Given how crowded it can be during the weekends and holidays, having an occasion that falls in the middle of the week is a great opportunity to celebrate and to take a day trip to one of the metro's most sought after attractions - the Manila Ocean Park.
Manila Ocean Park is the Philippines' first world-class marine theme park and an all-year all-weather destination for tourists and locals alike. Although it has been almost a decade since it's first opening, the park has expanded greatly over the years and continues to delight even the seasoned travelers.
If you're planning a trip to the park any time soon, here are photos and videos to help you navigate through its fascinating features and attractions. This first part will focus on the main attraction of the park, the Oceanarium.
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| Oceanarium Entrance |
Manila Ocean Park's Oceanarium is home to 14,000 marine animals from around 277 species. Most creatures housed here are indigenous to the Philippines and Southeast Asia. It offers a stunning walk through of the watery depths featuring five zones - the Jungle Trek, The Reef, Lost Atlantis, Living Ocean, and Deep Sea.
Jungle Trek
The journey inside the Oceanarium begins at the freshwater zone called the Jungle Trek, where a variety of freshwater fish mostly found in Amazon and African rivers are featured.
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| Jungle Trek Zone |
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| "Rainforest" look and feel |
Some of the fish species seen here are the Koi Fish, Catfish, Pink Danio, Tetra, Freshwater Angelfish, Red-Tailed Tinfoil Barb, Indo-Pacific Tarpon, Clown Knifefish, Giant Gourami, Black and Red-Bellied Pacu, Janitor Fish, Cichlids, Arapaima, and Alligator Gar.
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| Arapaima and Alligator Gar |
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| Cichlids |
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| The Cichlids up close |
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| Catfish, Giant Gourami, Janitor Fish and Black Pacu |
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| Red-Bellied Pacu |
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| The Red-Bellied Pacu resembles the fearsome Piranhas |
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| Red-Tailed Tinfoil Barb, Tarpon, and Clown Knifefish |
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| Pink Danio, Tetra and Freshwater Angelfish |
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| Koi Fish |
The Reef
Next zone is The Reef where colorful fishes of the Philippine coral reefs take center stage. In this section, species are sourced from the province of Palawan.
The Reef features a wide variety of sea creatures including the Blue Tang, Clown Fish, Moorish Idol, Sailfin Tang, Saddleback Butterfly Fish, Pajama Cardinal Fish, Lionfish, Seahorse, Bamboo Shark, Coral Catshark, Glass Perchlet, Longhorn Cowfish, Stone Fish, Star and Stripe Puffer Fish, Manila Puffer Fish, Razor Fish, Cowrie, Star Fish, Moon Wrasse, Banded Humbug, Yellowtail Fusilier, Yellowtail Damsel, and Harlequin Sweetlips.
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| The Reef Zone |
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| The zone with the most number of tanks |
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| Tanks of various shapes |
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| Tanks of various sizes |
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| Tanks that house varied types of fish |
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| Interconnected tanks |
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| Moorish Idol, Sailfin Tang, Blue Tang, Butterflyfish Reef |
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| The Razor Fish Habitat |
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| The Blue Damsel Fish Tank |
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| The Banded Humbug Tank |
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| The Harlequin Sweetlips Tank |
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| Coral towers in cylindrical aquariums |
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| A school of Yellow Tail Damsel |
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| A school of Yellow Tail Fusilier |
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| The Clown Fish Tank |
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| The different varieties of Clown Fish |
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| The Pufferfish Tank |
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| Manila Pufferfish |
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| Pajama Cardinal Fish |
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| The venomous Stone Fish |
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| Clown Fish |
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| Touch Pool |
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| Starfish |
Lost Atlantis
Lost Atlantis presents ruins of ancient cities found at the bottom of the sea.
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| Lost Atlantis Zone |
This zone is also home for bigger fish such as Grouper, Blacktip Shark, Giant Trevally, Titan Triggerfish, Longspine Porcupine Fish, and Eel.
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| The long and huge tanks of Lost Atlantis |
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| The ruins turned fish habitat |
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Eels hiding between rocks and
sunken jars |
Living Ocean
The heart of the Oceanarium is called Living Ocean. It features a 25-meter long, 22o-degree curved underwater tunnel that passes through an aquarium with a spectacular view of various sea creatures swimming overhead.
It houses sea creatures of different sizes like the Napoleon Wrasse, Bowmouth Guitarfish, Orbicular Batfish, Bludger Trevally, Golden Trevally, Sailfin Snapper, Emperor Red Snapper, Checkered Snapper, Butterflyfish, Triggerfish, Giant Groupers, Cownose Ray, and Jenkin's Whipray to name a few.
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| Living Ocean Zone |
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| The 225 degree acrylic viewing tunnel |
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| The tunnel is the highlight of the zone |
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| Gives the feeling of being "under the water" |
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| Giant Grouper |
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| Giant Groupers |
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| Napoleon Wrasse and Orbicular Batfish |
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| Guests' underwater up close encounter |
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| The other end of the Living Ocean Zone |
Deep Sea
The underwater adventure ends at the zone called Deep Sea, where visitors can see up-close the Giant Grouper, Whitetip Shark, Blacktip Shark, Nurse Shark, Zebra Shark, Bluefin Trevally, Bigeye Trevally, and Bangus.
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| The Deep Sea Zone |
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| Trevallies with Sharks at the overhead tank |
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| An interactive Magic Tank where you can touch some fish |
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| The zone features a Bangus tank |
Trivia: The water source for the Oceanarium is filtered water from Manila Bay. A special process is done to ensure that the seawater is suitable to marine life.
The Oceanarium also offers an educational activity area where guests can learn more about the seas and its conservation.
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Various conservation and educational programs
are available at the park |
Read about MOP's other attractions:
Additional Park Information
The Oceanarium is open on Mondays-Fridays from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM and on Weekends and Holidays from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM. Last entry into the attraction is at 7:15 PM.
Security checks will be conducted on all guests entering the Oceanarium. All bags shall undergo inspection before entry.
Flash photography is not allowed as this scares the marine animals inside.
The interactive sections, educational signages, materials, and other equipment have been installed within the park to enhance the learning experience. Guests are expected to take care of these equipment while in use.
Proper decorum is required to be observed at all times. Running, shouting, and banging of the acrylic panels are prohibited to avoid disturbing other guests and the animals, and to avoid any untoward incidents.
To learn more about Manila Ocean Park's Oceanarium, visit the website here.
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