I am standing ankle-deep in turquoise water that's washing over a shoreline reef I'm doing something I have never done before: petting a cucumber. A black sea cucumber, to be exact, held by Mark Heckman, an educator at the Waikiki Aquarium in Kapiolani Park. The creature, which resembles an enormous, sandy stuffed sausage, has rough skin that I stroke gingerly "Just one or two fingers," says Heckman. "Don't stress it out." The cucumber's belly reveals exposed skin of deep maroon. "You can feel the suction cups on its underside," he says. And indeed I can--a slightly sticky but not unpleasant sensation on my fingertips.

The Waikiki Aquarium is one of the foremost coral research facilities in the world and, along with world-class exhibits in the aquarium itself, offers guided reef walks that explore Hawaii's coral reef ecosystem. Extremely popular with locals and visitors, the walks are conducted either in the Waikiki Marine Life Conservation District, which hugs the sandy shore behind the aquarium along the edge of famed Waikiki Beach, or in various tidepools and shallow reef flats around Oahu.

Heckman explains that reef walkers should never step on the fragile coral itself. The inner reef, where we do walk, is actually composed of coralline algae, calcium-rich plants that form rock-hard ledges. As we carefully work our way out onto the flats, the basic rule is: If it looks like seaweed or sand, it's okay to step on it.
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Almost immediately, it's off to the critter races. In rapid succession Heckman points out a rock-boring sea urchin that native Hawaiians call ina, and a group of darting silvery Hawaiian flag-tails. From under a rock, he fishes out a nocturnal brittle star. Putting my hand in the water, I feel its thin, black, spiky arms push against my skin. While most of these animals won't be harmed by being taken out of the water, Heckman insists that we show each the gentle respect it deserves.

Farther out we find a cluster of cauliflower coral with small, chunky lobes tinted faint pink. Rice coral nearby looks like a brown carpet sprouting ricelike nodules. Heckman finally admits that the real secret to reef walking is not to move at all. "If you stop moving, you'll see more, because then everything moves around you."

Waikiki Aquarium
2777 Kalakaua Ave (Map) / 808-923-9741 (For reef walk reservations, ask for the education department).

The aquarium is open 9-5 daily; admission (not including reef walk) costs $7, $5 seniors, students, military, and Hawaii residents with ID, $3.50 ages 13-17. Reef walks are limited in size and take place only about twice a month during the lowest tides. Groups are no larger than 25 people. Book the popular winter-night walks well in advance as they do often fill up quickly. Aquarium staff and participants wade up to their knees and search for crabs, shrimp, eels and octopus. Aquarium divers may bring up from the deep those animals not found on the reef. For children 5 years and up with adult accompaniment. $12/adult, $10/child ($10/8 for members). Walks in spring and summer are led during the daytime only; $8, $7 for children.

Image via Wikipedia

—Alex, 12/20/06