Ocean Park: the First in Manila Philippines

by Elisa C., Mar 27, 2009

The state-of-the-art Ocean Park housing assortments of flora, fauna, beautiful corals, different species of fishes and sharks can be found in Manila located behind the Quirino Grandstand Luneta.

This is the entrance of the Ocean Park where people love to take pictures of it before entering inside. It is best to go here during windy or cloudy days because the sun's glary rays is not something you will be happy about. Inside the Ocean Park is like a big dome where people can buy their tickets, eat or shop. It has a mall, restaurants and many small stores. Look at the long line! The first stop is the Flow. This is where you can see a lot of fishes, shells and even some plants. You can also touch the starfish. There are educational posts of the scientific names, habitats and food of these faunas. Next stop is the Reef. It showcases magnificent and colorful corals and different species of fishes. They come in huge diversities ranging from the very small ones, to the chubby, rare, and even stony fishes. The following are some astounding species. In order: (a) Blade fish (b) Seahorse (c) sea monster (kidding, I forgot its name but it has a monster word on it) This one is sooo interesting. I am not sure of the specie's name but the sight of these little thing inside its sac really take my breath away. I think they are still in the early stages of the life cycle. The first one here is the Stone fish (it may not be moving but it is very poisonous). The middle one has a lip name on it. These are rare species. The middle one is the ribbon eel. The first one is the chubby and likes to open his mouth always. The second here is a shark. The Living Ocean is a 25-meter walk along an underwater tunnel. People can enjoy breathtaking views of marine animals and beautiful corals and plants. You can observe how they interact with the nature and with the other species. This is the ultimate experience of the underwater. You can also see some men feeding the fishes. There is also a Glass Boat for those who wants to experience riding on top of the tunnel to see the underwater creatures themselves. One of the amazing activity you can do in Ocean Park is to treat yourself into a spa. The Fish Spa! It has two pools. You are given a towel and 10 minutes only to soak your tired feel into a pool of small fishes nibbling away at your feet's dry skins. These fishes are called Doctor Fish. They are named such because of their capability to heal diseases of the skin like psoriasis. While for us, it is a treatment to enjoy clean and relax feet. The journey to Ocean Park is an educational and enjoyable experience. I can't remember the names of most fishes but I do remember how they look like. It fascinates me how we have so many beautiful sea creatures not only here but in other parts of the country. I sure hope that we will not abuse this wonder of nature but rather to preserve it.