Past the park's ticket windows is an excellent educational center run by the University of Hawaiʻi. Interactive, family-friendly displays teach visitors about the unique geology and ecology of the bay. Everyone should watch the informative 12-minute video about environmental precautions before snorkeling. Visit the website for links to a great app that covers snorkeling in the bay.
Marine Educational Center
Oʻahu
Contact
Address
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
6.54 MILES
In the shadow of Diamond Head, the former mansion of billionaire tobacco heiress Doris Duke is a sight to behold for art-lovers and celebrity hounds…
Stones of Life of Kapaemahu and Kapuni
8.42 MILES
Near the police substation at Waikiki Beach Center, four ordinary-looking volcanic basalt boulders are actually sacred and legendary Hawaiian symbols…
1.26 MILES
This impressive, little-known viewpoint is at the end of Lumahai St in Portlock, makai (toward the sea) from the traffic lights at the Koko Marina Center…
17.61 MILES
This somber memorial is one of the USA's most significant WWII sites, commemorating the Pearl Harbor attack and its fallen service members with an iconic…
12.08 MILES
Hawaii’s version of the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC, the Bishop Museum showcases a remarkable array of cultural and natural history exhibits…
10.81 MILES
No other place evokes a more poignant sense of Hawaii’s history. The palace was built under King David Kalakaua in 1882. At that time, the Hawaiian…
10.13 MILES
This exceptional fine-arts museum is among the best of its kind anywhere. The collection is effectively a 'best of' summary of major art movements…
Pearl Harbor National Memorial
17 MILES
One of the USA’s most significant WWII sites, this National Park Service (NPS) monument narrates the history of the Pearl Harbor attack and commemorates…
Nearby Oʻahu attractions
1. Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve
0.17 MILES
From an overlook you can peer into the translucent waters and see the outline of the 7000-year-old coral reef that stretches across the width of the bay…
0.68 MILES
Less than a mile east of Hanauma Bay, roadside Lanaʻi Lookout offers a panorama on clear days of several Hawaiian islands: Lanaʻi to the right, Maui in…
1.09 MILES
As you drive east, keep your eyes toward the ocean. At the highest point you'll spot a volcanic-rock obelisk, dedicated to fishers who have drowned, swept…
1.26 MILES
This impressive, little-known viewpoint is at the end of Lumahai St in Portlock, makai (toward the sea) from the traffic lights at the Koko Marina Center…
5. Koko Crater Botanical Garden
1.28 MILES
According to Hawaiian legend, Koko Crater is the imprint left by the magical flying vagina of Kapo, sent from the Big Island to lure the pig god Kamapuaʻa…
1.3 MILES
Take your lover down for a roll in the sand at this sweet pocket cove made famous in the legendary wave-tossed scene between Burt Lancaster and Deborah…
1.31 MILES
Here, ocean waves surge through a submerged tunnel in the rock and spout up through a hole in the ledge. The spout is preceded by a gushing sound – the…
1.63 MILES
Here the ocean usually heaves and thrashes like a furious beast. This is one of Oʻahu’s most challenging beaches, with a punishing shore break, a powerful…