Manila Ocean Park

south-east asia → philippines → metro manila → manila

this post is so overdue, but anyway, manila ocean park with my mom, sister, and cousin weeks ago. ‘got free tix from my sister, so i guess it’s not bad to tag along. this facility is behind quirino grandstand, near rizal park. obviously incomplete at distance outside, it’s significantly smaller compared to hong kong ocean park. although both facility carries ‘ocean park’ in their name, each belongs to totally different category, i guess. hong kong ocean park is more of an amusement park with rides, wildlife park (other than sea creatures) showcasing pandas, birds, butterflies, etc. and live show of trained animals (birds, dolphins, sea lions, and seal). while manila ocean park, for now, is simply an oceanarium. it’s the largest aquarium facility in the philippines (if not the only), and it features a wide variety of species ranging from fishes to sharks, lots of sting rays, and a giant crab. when completed, it will include a specialty mall, some restaurants, and outdoor pools. at the moment, it’s a complex containing fish tanks that you could go around and see fishes and be done in about one hour and a bit. and at 400 pesos entrance fee, it’s a bit pricey.

apart from the fish tanks, they have an area where you could have ‘fish foot spa’. if i remember it right, it’s 100 or 200 pesos for 20 minutes. basically, you dip your bare feet in a reservoir with some species of small fishes, and they’ll feast on your feet’s dead skin [cells?]. although it sounds completely exotic, we didn’t catch the bait. another extra feature is a glass bottom boat. from the advertisement, you’ll take a boat ride, and the bottom of boat is glass, hence the name (eureka!) unbelievably, there’s a queue going on for this "extraordinary" boat ride. after walking the whole building for hours, seeing fishes, sharks, and sting rays swarm around, from flat aquariums, to gigantic ones, to open water aquariums, and especially from that one, where you enter a long walkway tunnel with 220-degree curved acrylic walls, i couldn’t possibly think why one would suddenly desire to see these water creatures from a boat with a clear bottom? isn’t that enough? give the fishes a break please.

the oceanarium is owned by a chinese subsidiary company in the philippines, and although it’s good to see facilities like this arising in the metropolis, i wish we could have something wholly owned by the government. apparently, the only thing that happens when government intervenes is …sadly, delays. NAIA terminal 3? where art thou?

i better stop now before i turn this post into a rant. good night.

more pics -> here