It was my first time to see an anemone up close. Really.
A few weeks after its grand launch, we had quickly lined up to see Manila Ocean Park. Not such a good idea since there were still a lot of areas under construction.
But that wasn't about to dampen our spirits, no siree!
The Oceanarium was the most completed area. And I shit you not when i say the entrance alone took my breath away. It was a tunnel made out of glass that teemed with activity all around it. This structure was the main attraction and people ate it all up (not literally, of course)! Its mammoth surrounding spaces were filled with actual undersea life: from exotic flora to exotic fauna. Unfortunately though, it also filled up with people pretty fast. Some even stayed to sit and chat. Typical.
Bigness (and thank God, peace!) was the order of the day once you go through the end of the tunnel. Wall-to-wall fish tanks everywhere! The spaces in between were massive --but this maybe just because they haven't finished with the other tanks yet.
Now, what I like about each tank is the variety of layouts within. They didn't just stop at the usual anemones and weeds as fish accompaniment. There were makeshift sunken ships, treasure troves, discarded scuba suits. It's really like being in an actual dive site while keeping your freshly blowdried hair dry.
It was obvious that the rays were the stars --possibly by default since they were the ones that were shipped first into this aquatic park. Almost every tank has them.
There were sharks, too. Much to Kenji's joy and Miro's dismay. Lol!
If that doesn't turn you on and you want a more hands-on experience, then there are starfish you can hold and pet.
We were told that jellyfish, sea lions, mermaids, and a host of other attractions were soon to come. Needless to say, that's good enough reason to come back. In the meantime --after much excitement-- it was great to end the tour with a relaxing ship-watching session at the dock.
My personal take: I see big things for Manila Ocean Park. Big things. And we can't wait.
