Metro Manila has very few places dedicated to recreation for Filipinos. Yes, there are public parks like Luneta and zoos like Manila Zoo and Malabon Zoo but most if not all of them are already outdated. The zoos are too small for the rush of weekend/holiday visitors and are likewise deteriorating.
This is where the creation of the Manila Ocean Park comes in. It is the only Oceanarium easily accessible within Metro Manila and the only one which features a vast array of aquariums, saltwater and freshwater. It is owned by a Singaporean firm and while not yet quite rivaling aquariums in Singapore or Hong Kong Ocean Park, it is definitely a step in the right direction!
How to get there?
I must admit, it is not commuter friendly. If you don't have a car, you'd need to walk quite a distance from the nearest LRT station or hire a cab.
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1. Ride public transport to any LRT1 station.
2. Ride the LRT1 train to the United Nations Avenue station.
3. Either walk from the United Nations Avenue LRT station along T.M. Kalaw street and Luneta Park to reach Manila Ocean Park or hire a cab (Note: this would be a good walking experience if you'd also like to see Luneta Park and if the weather is forgiving with a moderate breeze. :) )
Upon entering, you will immediately see the huge domed atrium of Manila Ocean Park. Different restaurants like North Park and Makan Makan can be seen here and you can indulge in good Asian Cuisine. Yum!
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| Manila Ocean Park domed atrium |
After gawking at the displays at the atrium and yes, the changing light display on the dome ceiling, proceed to the ticketing booth (for the latest prices, please check out their website on the link below).
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| Ticket rates, you get a discount if you're a Manileño |
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| More pictures of the Atrium |
First things first would be the area called
Agos (Flow), here you can find the fresh water aquarium set-ups where you can observe fish from places like rivers such as the Amazon river's Pacu, Red-tailed catfish, piranhas and even some crocs.
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| Aquarium containing some Gouramis, Arowanas, Freshwater stingrays, eels, etc. |
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| One of the big Pacus on display |
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| A catfish posing for a headshot ;) |
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| An orange-cap goldfish |
Bordering the
Agos (Flow) and
Bahura (The Reef) areas is a touch pool where starfish and brownbanded bamboo sharks live. You can touch the starfish while listening to a guide but be mindful of the sharks and some of the more skittish fish there.
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| A brownbanded bamboo shark beside a starfish |
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| Some shells on display |
Bahura (The Reef) for me is the most colorful and interesting place for me, I got separated from my friends there and would have been content staying there for the rest of the day if not for the fact that I drive the car. This place attracts a lot of photo action but be mindful that they don't allow flash photography here.
You can find anything from the unusual garden eels to Nemo and Dory here. Corals are also aplenty and some rocks.... wait.... that rock just moved!?
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| A small fish cleaning the gills of an emperor angelfish (anyone can tell me what they are?) |
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| A bunch of white tailed damselfish |
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| A Pajama Cardinal, not quite bedtime yet |
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| A beautifully colored gourd-like soft coral |
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| Another interesting soft coral |
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| Dory, also known as a regal tang |
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| The notoriously ill-tempered triggerfish. (Clown Trigger) |
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| Another triggerfish. Man these fish are fast! |
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| A long horn cowfish |
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| Another long horn cowfish |
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| Another spotted cowfish |
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| A pair of funny looking porcupine puffers, hope their not sick! |
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| Another colorful coral |
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| Look, I found Nemo! (Clownfish) |
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| The hard to feed long nosed butterfly fish |
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| A group of butterfly fish, I got lucky to find them being fed |
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| A fish sitting on the bottom of a tank (blenny?) |
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| Some false moorish idols |
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| Didn't notice this stone fish 'til it moved! |
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| A stunning soldierfish |
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| Some garden eels sticking their heads out |
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| A type of surgeonfish |
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| the fabulous lionfish |
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| I found a Unicorn..... Tang. hahaha |
Whew! That's a lot of fish considering I posted only a select few that I got a good shot of. If all that gawking has made you tired, the
Laot (Fishing Ground) area's subdued lighting, glowing decor, and seating areas (translate: stairs) can help you recuperate (hey, that's where they waited for me!).
In
Laot (Fishing Ground), you can find some of the bigger fish sometimes found in the wet markets, well not all of them are found there though.
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| A goliath grouper. Trust me when I say Goliath. |
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| Some trevallys lounging |
Think you've seen it all? Well, not yet. Next comes what is said to be the main attraction of the oceanarium,
Buhay na Karagatan (Living Ocean). This 25 meter long walkway boasts a 220 degree curved acrylic wall that makes you feel like you're underwater without the need of a breathing apparatus or for that matter, swimming experience. This is where the visitors get congested and where you hear some oohs and ahhs.
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Under the sea. Under the sea. Darling it's better.Down there it's better. Take it from me!
(The Little Mermaid, Under the Sea) |
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You can also opt to pay a fee in the next area to either dive in the tank or
ride a boat with a transparent bottom |
You can also find a view from the bottom of a stingray tank in the next section of this place aptly called
Pagi (Stingray). Next they say comes
Kalaliman (The Deep) which showcases fish from the deepest parts of the Philippine waters but somewhere between
Pagi (Stingray) and
Pating (Shark), I lost track. So, here comes
Pating (Shark). Dum... dum... dum... DUM! (Jaws!)
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| A docile shark (Wait, is this just a predator tactic?) |
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| More active sharks |
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| The shark parts we see in movies |
Well, that surely would wear out the feet of most, if not all visitors. So if you're one of them, head over to the famous fish spa. Here doctor fish nip at your sore feet and get rid of dead skin as well as giving your tired feet a soak.
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| Enjoying the doctor fish |
Unfortunately, that's where the exhibits end. But you can still purchase some souvenirs to take home from the store.
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| A group of no-maintenance huggable Nemos you can take home. |
That's it. If you'd like to know more about the Manila Ocean Park, you can visit their site
here.
Until the next post!
