Sa Manila Ocean Park - City of Manila, Metro Manila

   I have been to Manila Ocean Park before. At that time, It was one of the newest attraction in Manila. Seeing different kinds of fish inside the Oceanarium amazed me. And the penguins inside the Trails to Antartica looks unbelievable. I also saw the talented sea lions perform and for the finale, the Symphony Evening showcased its amazing fountain show. All in all, I enjoyed the whole visit.

   Three years after, My family planned on going back to this aquatic themed park. We're all excited about the trip and wonder what changes have been made and what are the new attractions available.


The underwater tunnel of the Oceanarium
   It was already noon when we arrived. Manila Ocean Park is located at the back of the Quirino Grandstand. Taxi drivers all over Metro Manila surely know how to get there. One can also ride a bus or jeep along Taft Avenue or an LRT and drop off at United Nation Avenue Station. Then from there, You can ride a pedicab going to Manila Ocean Park. Or you can just walk! From the LRT station in Taft Avenue, walk towards Rizal Park. There you'll pass Mabini Street and Roxas Boulevard. You'll also pass by the famous Rizal monument and the Quirino Grandstand. Beside the grandstand is the gate going to Manila Ocean Park.

   Walking from Taft Avenue might be a bit tiring specially during afternoon but the beautiful landscapes and scenery along the way will definitely delight one's eye.

The gate beside Quirino Grandstand
   Manila Ocean Park offers different packages to choose from. Prices vary depending on the number of attractions one can go to.

   As of October 2015, Here are the available promo packages of Manila Ocean Park.

Deep Sea Rush 6 580/pax
  • Oceanarium
  • Back of the House
  • Jellies Exhibit
  • Sea Lion Show
  • Sharks & Rays Dry Encounter
  • Symphony Evening Show
Ocean Madness 4 600/pax
  • Oceanarium
  • Trails to Antartica (Penguin Exhibit)
  • Trails to Antartica (Snow Village)
  • Symphony Evening Show
Sea Breeze Express 10 750/pax
  • Oceanarium
  • Fish Spa
  • Back of the House
  • Jellies Exhibit
  • Penguin Talk Show
  • Birds of Prey Kingdom
  • Sea Lion Show
  • Sharks & Rays Dry Encounter
  • All Star Bird Show
  • Symphony Evening Show
Marine Voyage 13 990/pax
  • Oceanarium
  • Fish Spa
  • Back of the House
  • Trails to Antartica (Penguin Exhibit)
  • Trails to Antartica (Snow Village)
  • Jellies Exhibit
  • Penguin Talk Show
  • Birds of Prey Kingdom
  • Sea Lion Show
  • Sharks & Rays Dry Encounter
  • All Star Bird Show
  • Symphony Evening Show
  • plus Gift Item
   It would be nice if we chose to buy the Marine Voyage Package but because it's already past noon, we thought we can't get in to all of the attractions so we decided to avail the Deep Sea Rush Package. With just 6 places to go to, we also had time for shopping and eating.


   Upon entering the main lobby, We noticed that a group of students are lined up going in to the Oceanarium so we decided to take our lunch first. There are a number of restaurants lined up on the left wing of the building. Walk passed through it and you'll pass a narrow walkway where small stalls selling souvenirs, gadgets and whatnot are situated. At its end is a walkway on the right which leads to the 4D Ride attraction. There were also small food booths along that area. We decided to go up on the second floor and there we found a restaurant, souvenir stores and cafes.

   We decided to eat at Makan-Makan, located at the second floor of the building.

   After having a delicious lunch, we went to the Jellies Exhibit located at the second floor of the building.

   It is pretty dark inside the exhibit room. A large illustration about the life cycle of jelly fish is posted on the wall beside the entrance. Different species of jellyfishes are featured in every wall. Some of them have long tentacles and some are poisonous too. Lights with changing colors added awesome effects on the jellies' skin.

