When it opened several years ago, throngs of Filipinos – tourists and uziseros alike – flocked to the Manila Ocean Park. The Oceanarium was to be the centerpiece of the new tourist hub which included other attractions as well.
I finally got to see the park a few weeks ago using a complimentary pass given to me by my parents who toured some relatives there several months ago. I had visited two other marine theme parks – SeaWorld in San Diego, California and Ocean Park in Hong Kong. I will have to say that the Manila Oceanarium still has a lot to improve on should it want to be at par with these other two attractions. Still, the Manila Oceanarium is not without its own appeal. The glass tunnel which bends twice along its length provides a good view of the marine creatures. I was glad to have come a few hours before closing time as I got some alone time inside the tube, freely taking pictures (at least until a few other latecomers entered). Just some minutes before, the tunnel was packed with people; I could hardly get a decent video of the marine animals swimming by. But I guess it was also fun looking at the people, albeit less amazing. There were plenty of excited children jumping excitedly at the sight of the big fishes, some teenagers donning their artista-inspired looks and doing their Facebook-worthy poses in front of the camera, and also some manangs gesticulating excitedly at the shark as it seemed to hover overhead. When a diver in an air-filled suit with a bubble helmet came down the tank, the children became even more ecstatic. I imagined an oversized obese toddler being taught to walk but I still wonder how it would be like to walk underwater among the fishes.
There were plenty more aquariums and large tanks. I remember the lionfish with their defensive spines, the clownfish which the kids called Nemo and also Dory in a separate tank, the small seahorses looking like yellow ornaments floating with the mild current as they cling on the bare branches of a seaweed. There were several blowfish, locally called butete (quite confusing as we also call tadpoles the same thing), but they were relaxed and deflated. I wondered then if there was anything I could do to see them expand to full size, short of knocking on the glass to rattle the fish.
The arrowanas swimming gracefully in a big tank near the entrance with their large, uniform scales glistening in the dim light could be easily imagined as the fabled water dragons. There were also Philippine crocodiles just under the wooden stairs, not-so-hungry or as big as the recently caught Lolong in Palawan which measured 21 feet – the longest in the world. Still, they made me think twice before extending my arm over the railing to take my own snaps at them. There was also one tank I liked where there were hundreds of silver fish swimming clockwise around some plant. If they did not get dizzy with their circular motions, I could only wonder. One spacious room featured larger tanks with the bigger fishes. The illusion of seeing them swimming through the remains of a sunken ship was reinforced by the Titanic-inspired soundtrack (or was it really from the official soundtrack? I honestly don’t know). There was one tank where a remora has attached itself to a shark.
Of course, there was also the shark tank. Seeing the great whites and hammerheads up close reminded me of that soundtrack of Jaws. The sharks seemed docile enough and I wonder how they would look in a feeding frenzy (yes, I also got addicted to the computer game.)
There are other attractions in the Manila Ocean Park which I didn’t get to visit. Aside from the fact that I got there just a couple of hours before closing, I also could not spare any more money. There was the fish spa where you could have your feet picked and cleaned by little fishes. There was the jellyfish attraction which I guess was not unlike the one I saw in HK. Glad they also got it as I enjoyed the HK attraction immensely – it was like walking in an alien world inhabited by these flying, luminous creatures (it’s either that or a scene from The X-Files). The Antarctic Adventure was another missed attraction. Honestly, I don’t know what it is but there were probably penguins. As I left, the musical fountain has just started. From the sound of it and the top of the water spouts I could see from outside, it seemed like a mesmerizing show. Too bad I lacked the money, the time and good company.
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