Hawaii - day 8

Saturday, Dec 18: We went to the Waikiki Aquarium and Honolulu Zoo.

I'm actually writing this in May, but dating it for January to keep the posts together. So I don't have much to say, just pictures/videos to share.

Outdoors tank at Waikiki Aquarium. We talked to one of the volunteers there. He says the fish are really easy to keep - they're all from reefs around the area and they just cycle in water from the ocean. Apparently there's a bird that comes and eats some fish every week. But so far it's just been the one bird, so they just let him be.

They also had Hawaiian monk seals, which are an endangered species:

They're trained to touch their noses to the stick that the trainer is holding. It's pretty funny...once one sees it within reach, he very eagerly galumphs over and sticks his nose to it.

Probably not visible in the video is the green algae growing on the seal's face. We're told the algae eventually covers their entire body over the course of a year and is only removed when they molt.

Inside the aquarium, they have a huge giant clam:

They grow them from smaller giant clams:

There was also this fish:

What.

Outside, I saw a lizard. I'd never seen wild lizards before this trip, so my first impression was that it must be a plastic lizard toy someone had dropped...

We walked across Kapiolani park, which is beautiful...

...to the Honolulu Zoo.

They had lots of tropical birds, which was pretty awesome. There was a bower bird, but it wasn't doing anything interesting. Lots of birds of paradise and parrots:

There was also an open area with a pond for flamingos and many wild birds just visiting for the food. Pretty awesome.

Also an aviary, which is awesome:

And tortoises!

And a monkey of some sort showing off awesome acrobatics:

There were also other animals. Not as interesting, though...same as you'd see in any other zoo. This was interesting:

Also, the cutest fox:

And a peacock looking expectantly at diners in the food court:

And the highly endangered Nene goose, endemic to Hawaii.

After the zoo, we visited 'Iolani palace. A giant banyan tree next to a parking lot! What!

Also, what! I guess this is Christmas in Hawaii...

And that was it for our Hawaii trip. One final item of note at the Honolulu airport:

Because macadamia nuts are a Hawaiian specialty, and Spam is a Hawaiian specialty, so naturally...Spam-flavored macadamia nuts!