Park Profile
parkworld-online.com “ Sea Life Park
Hawaii’s marine dream I
n the six decades since the Hawaiian Islands became a popular tourist destination, and in the 53 years since Hawaii became a US state, Oahu has remained the most frequented of the eight islands. It is also, locals assert, the most beautiful; the most dramatic, varied and the most beautiful. The crystal clear ocean, the beaches, the volcanic mountains, the waterfalls, the accommodation, the amenities and the sea life keep the visitors coming. So Sea Life Park, Hawaii's only oceanarium, offering up-close and personal contact with Pacific Ocean life, right at the source, and a mere 20- minute breathtaking coastal drive east from Honolulu, should be able to just relax and watch customers flow in, right? “Well, I wish it was that easy,” general manager
Jerry Pupillo, 46, shakes his head and smiles. “But we have to compete the same way everyone else in the industry does. While we’re not competing with any other ocean or wild animal parks here, we’re competing with the visitors’ time. They’re in Hawaii for a fixed number of days, and we have to get them here for part of one of those days.” And Sea Life Park is competing for more than just their time. “While our admission fees are relatively modest ($29.99 for adults, $19.99 ages 3-12), we’re also competing for their money. After all, the beaches are free, the ocean is free, the mountains are free.” Plus there’s the factor that with oceanariums and aquariums all over the world, Hawaiian tourists
FEBRUARY 2014
would most likely have frequented at least one of them prior to their visit. So why should they go to Sea Life Park? “And that’s where we believe we’re unique,” Pupillo smiles again. “Our dolphins, sea lions, Hawaiian rays and shark encounters are longer and more personal than anyone else’s. You can get in the water with all of them. This is where our modest attendance is a benefit. Unlike the larger marine parks that have bigger numbers to move, we have more one-on-one time with the animals.” For additional fees, guests can get in the water with sharks, play with the sea lions, snorkel with the rays, and swim with and kiss a dolphin.
Aquarium roots When Sea Life Park opened in 1964 it was less a park than an aquarium, much as are most of the namesake attractions operated around the world by Merlin Entertainments. As the sixties led into the seventies and eighties, and a softer, family feel arrived with the advent of theme parks, the various owners of Sea Life Park had the challenge of bringing its rather institutional look up to date. The current owner, Palace Amusements/Parques
Reunidos, picked up Sea Life Park in 2008. The following year it also acquired the Kennywood Corporation, including Kennywood Park, Lake Compounce and Idlewild Park, and with it the responsibility of moving Sea Life Park confidently into the 21st century.
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While our
admission fees are relatively modest, we're competing for visitors’ time and money. After all, the beaches, the ocean and the mountains are free
Jerry Pupillo, general manager
Gary Kyriazi visits Hawaii’s only marine life park to discover why, despite its stunning location, the attraction has to work hard to get its share of the tourist dollar
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