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Hōʻa's Homecoming Bash!
After several years away, Hō‘ailona (Hōʻa) the Hawaiian monk seal is finally back at the Waikīkī Aquarium, and the community is invited to celebrate his return at a special homecoming party on Saturday, September 27, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The celebration will feature keiki-friendly activities, including educational feeds, animal enrichment, arts and crafts, a touch pool, chalk art, a mermaid photo opportunity, and face painting. A Hawaiian cultural blessing will also take place at 10:30 a.m. on the Monk Seal Deck.
Hō‘ailona, also known as “Hōʻa,” and has been a favorite among Aquarium guests for more than a decade. Born on Kaua‘i in 2008, Hōʻa was abandoned shortly after birth and rescued by NOAA scientists.
In 2021, he was relocated to Long Marine Laboratory at the University of California, Santa Cruz to participate in physiological research.
Now that the newly upgraded exhibit is complete, Hōʻa has returned to his island home.
Guests can visit him during normal Aquarium hours and learn more about efforts to protect Hawaiian monk seals, one of the world’s most endangered marine mammals.
