BYAHILO explores the underwater paradise at the Manila Ocean Park

Saturday, March 8 was an exciting day for us. First because we celebrated the 6th month birthday of our baby Gab. (He’s my nephew) And it was also our first time to set foot at the newly-opened Manila Ocean Park in Manila, Philippines.

Baby Gab enjoying the Manila Ocean Park Trip

The new Manila Oceanarium facility boasts of an eclectic collection of marine life extracted from the Philippines waters.

The first section has a lush greenery complete with waterfalls. Just behind the falls is a huge tank containing several Arapaima, a close relative of the highly-prized Arrowana. Arapaima are freshwater fishes native to Brazil.

On the next section are the various species of starfishes which you can actually hold. Kids would surely love this section as this part provides a hands-on learning experience for them.

The next section contains several numbers of fish tanks in a dimly-lit room. The tanks contain colourful fishes, some of which are common saltwater and freshwater fishes. Never to be missed in this section is the Japanese crab which is just so huge. A single crab could probably be enough as a meal for an entire family. It is even larger than the lobsters that I often get to see in the markets of restaurants. Another interesting section is the eggs of the bamboo sharks sticking on the fish tank. Shark’s egg is not like the chicken’s which is covered with a hard shell. Shark’s eggs are just covered with a thin film that you can actually see the baby shark inside it swimming. Truly, an amazing way to learn science at the Ocean Park in Manila.

The next section is like a huge open space in the middle. Hanging on top of the area is a circular video cylinder which shows some underwater scenery. On every side of the hall are very large fish tanks containing fishes such as grouper (lapu-lapu). The other large tank contains smaller fishes but can perfectly be appreciated when they move in group.

After this section is probably the highlight of the tour: the walk through the tunnel aquarium. The semi circular aquarium known as “Buhay na Karagatan” or the Living Ocean has some of the Philippine’s best underwater collection. Barracudas, and Sting Rays are just some of the fishes that can be found here.

BYAHILO at the underwater tunnel

After the 25-meter walk through the tunnel, we then went to the shark aquarium. Various species of sharks can be found here.

The large Sting Ray!!!

From the shark aquarium, don’t fail to gaze up to view the manta rays that seem to “fly” over you. Several manta Rays or Pagi in Filipino.

We then climbed the stairs leading to the second floor to view the sharks and the manta rays from another perspective. There is also a fish spa which is somewhat similar to the ones in Sentosa in Singapore. For a minimal fee of 100 Pesos, you can dip your feet in a shallow pool of water where fishes will “eat” your dead skin cells. A truly unique experience that can only be found at the Manila Ocean Park.

There is also a restaurant serving fusion cuisine for the park visitors. And to complete the one-of-a-kind underwater journey at the Oceanarium of the Manila Ocean Park, one can buy souvenirs or pasalubong here. Products range from t Shirts, ref magnets, mugs, stickers, toys, and a whole lot more.

The Manila Ocean Park is open daily from 10AM until 6PM. Adults are charged 400 Pesos, while kids are charged 350 Pesos. Park Map is available free of charge. Tour guides are strategically placed all over the oceanarium to answer your queries. Check the Manila Ocean Park Map I created from Wikimapia.

Byahilo, with sister and Baby Gab.