There are two Hawaiis: the land one, a string of scenic islands, and the underwater one, a riot of fish and coral. Sea Life Park introduces visitors to the latter with interactive exhibits as thrilling as any roller coaster, but much wetter. Below, three of the highlights of the kid-friendly Oahu park.

The textures of the touch pool

The ocean only really comes to life when you know what shark skin feels like. At the touch pool, visitors find out, petting a shark pup as well as starfish, urchins, and a baby sea turtle.

The lovey-dovey dolphins

They'll literally kiss you if you swim with them, and there are a variety of different ways to go about that. You can ride on a dolphin's belly, for instance, or get escorted through the water by two dolphins, holding a dorsal fin in each hand.

The penguin-training tips

Their trainers have taught the park's Humboldt penguins to shoot straight up out of the water, walk upright on land, and to pretend the Happy Feet penguins are their cousins. In their daily trainer talks, the experts explain how it's done.