Swimming With Sharks!

One of the coolest things we were able to do on Maui took place at the Maui Ocean Center. It's a very neat aquarium with lots of fish and displays (and a REALLY great gift shop).

But the best thing about it was...........

Kerry and Ben got to scuba dive in the shark tank.

Here's Kerry right next to a sting ray.

Look at all the white tip sharks! Kerry and Ben got to swim into a little cave farther back in the tank. There were some sharks who stay in there and swim through the scuba diver's bubbles as they go up. It makes the sharks "drunk" and they tip over and fall to the bottom. One landed on Ben's head!

Ben with his brethren, the hammerheads.

Kerry with a giant puffer fish. They took raw squid in with them to feed to the fish. The puffer is well aware that all scuba divers come with snacks and she is greedy! They had been warned ahead of time that she would nibble at their fingers trying to get food. Ben got so aggravated with her, he would put his hand on her head and gently push her backwards, trying to make her leave him alone.

The girls and I were able to stand at the viewing windows and watch. You have to be scuba certified in order to go in the tank, and Katie was absolutely beside herself that she couldn't go in there as well.

This was easily some of the best money we spent while on vacation. It's pricey but well worth it. When scuba diving in the ocean, it's often murky and difficult to see well. You also never know if you're going to see any cool sea critters or not. In the aquarium, you are guaranteed to see sharks, rays, and a huge variety of fish. Makes me wish I could have gone in too!

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