The Manila Ocean Park was opened last March 1, 2008. It is a marine themed park that includes an Oceanarium, a mall, a restaurant row, outdoor pools, boutique hotel, open marine habitats and multi-purpose function facilities, together in one complex.
This world-class structure is owned by China Oceanis Philippines Inc., the subsidiary of China Oceanis Group Ltd (COG). This company focuses in the investment, building, and operation of public aquarium/oceanarium attractions.
Manila Ocean Park is located in Manila, Philippines, behind Quirino grandstand at Rizal Park. This establishment has a floor space of about 8,000 m2 while its oceanarium is even larger than the Sentosa Underwater World oceanarium in Singapore. The oceanarium major pull is its 25 m underwater acrylic tunnel.
Below are the General Sections of MOP…
Sections of the Oceanarium:
• Agos or Flow – exemplifies a rainforest motif complete with 8 tanks of freshwater fishes.
• Bahura or the Reef- is an exhibition of artificial corals in 48 tanks.
• Laot or Fishing Ground- is an exhibit that features big fish and Eagle-spotted rays in a long tank.
• Buhay na Karagatan or Living Ocean- the 25 meter long walkway tunnel with 220 degree curved acrylic walls.
• Kalaliman or the Deep- displays various marine animals which are found in the deepest parts of Philippine’s water.
• Pagi or Sting Ray- you can see different types of rays fly over while in the oceanarium unique Overhang Tank.
• Pating or Shark- this features several species of sharks.
Acquatica Musical Fountain:
A consultant of Manila Ocean Park, Tim Bennet, said “The show is about the celebration of the ocean, the celebration of the fish. How beautiful everything is! Let’s keep it that way.”
This is Manila’s tallest musical fountain which is 120 feet high. It is also the largest water and laser show consisting of over 1,600 water nozzles along with fabulous water, music, lights and special effects. It is also backed by live performance. This fantastic night attraction shows on Wednesday to Sunday at 7:00 pm.
The Marine Life Habitat:
The sea lion performance is one of Manila Ocean Park’s most recent attractions. This amusing show features these two stars, a couple of sea lions namely Vincent and Sandra. You will enjoy them do some tricks like doing a military salute, balancing a ball, and dancing gracefully. This show has been opened just last September 2010.
Concourse Plaza:
Its Concourse Plaza houses can handle big events like concerts, performances, as well as product launches for the whole year.
Marine-Themed Mall:
The MOP is the Philippine’s first marine-themed mall that comprises 25 restaurants where customers can enjoy Manila Bay’s beautiful sunset and dine al fresco. It also includes 30 unique stores to shop for souvenirs.
Open Water Marine Habitat:
For those who want to get up close with the marine life, then visit the Open Water Marine Habitat. It is an outdoor swimming pool crowded with diving facilities where visitors go snorkeling or diving.