Manila Ocean Park

Exciting. Enticing. Enriching.

     We went on our own field trip! :p This is our second time at Manila Ocean Park (MOP). This time though, we got to try everything they had to offer! There have been a lot of additions since we went here like the Jellyfish Exhibit, as well as the Penguin Exhibit.

Attractions offered in MOP

     Did you know that the Oceanarium which is 8000 square meters is larger than the Sentosa Underwater World oceanarium in Singapore? The Manila Ocean Park had its soft opening last March 2008 and since then it has developed and expanded to what it is now. The park now has a marine-themed mall, hotel, restaurant and outdoor pools. 


     We explored five of the attractions that MOP has to offer: the Oceanarium, Sea Lion Show, Jellies Exhibit, Glass bottom boat ride and the Fish spa. 

SEA LION SHOW (150php)

     We first went to the attractions outside the Oceanarium. It was a good thing we were just in time for the 11am show. The next show is at 2pm - under the scorching heat of the sun!

On stage

     The show featured Icis and Ira, the adorable sea lions of Ocean Park. The show was both entertaining and educational. Not only did we see the cool stuff they could do but also learned about these smart animals! We saw them swim fast, jump, slide, clap, wave, even act sad! The lively trainers also made the show a hit especially for the kids and the kids-at-heart. :)

Balancing Act

Cha-cha-cha! ^_^

     Though we've seen a lot of sea lion shows already, we still had fun! These cute and smart animals never fail to put a smile on our faces. :) The crowd was active which also made for a good show.

FISH SPA (120php)

     The fish spa used to be at the second floor, with just 2 small areas. Now it's outside, with a space big enough for about a hundred! (we think?! :p) And the fish grew bigger, too. Haha! :D

Fish spa tickets

     We sat on an area where there were not a lot of people. We dipped our feet and immediately these doctor fishes started biting our toes. It took a while before we got used to the feeling of the fish biting away! And we were really surprised that they were that big! The first time we tried this, the fish were about 1-2 centimeters long, now they were like 4-6 centimeters! :D

Happy Feet :p

     We had a great time at this one of a kind foot spa! The supposed 15 minutes allotted time became 30. (There were not that many people coming in so they were lenient with the time.) Will the fish be about a foot long the next time we go there? Hope not! 'cause that would be scary. Haha! :D

OCEANARIUM (400php)

     After exploring the outdoor attractions, it was now time to head inside and cool off at the Oceanarium.

Nice to see you again.. ^_^

     The Oceanarium boasted of 5 areas: Agos, Bahura, Laot, Buhay na Karagatan, and Ang Kalaliman. We'll take you through these different areas. :)

Agos (Flow)

     The first area had a rainforest motif complete with 8 tanks of freshwater fish like the (believed to be) lucky arowanas among others. There were hanging vines, a lot of plants which made the place cooler, a staircase to the man-made falls, and a tank with colorful starfish.

Bahura (The Reef)

     The next area called Bahura had exhibitis of artificial corals in 48 tanks. We saw clown fish, dory fish and some amazing sea horses! We particularly liked the spotted garden eel which looked like long white worms creeping up and out the sand. 

Under the sea

Colorful Corals

     The next is a vast area called Laot (Fishing Ground) where huge tanks filled with large fish are displayed like the Eagle-spotted rays, giant tuna.

Titanic Proportions :p

     There used to be colorfully lit chairs in the middle of this room as well as hanging white panels with projected images of various fish. 

Underwater Tunnel

     The fourth area is the Buhay na Karagatan which featured a 25-meter long walkway tunnel with 220-degree curved acrylic walls. People tend to stay here so it gets a little too crowded. We wish the tunnel could have been longer. It was shorter than what we expected and what we have liked.

220-degree Curved Acrylic Walls

     The last area, Ang Kalaliman housed marine animals found in the deepest parts of the ocean such as sting rays and different species of shark. We never fail to be amazed with the different sized sting rays and how they glide gracefully in the water!

GLASS BOTTOM BOAT RIDE (150php)

Glass bottomed boat ride

     We waited in line for about 30 minutes to try the glass bottomed boat ride and were disappointed when we got to see what this attraction was. The boat ride was uncomfortable, there wasn't much space and only lasted for a few minutes. We hardly saw anything amusing except for the fish that turned sideways and was really near the glass. This ride was not worth its price. We hope they could improve this attraction.

Deep sea divin' ;)

TRAILS TO ANTARCTICA

Journey to Antarctica

     This attraction featured fun facts about Antarctica and its exploration. There were photos of scientists studying the ice, transportation replicas, of the different animal species that can be found in that extremely cold part of the world and of its famous residents - the penguins.

Snowy haven

PENGUIN EXHIBIT (300php)

Humboldt Penguins! :)

     We were excited to see these cute black and white birds especially because of the movie Happy Feet. We were quite disappointed though that there was only one area where they were featured. It was still nice to see the penguins up close though. We got to watch how they feed, swim and interact with each other and with the caretakers. We were kinda waiting for them to do a little dance. Hehe! ^_^

Face here please :p

     You can feed the penguin and have a photo taken with the Humboldt Penguins at the same time - for a hefty price of course. Good thing there was a free ride at this exhibit called the Slide O' Fun. We rode on rubber tubes down the ice and felt the cold wind on our faces! It was fun but short though. :p

Welcome to the Snow Village!

     Included in the package is the snow village, a small room which made you feel like you're in Antarctica with below zero temperatures and slippery ice! We had our photos taken with snow men, on icy benches and cold porches.

Frosty the Snowman

Santa's home?

     We stayed in the freezing cold until we couldn't feel our hands and feet anymore and until our noses turned red. Haha! It would've been more fun if we could throw snowballs but the ice was already hard. :(

JELLIES EXHIBIT (150php)

Dancing Sea Fairies

     This area featured aquariums filled with different species of jelly fish. Some were small and cute while others were big, and quite scary! All were amazing and relaxing to watch though. :)

Upside Down Jellyfish

Amakusa Jellyfish

Spotted Jellyfish

     The last room featured glass tubes filled with these lovely jelly fish and a lot of mirrors making the room seem big and as if there were a lot of jelly fish tanks. It was such a nice sight to behold!

Mirror, mirror on the wall

     We loved gazing at these graceful yet dangerous (well some of them) creatures. We're glad to have seen this exhibit especially since we didn't get the chance to view this at the Ocean Park in Hong Kong.

MANILA OCEAN PARK EXPERIENCE

Frozen happy

     It really can be sweeter the second time around. And it's fun to feel like kids again. Hehe! :p We hope they can improve some of the attractions because a lot of kids would really enjoy them. After some sprucing up, the place could be really worth the time and money.


    We wish we could experience the Hotel H2O next time and catch the musical fountain show, too! :)

Manila Ocean Park

Behind Quirino Grandstand at Rizal Park

Bookings and Reservations: 567-7777 loc. 118, 119 & 123

reservations@manilaoceanpark.com

www.manilaoceanpark.com