DAY 11: Monday, August 12th
After finishing up with Bird Paradise and the overall brilliance of the
Mandai Wildlife Reserve, we booked a Grab/Uber and
@twilighter and I were then driven 30 minutes south to our next destination.
Zoo/Aquarium #34: S.E.A. Aquarium (Singapore)
Sentosa Island is a massive resort that attracts something like 15 million annual visitors, depending on which website data you analyze. The biggest draw is Universal Studios Singapore, which had it's grand opening in 2011 and has an annual visitor count of more than 4 million people. S.E.A. Aquarium receives 2 million annual visitors. There's also Adventure Cove Waterpark, Dolphin Island, beaches, shopping, dining and many expensive sights. Konstantin and I were shocked at some of the prices, even for basic items like chocolate bars and tourist t-shirts. Konstantin actually took off on his own to wander the shops and have a little rest in the afternoon, as he had recently been to the aquarium and didn't feel the need to tour it a second time within a year. I was off on my own!
The S.E.A. (Southeast Asia) Aquarium opened in 2012 and at the time widely advertised itself as the world's largest aquarium based on the amount of water contained within the establishment. Since then, Chimelong Ocean Kingdom (China) opened in 2014 and with its almost 13 million gallons (49 million liters) it has now claimed the #1 position. S.E.A. Aquarium has
only 12 million gallons (45 million liters) of water in all its various tanks.
Resorts World Sentosa map:
My photo shows a single massive store that sold nothing but chocolate-related items.
Aquarium exterior and entrance zone:
If you look at the aquarium's online map, there are 7 labeled zones and #7 (the exit) is where everyone
entered when I toured the facility. There was ongoing construction (more on that later) and the only choice at the start was to enter the long tunnel for
Apex Predators of the Sea.
I can only imagine how amazing this exhibit would be if it were not for the choking crowds in all directions. Even though I toured this aquarium on a Monday afternoon, it was packed to the gills (literally!) and entering a big shark tunnel right out of the gate was more of a chore than anything else. While many aquariums eliminate the use of strollers, S.E.A. Aquarium allows strollers/prams by the dozen and it's an insanely busy facility.
Navigating the aquarium isn't an issue, as there is a very long hallway ending up at the Open Ocean Habitat, then a second hallway that you follow back to the exit. The S.E.A. Aquarium is essentially a rectangle, with visitors going down one hall and reaching the end, then turning around and coming back down a different hall.
The aquarium claims to have "over 100 sharks across 12 species" and here is the species list, courtesy of
@NATY for the
Apex Predators of the Sea exhibit.
- Blacktip Reef Shark (Carcharhinus melanopterus)
- Blacktip Whaler (Carcharhinus limbatus)
- Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse (Labroides dimidiatus)
- Convict Tang (Acanthurus triostegus)
- Grey Reef Shark (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos)
- Indo-Pacific Sergeant (Abudefduf vaigiensis)
- Japanese Wobbegong (Orectolobus japonicus)
- Redtooth Triggerfish (Odonus niger)
- Sandbar Shark (Carcharhinus plumbeus)
- Sand Tiger Shark (Carcharias taurus)
- Scalloped Hammerhead Shark (Sphyrna lewini)
- Scissortail Sergeant (Abudefduf sexfasicatus)
- Silvertip Shark (Carcharhinus albimarginatus)
- Tasselled Wobbegong (Eucrossorhinus dasypogon)
- Tawny Nurse Shark (Nebrius ferrugineus)
- Whitetip Reef Shark (Triaenodon obesus)
After fighting my way through the streaming crowds amidst the eye-popping shark tank, I emerged, slightly worse for wear, in the
Underwater City section of the aquarium.
Thanks to
@NATY for the species list:
Atoll
- Elegant Dartfish (Nemateleotris decora)
- Mandarinfish (Synchiropus splendidus)
- Orange Sun Coral (Tubastraea micranthus)
- Pyjama Cardinalfish (Sphaeramia nematoptera)
- Seagrass Filefish (Acreichthys tomentosus)
- Zoanthids (Zoanthus sp.)
