What’s Opening Soon on Rarotonga……Something For Everyone!

The Cook Islands Whale and Wildlife Centre – formally known as the Whale Centre, in Atupa, (opposite Mike Tavioni’s Carving workshop), is opening in July.
Nan Hauser and Huw and Sheryl John, got together last year with an idea to re-invent the Whale Centre as a place that would be open all year round. Due to Nan’s overseas commitments, research, conferences and teaching, Nan was unable to be at the Centre full time, so the Centre was run with the help of volunteers.
The three have come up with an awesome concept that will be sure to capture, fascinate and engage the public with what is being exhibited and taught. Not for the faint hearted, there are jars ranging from whale blubber, skin, intestines and blow holes, to fish eyes and a real baby Pilot whale calf, thought to be possibly a week old. There is a cabinet of Indo-Pacific crabs and lobsters and another with exquisite whale bone jewellery, carvings and treasures. Artifacts from the SS Maitai which sank on Christmas Day 1916, are also on display with an historical account of what happened on the day the SS Maitai sank. Live exhibits include coconut and land crabs, fresh water fish, eels, and prawns, skinks, mokos, huntsman spiders and centipedes.
The public are able to interact with and handle the smaller hermit crabs. One of the oldest exhibits is a fossilized crab, possibly 15 million years old. The whale exhibits and history of whales has been sourced from all round the world, and everything else is from the Pacific region.
The Centre is not only for tourists to be educated and informed, but for locals and local school children as well says Sheryl - a place to learn about Cook Island history, geography and marine life including whales, sharks and turtles. Documentaries on whales and marine life, including Cook Island documentaries, will also be shown.
For preschoolers or those who are too young to understand the documentaries, a Nemo video will also be available! The Centre is to include a gift shop where you can buy t-shirts to soft marine toys, and a Café which will have coffee, drinks, snacks and a light lunch available including sandwiches and cake.
Admission will be $12 for adults and $6 for children with discounts for group bookings and families. Nan, Huw, Sheryl and Martha and Aka Matapo, are all looking forward to seeing you in July when the Centre will officially open – this will be advertised.

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