Sea Life Park Hawaiʻi has a new owner and a new direction, good news for the Waimānalo community and families looking for local culture mixed with ocean science.

• Hawaiian Council bought the 62-year-old park in August, putting it under Native Hawaiian stewardship for the first time.
• New general manager Christina Leos is back after earlier building the park's education programs and running its marketing side.
• The plan leans on hands-on experiences: visitors grow and gather limu, make lei, then replant limu along Waimānalo's beaches to help the reef ecosystem recover.
• The nearby Waimānalo limu community is already partnering with the park.
• A combined Halloween and Keiki Sunday event on October 11 features Hawaiian myths and legends, a beach cleanup, hula, trick-or-treating, free keiki admission with a paid adult ticket, and a new honu mascot.

Outlook: Expect more culture-and-conservation programming at the park as the new ownership builds out community partnerships.