A visit to Hawai’i evokes images of crashing waves, cascading waterfalls, and spectacular sunsets, but there’s plenty more to see and experience in the Aloha State. Wish Kid Daniel of Ballston Lake, New York, wanted his Hawai’i adventure to be a little bit different.

It began with a visit to one of our country’s most storied sites, Pearl Harbor National Memorial, to pay his respects and learn more about that fateful day on December 7, 1941. While there, Daniel and his family traveled out to the USS Arizona Memorial, boarded the USS Missouri, visited the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, and toured the USS Bowfin Submarine and Museum.

And while exploring the inside of a World-War-II-era submarine was no doubt an experience Daniel will never forget, getting the opportunity to dive beneath the waves in a modern submersible was something he had always dreamed of doing.

Lucky for Daniel, Atlantis Adventures was their next destination. It was there they boarded a state-of-the art, battery-powered submarine and descended beneath the waters off Waikiki Beach. Cruising silently along at almost 100 feet down, they were able to get an up-close look at green turtles, sharks, stingrays, yellow tangs, eels, and many other species of underwater marine life.

Daniel and his family’s Hawaiian adventure was one of education, reflection, and exploration. It was exactly what he wished for and will provide him and his family with memories and stories they’ll have forever.

We’d like to extend a special thanks to all our donors and supporters for helping make Daniel’s wish come true.