By:Marcia Abramson
In addition to the glamour and beauty of Maui, long discovered by newlyweds for the never-to-be-forgotten honeymoon, County Legislator Jeff Toback remembers those first days of married life on the island as being very favorable. He told me, "It is hard to imagine a more sublime sunset, a better beach, an awesome volcanic national park, fantastic whale watching and a wonderful wife to share the island with." Who could ask for more in a vacation spot? However, I found some other attractions that added to my Hawaiian experience. The Maui Ocean Center, just in operation since 1997, is a state-of-the-art aquarium and rivals the Coney Island Aquarium on a smaller but possibly more aesthetic scale. What a wonderful way to visit Hawaii's underwater world with memorable exhibits and wonderful habitat galleries. I saw sleek tiger sharks, huge tuna and dangerous rays, garden eels and regal lionfish. I delighted in the colorful Hawaiian wrasse and enjoyed the swimming antics of the green sea turtles as I walked through a transparent 517-foot tunnel with a 240-degree view inside the open ocean tank. The Ocean Center covers five acres and gives a glorious view of Hawaii's unusual tropical reef environment, which includes the Whale Discovery Center and the opportunity to watch a pod of humpback whales as they swim across the Pacific. The whales are in Hawaii during high season from December as they arrive from Alaska, to April when they start heading back. If you can get the children away from the water activities, they will not be bored by this aquarium and the other water activities available for family fun.
There are 60 self-paced interactive exhibits, a huge outdoor central courtyard with two
outstanding restaurants. I sampled some delectable food at the Seascape Ma'alaea Restaurant and
the Reef Cafe. It is easy to get information about the Pacific Whale Foundation on-line at
www.pacificwhale.org or by calling (808) 879-8811. Also when you arrive at the airport, you
will find many free displays of listings of whale watching excursions. Your hotel or condo can
schedule appointments for you. When I went whale watching in Maui, I was surprised at the number of whales we saw close to the ship breaching in every direction. The children on the excursion ship were mesmerized by the splashing breaching whales. It also seemed that the adult males were performing a special routine for the happy kids. They seemed to thoroughly enjoy the performance of the adult whales who showed off their massive dorsal ridges at the water' s surface. Even the baby whales got into the acrobatic fling and were delightful to watch.
But, not only are children and families fascinated by the habitat of the humpback whales, there is Rabbi David Gilman, an Orthodox rabbi on land and a researcher at sea on the endangered humpback whales. He is the only active rabbi for the estimated few thousand Jews on Maui, but varies his services from Orthodox, to Conservative to Reform to meet the needs of his congregation. The services can be considered eclectic. You can judge for yourself by attending the Jewish Congregation of Maui, located at 634 Alulike St. in Kihei, Maui, Hawaii, 96753. You can phone (808) 667-4722. I found this religious connection particularly interesting, because the curator of the Coney Island Aquarium in New York City, Father Ruggiero, was a Jesuit priest and a marine biologist.
Some other interesting things I learned from this visit was that Hawaii's coral reefs make up for more than 80 percent of reefs in the entire U. S. Also, that according to old Hawaiians, during the months ending in "er" -- September, October, November and December -- almost all species of sharks are ready to give birth. The ancient Hawaiians were masters of aquaculture, very important to maintain supplies of the rapidly dwindling fish population. Did you know that all humpback whales can make social sounds, but only males actually sing and do so primarily during the winter breeding system? Since the Oriental culture is so prominent in Hawaii, I would be remiss if I did not share with you a great award-winning Japanese Restaurant, that I was fortunate to dine at after a great recommendation from Bonnie Friedman, a young woman from Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. She said a visit to Maui would not be complete without dinner at Sansei Sushi & Seafood Restaurant featuring DKKodama in the Kapalua Resort. I must confess that she was correct. She sure does know her restaurants. All this great eating did not quite prepare me for airline food. The short flight on Hawaiian Air from island to island was fine and Delta's flights were safe and the food was typical domestic airline food. But after my gourmet stay in Hawaii, I was sated on enough food to last me for weeks to come.
Copyright by Marcia Abramson
E-mail: mascribe@aol.com
