Parking is an additional $15 (they like to sneak that fee in there).

Aloha Kai Luau

Although I haven’t been to this specific luau, I’ve see it in progress and have been to several similar luau’s over the years. Generally the food is buffet style and it’s decent and the performers are usually good. Who doesn’t love a fire dancer? Rumor has it that they stole much of their show from the well established Polynesian Cultural Center in Laie. Pricing is on par with other luaus and ranges from $108-$210 for adults and $44-$185 for kids 4 and over; also a premium option if you have the Go City pass. The ocean side setting is it’s best selling point.

So the question remains – Is Sea Life Park worth a visit?

Little kids will easily overlook any shabbiness and marvel at the animals. Kids are good like that. For older kids and adults, it’s hard to say. The views are lovely and there is some entertainment value, but if you’re an animal lover it may feel hard to see animals in small enclosures without habitat enrichment. Personally, I prefer the Waikiki Aquarium which is small but well done. However, if you have the Go City pass, or found a good deal on tickets, you may want to stop in for an hour as you drive around this beautiful corner of the island. You’ll have to pay that $15 parking fee though.