Maui Ocean Center, The Aquarium of Hawaii has broken ground on a new whale exhibit which includes a specialised dome theatre.
The facility will feature an exhibit hall with interactive learning stations and previously unseen footage of local humpback whales. The high-point of the exhibit will be an immersive, 3D short-film enabling viewers to dive with the humpbacks of Maui Nui inside a new 139-seat dome theatre that uses dual laser projection technology.
The exhibit space will focus on the whales’ nomadic lifestyle, their behaviours at any given point of their migration, the different roles they engage in, and the migration routes taken globally, regionally and within Hawaii.
Humpback whales will come to life through the combination of active 3D glasses and 4K high definition imagery produced by multiple laser projectors. The dynamic 7.1 surround audio will be enhanced by a LEED-certified acoustical system that is made of 100% recycled cotton and utilised by the likes of NASA and the US Navy.
The announcement of the new development comes on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the Maui Ocean Center. Kahu Dane Maxwell presided over a blessing of the groundbreaking ceremony which marked the beginning of the exhibit’s construction phase.
The exhibit will replace the aquarium’s Nalu Lawn which is being relocated within the park. Maui Ocean Center anticipates having the exhibit completed by summer of 2018.
Images: c. Maui Ocean Center.