Manila Ocean Park

FEATURE

So we've been promising ourselves that we would visit the Manila Ocean Park for the longest time now. We've been wanting to have some interesting activities, different from the mall-hopping we do around town. We finally got around to it and we had an awesome time. The posts will be split into two parts, with one on the park itself and the next on Hotel H20.

Here's a picture walkthrough of the marine life on display in the oceanarium:

You're greeted by an imposing crocodile as you enter.

Feel free to touch the starfish or (for PHP50) feed koi out of a baby bottle.

D: I was always under the impression that fish made for really lame and boring pets, but isn't this one such a cutie pie?

P: This is a pretty strange and badass fish.

Vertical, see-through fish

Love the pattern and colors of this fish!

These moray eels are awesome! They look like monster creatures with emotions.

The requisite Nemo shot

The grumpiest fish you'll ever see. This rock fish was guarding the lobster hiding behind it.

This picture is just awesome. These strange eels just stick out of the sand, incredibly still and serene.

This was a cool feature. You get to walk through a tunnel with fish and manta rays gliding overhead.

The multi-colored jellyfish section, featuring all their stages of development. 

Late in the afternoon, we had the chance to watch two of MOP's feature attaractions, the South American Sea Lions. These cuties knew exactly what to do to draw oohs and aahs from the sizeable crowd. They flipped, danced, swam and even gave P a kiss!

After all the walking and touring, we decided to treat our feet to the fish spa. The small pool is filled with Dr. Fish that eat away the dead skin right off your feet, leaving them smooth and rejuvenated.

The first few nibbles from the fish sent chills down the spine but after settling in, the swarm of hungry fish was actually very relaxing. It also helped not to look while the fish were eating away!

Before calling it a day, we had a choice of either the Shark experience or the Aquanaut adventure. Since we'd rather walk underwater than be stuck in a cage surrounded by sharks, we went with the Aquanaut.

Sadly, these are the only outfit shots we took for the day.

The tank we went into was 12 feet deep and filled with tons of different sea life. 

The helmets weighed 35kg above water and around 20kg below so you can imagine that it was a bit of a challenge walking around. It was definitely a one-of-a-kind experience though being so close to the manta rays, fish, and eels. 

For those who are trying to save a bit, you don't have to hop on a plane to go on an adventure. Places like MOP lend some excitement to your stay in the city!