I’ve never been inside an oceanarium before, even the one in Manila. I remember seeing the Siam Ocean World in Siam Paragon in Bangkok, Thailand in 2009 but I didn’t go inside. So I was quite surprised with the vastness of Sentosa’s aquarium, part of the Marine Life Park (this is the dry experience while the Adventure Cove Waterpark is the wet experience), called S.E.A Aquarium which was unveiled November 2012 in time for the Resorts World Sentosa Grand Opening.
Kaleidoscopic marine lives are bursting inside what seems to be like a blue planet. S.E.A Aquarium is the world’s largest oceanarium said to be home to more or less 100,000 marine animals of over 800 species in 45 million liters of water.
“S.E.A. Aquarium offers not only a stunning display of habitats, but also education and conservation programs in which families and guests can participate. Younger guests will be thrilled to know that we have specially-designed exhibits such as the Discovery Touch Pool, the Lens Aquarium and Floor Aquarium, to provide them up-close encounters with our marine residents”, says Mr. Grant Willis, S.E.A. Aquarium Senior Curator.
The undersea journey takes visitors to 10 diverse regions. It begins with the Southeast Asia zone featuring different fishes and sea jellies native to the said region. I find the information about the whale worship in Southern Vietnam interesting, fishermen in this territory will never hurt or hunt whales, instead, they worship them in temples and they bury the whale carcasses with ritual ceremonies. This is because of their reverence for the Whale God known locally as Ngu Ong, a spirit that can calm the waves and lead seafarers to shelter.
There’s also the Arabian Gulf and the Bay of Bengal zone, the largest bay in the world, featuring giant spider crabs and other marine life. S.E.A Aquarium also features shipwrecks that have evolved into thriving marine habitats as their complex shapes and hard surfaces offer shelter for sedentary invertebrates and fishes. Aside from fishes, there are sea jellies, hammerhead sharks, sickle-fin lemon shark, and manta rays; aquatic creatures that I have never encountered before.
The star player of the Aquarium is the Open Ocean habitat which can be seen through the world’s largest viewing panel, giving visitors the impression of being inside a vast ocean floor. It has the greatest water volume and vertical range of any life zone. Gradations in temperature, light, water pressure and chemistry result in a diversity of environments occupied by a large number of species. This habitat is bordered by an Ocean Dome, an all-round viewing area and the Ocean Restaurant, an outlet propagating sustainable seafood principles. Eleven Ocean Suites occupy the opposite site of the habitat, offering a twist to the proposition of sea-view by providing guests the experience of waking to an under-the-sea vista.
Access to MarineLifePark also includes access to the Maritime Museum. SEA Aquarium entrance fees/ticket rates are:
1 Day Pass
Adult (13-59 7 y.o) – $29
Child (4-12 y.o)- $20
Senior ( 60 and above) -$20
Annual Pass
Adult – $88
Child- $58
Senior – $58
For SEA Aquarium ticket reservations/bookings/ promotions visit: Resorts World Sentosa official website
SEA Aquarium Sentosa Singapore Operating Hours : 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM
*First photo courtesy of Resorts World Sentosa
*Disclaimer: This trip was made possible by Resorts World Sentosa
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