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Drive from the south round Makapuu Point, and the view will stop you in your tracks. Clear day or cloudy, it doesn’t matter: The panorama encompassing Manana Island (Rabbit Island), Kaohikaipu Island (Black Rock), the Koolau Mountains and the seemingly endless Pacific always amazes.
That is the breathtaking backdrop for Sea Life Park’s Ka Moana Luau, which launched in February. Fittingly, ka moana, “the ocean,” is the inspiration for the show that Malu Productions created for the luau.
“Ka Moana is a celebration in honor of the ocean, from the beach (kahakai) to the offshore (kai) to the deep blue (moana),” said Michelle Malulani Kama, president of Malu Productions. “The Kumulipo (Hawaiian creation chant) tells us that life on Earth began in the ocean; therefore, the ocean and its living things are elders of the Polynesians. The ocean connects the people of Polynesia and continues to provide them with sustenance. Our show features original and traditional music, choreography and costuming, all in honor of the magnificent ocean.”
IF YOU GO: KA MOANA LUA
>> Where: Sea Life Park, 41-202 Kalanianaole Highway
>> When: Nightly except Thursdays and Saturdays; check-in begins at 4:30 p.m., gates open at 5:30 p.m.
>> Cost: Packages start at $99 for adults, $87 for youths age 13 to 17, $74 for children age 4 to 12, free for infants and toddlers. Admission includes a shell lei, one drink, buffet dinner and admission to Sea Life Park. Round-trip transportation is available for $16 from select Waikiki hotels. Upgraded packages include extras such as a flower lei, premium seating, two drink tickets, mai tai and a souvenir photo. Kamaaina receive a 20 percent discount.
>> Phone: 926-3800
>> Email: info@moanaluau.com
>> On the Net: sealifeparkhawaii.com/things-to-do/luau
>> Notes: Bring a sweater or light jacket as it can get cool in the evening. Admission to Sea Life Park for luau guests is valid up to seven days (park hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily). Parking costs $5.
Also carrying on the theme is Waa Kaupo, a 30-foot fiberglass canoe that’s a permanent element of the set. Star Beachboys, a Waikiki beach activities company, used the canoe for more than two decades before gifting it to the nonprofit Waimanalo Canoe Club (waimanalo canoeclub.org) last year.
Sea Life Park made a donation to the club to acquire Waa Kaupo. The funds are being used to support a program for children age 8 and older to learn about the ocean, canoe paddling and sailing.
“Long ago, Polynesian navigators sailed in double-hulled canoes to the far corners of ka moana to colonize new island homes,” Kama said. “Those are incredible feats that some modern-day historians doubt, but we know they are true because stories of such voyages have been documented in chants passed down through the generations.”
Prior to dinner and the show, luau guests also gain insights about Hawaiian history and culture through interactive activities; for example, they can string a lei, weave coconut fronds, strum an ukulele, learn a simple hula and get acquainted with hula implements such as iliili (stone castanets) and puili (bamboo rattles).
Food is a big part of the celebration. Guests can sample poi and lomi salmon while engaging in activities. Although the hearty buffet has been adapted for western tastes, it includes traditional fare such as tropical fruit, sweet potatoes, fresh fish and kalua pig cooked in an imu (an above-ground oven that originated in Samoa but is also used in Hawaii).
Presented under the stars, the high-energy, fast-paced show delights and captivates guests from start to finish. As expected, one of the highlights is the Samoan fire-knife dance, a thrilling test of performers’ courage and coordination. As many as four dancers might be onstage at the same time, including brothers Isa’ako and Toa Milford, just 12 and 10 years old, respectively, who have been winning national fire-knife dance competitions in their age categories for the past few years.
“Audiences are always surprised to see the boys’ high level of skill and technique,” Kama said. “The luau host explains that our fire-knife presentation pays tribute to the creator of the dance, the late High Chief Freddie Letuli from American Samoa. Guests are always intrigued by the history and stories that we share, and it keeps them wanting to learn more.”
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COMING UP AT SEA LIFE PARK
Call 259-2500 or visit sealifeparkhawaii.com.
>> The final two shows in the Makapuu Twilight Concert Series are set for May 12 and June 9 from 5 to 10:30 p.m. Performing in the May show will be Kupaoa, Anuhea, Raiatea Helm and the Makaha Sons, and in June, Melveen Leed, Nathan Aweau, Kimie Miner and Na Leo Pilimehana will be in the spotlight. Prices start at $49.50; one child age 10 and under will be admitted free with every paid adult ticket.
>> Aloha Naia, a new 20-minute show, debuted at the open-air Dolphin Lagoon Theatre last month. Exploring the special connection between people and naia (dolphin), it is presented daily at 12:30 p.m.
>> Hawaii’s honu (Hawaiian green sea turtle) will be honored during World Turtle Day on May 23. Highlights include crafts, games and the release of two honu at Kaupo Bay, across from the park. You can help name two other honu that will live at the park until they reach the appropriate size for release. Go to facebook.com/SeaLifeHawaii from May 16 to 22 to submit suggestions. These two young turtles can be seen at the Discovery Reef Touch Pool from 10:30 a.m. to noon and 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. on World Turtle Day. The winning names will be announced there at 1:30 p.m.
>> Keiki Sunday on June 3, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., celebrates World Oceans Month with live entertainment, games and crafts. Two children through age 12 will receive free admission when accompanied by a paying adult, and the first 100 kids in that age range who enter the park will receive a free dolphin plush toy.
Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi is a Honolulu-based freelance writer whose travel features for the Star-Advertiser have won several Society of American Travel Writers awards.
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