   On the other side of the hall is a passage way which leads to the other room where more kinds of jellyfishes can be seen. Jellies in different size and shapes are displayed inside the glass pillars.

Inside the Jellies Exhibit

    The Sea Lion Show is about to start so we hurriedly went to the main lobby where the open arena is located. Two lovely sea lions together with their trainers went up the stage and joyfully greeted the audience.

   The show started with some facts about the sea lions. Then they showcased a lot of tricks like fetching, dancing and searching things within the area. I enjoyed watching those lovely sea lions. After the show, visitors can have a photo with them in the sea lion area located at the back of the ticketing booth.

   Inside the area, people where lined up waiting for their turn to have a picture with the sea lions.

   On its opposite side, we saw the huge caged area where different kinds of birds are seen flying. That is the Birds of Prey. Unfortunately, it is not included on our tour package so we didn't had the chance to see those fascinating birds.



   We also had a chance to enter the Sharks and Rays Dry Encounter. A huge open aquarium where manta rays and sting rays swim together with some sharks. A trainer inside the aquarium answers different questions asked by the visitors about the rays and the sharks. He even let us touch them! My son was delighted seeing those large aquatic animals up close.


   At the far end of the second floor is where the Back of The House is located. We went inside that place and there we learned how they take care of all the aquatic animals that can be found inside the Oceanarium. We also saw a portion of their water filtration system and a large infographic on how it help clean the polluted water of Manila Bay.

At the Back of the House
   The main attraction of this place is the Oceanarium where different kinds of fish and other aquatic animals can be seen. As we enter, beautiful landscape with aquariums on every sides can be seen. We take a wooden stair that leads to the other part where we saw crocodiles and other kinds of small fish. I was amazed on the vines hanging on the ceiling of this area.

   After it, we entered a dark room where cute little fishes in different colors are displayed on every side. These were the ones that lived in a coral reef. In this area, visitors are encouraged to disable flash when using their cameras.

   As we moved further, we saw some sea creatures with odd shapes and appearance. One would be surprised that there are kinds of fishes in the world that we thought didn't exist.

   We entered a large hall where medium sized fishes can be seen. These are the kinds of fish that can be seen deep in the ocean. We noticed that some of them where the ones that you can buy in the supermarket for food.

   Entering the underwater tunnel feels like walking under the sea. Marine animals of different kinds can be seen in every corners. Visitors tend to stop in this area for awhile to shoot photos. There were less sea animals swimming around this tunnel compared to my last visit here three years ago.

   Passing through the tunnel leads to the last room where you can literally touch small fishes through the hole of the aquarium. Sting rays can also be seen on the ceiling!

   It feels like diving under the sea after seeing all of those lovely and amazing sea creatures.


   The exit door of the Oceanarium leads to the second floor of the building. There we passed by the Trails to Antartica where you can encounter cute little penguins. There is also a winter village where you'll feel like walking through the icy plains of the Antartica because of its freezing temperature.

   This attraction is not part of our tour package so let me just share some photos we've taken three years ago.

Trails to Antartica

   We've also passed by Yexel's Museum where different toys are featured. Statues and different scenes from famous movie and TV shows are also displayed where visitors can have a photo with.



   The sun starts to set as we went to the last attraction: The Symphony Evening Show. The crowd started to fill up the bleachers then in a few minutes, the program commences.

   Beautiful display of lights and water fountains are featured during the whole show. The program ended with a high rising water splash along with the colorful dancing lights and fireworks which left everyone in awe.


   When having a tour, I suggest to locate first every attraction from the map and plan where to go first depending on the schedules of the shows and its location. We had a hard time climbing up and down the floors because there is only one active escalator going to the second floor. The whole place might get a little crowded because of the field trips from different schools.

   It was a fun-packed experience. Lots of things have improved and the cleanliness is well-maintained. It's a different feel compared to my last visit but I still had fun and learned new things. My experience in this amazing aquatic themed park is all worth it.



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