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MANILA, Philippines -- Imagine going to Manila Bay and coming face-to-face with a shark or even a school of fierce barracudas.
Come December, this awesome scene will be experienced by Filipino adults and children alike with the completion of the Manila Ocean Park just behind the Quirino Grandstand at the Rizal Park.
The P1-billion project of Singaporean and Malaysian investors is the first world-class marine park to adopt a “fusion concept,” according to Manila Ocean Park president Lim Chee Yong.
Lim said the concept entailed bringing together an oceanarium, a mall, a boutique hotel, a restaurant row and open marine habitats -- where marine enthusiasts could learn to swim and dive with the fishes.
“The park will house the first and largest aquarium facility in the Philippines,” Lim announced during a walking tour with the media on Wednesday at the site.
He said that both the oceanarium and the open marine habitats would contain 12,000 cubic meters of seawater featuring 300 marine species indigenous to the Philippines and Southeast Asia.
Lim proudly said that the Manila Ocean Park would be among the most advanced ocean parks in Asia -- with an area larger than the famous Sentosa oceanarium in Singapore.
“Sentosa is 6,000 square meters while this one is 8,000 square meters,” Lim said. He also compared Manila’s upcoming marine park with Hong Kong’s Ocean Park, “which has lots of fun rides but showcases a smaller oceanarium.”
Robert Dean Barbers, Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA) general manager, said that unlike other oceanariums in Asia, the Manila Ocean Park would be getting marine species from Philippine waters.
“All over the world, people have been saying that our country is the center of marine biodiversity,” Barbers said. “This is the time to be proud and show the world what we have.”
Lim said the project would be composed of three phases, with the oceanarium as the first phase. It would be completed and opened to the public this December.
“The second phase, which includes the marine-themed mall and the hotel, and the third phase, the open marine habitats, would be completed next year,” Lim said.
He said the Manila Ocean Park would be affordable to all -- P250 for students, and P350 to P400 for regular patrons.
Aside from providing jobs to 2,000 Filipinos, the project would enable the government to earn P20 million annually in rental fees.
“After five years, there would be an incremental increase of five or 10 percent per year. We would also get a share from the income,” Barbers said.
During the walking tour conducted as a “sneak peek” for the media, officials and personnel of the Manila Ocean Park showed the different parts of the oceanarium, now 80 percent complete.
The “oceanarium journey” is divided into six sections, each one carrying a Filipino name to exhibit national pride, according to the park’s vice president Cristina Romualdez.
The first section, called Agos (Flow), features a rainforest-theme with eight tanks containing freshwater species.
“This part of the oceanarium -- the only open area in the facility -- shows the interconnectedness between the water and land,” Romualdez said. Agos would also feature an artificial waterfall and a touch pool, where children could interact with creatures such as starfish and shrimps.
The next section, called Bahura or the Reef, would exhibit artificial corals in 48 tanks, complete with their scientific and common names, and their roles in the ecosystem. Laot (Fishing Ground), on the other hand, would feature big fish and Eagle-spotted rays in a long tank.
The main attraction of the oceanarium is a 25-meter long walkway tunnel with 220-degree curved acrylic walls.
“Other oceanarium tunnels only have 180-degree curved walls. The Manila Ocean Park tunnel in effect, would give patrons a better viewing experience,” Romualdez said.
She said one wall of the tunnel would feature corals and small fish, while the other wall would exhibit big fish like sharks and rays.
A school of barracudas would be seen swimming in a large tank at the Kalaliman (The Deep) section of the oceanarium. There would also be a shark tank and an overhead aquarium featuring the breathtaking beauty of rays, Romualdez said.
“We are largely an educational facility. As much as possible, we want to promote the conservation and preservation of marine species,” Romualdez said, pointing out that the park has been working very closely with government agencies such as the Department of Education and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
She said the Manila Ocean Park would not include protected and endangered species such as whale sharks and other sea mammals.
A team of marine biologists and scientists has been working to ensure that the types of fish put together could live well with each other in the tanks, Romualdez said.
“We are very careful about the fish display. We are aware that we have a responsibility also -- both to the public and the environment,” she said.
Manila Ocean Park is owned by China Oceanis Philippines Inc., a subsidiary of China Oceanis Inc., a Singaporean-registered firm that has operated four oceanariums in China.
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