The
Ocean Park of the Future
Mark Li
The moment I enter the big blue park, fragrant
freshwater odors completely arouse my nostrils. With numerous food stalls,
exciting attractions, and souvenir shops found at every corner, people always fill
this grand aquarium, giving endless noise throughout the whole 743 square meter
park. The Manila Ocean Park, a theme park unlike any other, boasts of its
exotic animals, state-of-the-art facilities, and other attractions as the
Philippines’ only marine-based theme park. Located just behind the Quirino
Grandstand at Manila, this theme park is ideally situated for the convenience
of its visitors.
Showcasing a variety of marine
animals, the Manila Ocean Park aquarium, or “Oceanarium,” houses different sea
creatures native to the Philippines. “The ‘Oceanarium’ itself makes the trip of
going here to the park worth it,” says Darwin Calpatura and Noemie Tesorero, a visiting
couple at the park. This grand aquarium’s greatest attraction—a 25 meter underwater tunnel
named as Buhay ng Karagatan (Living
Ocean)—allows the park visitors to watch the fish and other marine life such as
sharks and stingrays literally swim over their heads. “We love watching the sharks
and stingrays from such a close view,” the couple said. “All of us, including
our daughter, are having a wonderful time here at the ‘Oceanarium’.” Other
parts of the “Oceanarium” include Agos,
where most of the small fish are found. Though people more often go to the
other areas, this area is still considered a major part of the park. Bahura is another part of the park where
all of the coral reefs are displayed; Laot
is always filled with visitors for displaying big fish and some stingrays; Kalaliman is where marine creatures in
the deepest parts of the ocean are found; Pagi
is a tank where stingrays fly over the person, much like the Buhay ng Karagatan, except that only
stingrays are found in this area; and Pating,
where a number of sharks are featured. “Not only do we enjoy watching the fish
here, but we also learn more about what they are and how they live,” says the
couple as they exit the park.
Aside from showcasing marine
animals, the park also displays a number of exhibits and attractions not
exclusive to sea creatures. Some of these attractions include a fish spa, a
penguin exhibit, and a glass-bottom boat ride. The fish spa, a small pool
filled with fish feeding on dead skin cells, exfoliates and massages the feet
after a long, busy day. Allen Capua, a
student from DLS-CSB, shares his personal experience on his first visit to the
park. “Out of all the attractions inside the park, the fish spa is my
favorite,” says Allen, “because it massages my aching feet after a long day of
walking throughout the park.” He says that he loves the feeling of getting a
thousand kisses on his feet, which, if you ask me, is pretty much amazing. The
park also features a penguin exhibit displaying a number of penguins swimming
in water, sliding on ice, and feeding on fish. Isolated in a cold-weather zone,
the penguins feel just at home. “I love how the penguins wobble as they walk on
the icy floor,”
says Albert Uy, a first time visitor of the park. “They look so
cute walking with their flippers on their sides. I also love it when I get
up-close with the penguins to feed them,” says Albert, “because I can see their
cute little bodies with a much more detailed look.” Another of the park’s
wonderful attractions is its so-called “Glass-bottom Boat,” which, as the name
implies, offers a boat with a glass bottom, enabling its passengers to see the
waters below them. Eunice Ong, a student of Ateneo who has already visited the
park for the second time, tells us why this boat ride is her favorite
attraction. “I love watching fish, especially from the glass-bottom boat where
I stare directly down to watch the fish swim. With the glass being crystal
clear, it makes watching the fish even more interesting.”
The Manila Ocean Park, through years of development,
has added a hotel with a restaurant for visitors to enjoy. This 4-star hotel,
named Hotel H2O, is a separate project which opened five years
before the opening of park itself, as stated by Nikko Rodriguez and Giecel
Vales, concierges of the hotel. Situated literally above the sea, this hotel
also provides beautiful sceneries of the sea for its guests. “Our hotel is not
your average four-star
hotel,” says Nikko and Giecel, “Unlike other hotels,
ours is built right inside a theme park, providing an ample number of
attractions for the guests’ entertainment.” They also said that the hotel’s 149
rooms are always full during weekends, occupied mainly by foreigners.
“Forty-nine of our rooms, including nineteen suites, have an aquarium inside,”
the concierges said, “to show the aquatic theme of the hotel. The hotel also
has a restaurant called “Makan Makan Asian Village,” where buffets and popular
Asian dishes are served to hotel guests.
The Manila Ocean Park truly is a
sight for sore eyes, with lots of attractions and places to visit. From its big
blue aquarium, to its aquatic hotel, this park will surely capture the hearts
of its visitors. The chit-chat of the people, the freshwater odor of the park
waters, and the fun attractions—all of these, now engraved into my memory of
the park. Now, as I exit the big blue park, I stare out the window of my car, hoping
to go back to the park on another day.
Picture references:
4.
http://www.ilink.ph/h2o-hotel-manila
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