It’s a deep experience!
Behind us is not some marine poster, but an oceanarium with real fishes swimming! We checked out Manila Ocean Park, the country’s first ocean park located at the back of the Quirino Grandstand. The Php 400 fee I think is too much for viewing big aquaria inside. The deep sea journey is arranged into stages: from Agos, Bahura, Laot, Karagatan, The Deep to simulate the different ecosystems of the marine animals. The collection of fishes isn’t impressive and the arrangement of the aquaria doesn’t leave much to be desired for. It lacks artistic value and looks plastic–some corals and other marine plants are artificial. I’m wondering if Nemo feels strange inside the tank. The large tanks with the big fishes are the main features of the ocean park. The stingrays command special attention while the sharks look very unpredatory because of their small size. The sight of divers fixing up tubes, feeding the fishes and even posing with guests while on the other side of the glass provides some comic relief, if only to make the price you paid for worth it. All in all, the experience is still memorable, as this is the first time we’ve been to an ocean park, seeing these sea creatures swimming from all corners, walls of the place. The no-flash rule of the park seems very violated as innocent guests push the shutter and the stress-inducing (to the fishes) lights come off as often as the PA system reminds everyone not to use their flash.
Some interesting creatures spotted:
The frog fish which looks like a toy
The Japanese king crab, the largest living arthropod which looks ancient because it is considered a fossil!
Baby fishes
Like a rolling stone this is not, a stone fish that is not a-movin’
Leaving…
We spent the rest of our afternoon walking down Luneta lane, in an effort to find the Orchidarium which was unfortunately closed for renovation. We reminisced about the first time we went there as kids only to discover that there are not so many kids there strolling with their family anymore but streetchildren coexisting with lovers, photographers, tourists and suspected bad elements. Rizal’s monument still is guarded, the giant map of the Philippines is now devoid of water, the carabao is still there, few kites are dotting the skyline now near the grandstand, the wind is not as fierce as before when there weren’t so many structures there. Comparisons are aplenty.
We capped off our exhausting adventure by devouring mami, siopai and pancit canton at Ma Mon Luk’s, home of the original mami. The classic taste of mami revived! I was so full I could hardly move after.