Soft Corals
- Achilles Tang (Acanthurus achilles)
- Black Sea Cucumber (Holothuria atra)
- Black Tang (Zebrasoma rostratum)
- Blue Green Chromis (Chromis viridis)
- Blue Linckia (Linckia laevigata)
- Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse (Labroides dimidiatus)
- Brocolli Coral (Litophyton arboreum)
- Copperband Butterflyfish (Chelmon rostratus)
- Domino Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris)
- Hawkfish Anthias (Serranocirrhitus latus)
- Red-eye Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus solorensis)
- Regal Angelfish (Pygoplites diacanthus)
- Spaghetti Finger Leather Coral (Sinularia flexibilis)
- Tomato Clownfish (Amphiprion frenatus)
Barrier Reef
- Blue Tang (Paracanthurus hepatus)
- Brain Root Coral (Lobophyllia corymbosa)
- Boulder Horn Coral (Hydnophora exesa)
- Bubble Coral (Plerogyra sinuosa)
- Cactus Coral (Pavena cactus)
- Cauliflower Coral (Pocillopora damicornis)
- Copperband Butterflyfish (Chelmon rostratus)
- Clark's Anemonefish (Amphiprion clarkii)
- Hemprichii Root Coral (Lobophyllia hemprichii)
- Hodag's Montipora Coral (Montipora confusa)
- Honeycomb Coral (Diploastrea heliopora)
- Jewelled Blenny (Salarias fasciatus)
- Lamarck's Angelfish (Genicanthus lamarck)
- Montipora Digitata (Montipora digitata)
- Purple Anthias (Pseudanthias tuka)
- Red Coral Perch (Helicolenus percoides)
- Sixline Wrasse (Pseudocheilinus hexataenia)
- Sun Coral (Tubastraea sp.)
- Thick Birdsnest Coral (Seriatopora caliendrum)
- Thin Birdsnest Coral (Seriatopora hystrix)
- Yellow Belly Damsel (Pomacentrus auriventris)
- Yellow Scroll Coral (Turbinaria reformis)
Patch Reef
- Blacktail Humbug (Dascyllus melanurus)
- Blue Linckia (Linckia laevigata)
- Mandarinfish (Synchiropus splendidus)
- Montipora Digitata (Montipora digitata)
- Skunk Cleaner Shrimp (Lysmata amboinensis)
- Torch Coral (Euphyllia glabrescens)
- Yellow Scroll Coral (Turbinaria reformis)
Singapore Coast
- Blackspotted Puffer (Arothron nigropunctatus)
- Blue-ringed Angelfish (Pomacanthus annularis)
- Blue-spotted Fantail Ray (Taeniura lymma)
- Coral Grouper (Cephalopholis miniata)
- Jarbua Terapon (Terapon jarbua)
- Orbicular Batfish (Platax orbicularis)
Hard Corals
- Blue Damselfish (Chrysiptera cyanea)
- Blue Tang (Paracanthurus hepatus)
- Convict Tang (Acanthurus triostegus)
- Copperband Butterflyfish (Chelmon rostratus)
- Forceps Butterflyfish (Forcipiger flavissimus)
- Lyretail Anthias (Pseudanthias squamipinnis)
- Maroon Clownfish (Premnas biaculeatus)
- Moorish Idol (Zanclus cornutus)
- Seagrass Filefish (Acreichthys tomentosus)
- Starck's Damsel (Chrysiptera starcki)
- Vase Coral (Montipora capricornis)
- Yellow Scroll Coral (Turbinaria reformis)
- Yellow Tang (Zebrasoma flavescens)
Sailfin Snapper
- Bicolor Chromis (Pycnochromis margaritifer)
- Black Long Spine Sea Urchin (Diadema setosum)
- Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse (Labroides dimidiatus)
- Chocolatedip Chromis (Chromis dimidiata)
- Sailfin Snapper (Symphorichthys spilurus)
- Shortspined Multi-coloured Urchin (Tripneustes gratilla)
Moray Eel
- Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse (Labroides dimidiatus)
- Dragon Moray Eel (Enchelycore pardalis)
- Green Moray (Gymnothorax funebris)
- Tessellate Moray (Gymnothorax favagineus)
I was able to get a half-decent shot of a cylinder tank exhibit, with visitors pressed in on all sides.
Next up is
Quirky Adaptations, which contains some odds n' ends type species.
Elephant Fish
- Australian Elephant Fish (Callorhinchus milli)
- Cape Elephantfish (Callorhinchus capensis)
Butterflyfish
- Golden Butterflyfish (Chaetodon semilarvatus)
- Indian Double-saddle Butterflyfish (Chaetodon falcula)
- Orange-lined Triggerfish (Balistapus undulatus)
- Picasso Triggerfish (Rhinecanthus assasi)
- Raccoon Butterflyfish (Chaetodon lunula)
- Saddled Butterflyfish (Chaetodon ephippium)
- Threadfin Butterflyfish (Chaetodon auriga)
- Vagabond Butterflyfish (Chaetodon vagabundus)
- Whitespotted Boxfish (Ostracion meleagris)
Squirrelfish
- Blacktip Grouper (Epinephelus fasciatus)
- Crimson Soldierfish (Myripristis murdjan)
- Longspine Squirrelfish (Holocentrus rufus)
- Painted Spiny Lobster (Panulirus versicolor)
Clownfish and Sea Anemone
- Azure Demoiselle (Chrysiptera hemicyanea)
- Clown Anemonefish (Amphiprion ocellaris)
- Copperband Butterflyfish (Chelmon rostratus)
Kelp Forest
- Hilgendorf's Saucord (Helicolenus hilgendorfii)
- Horseshoe Leather Jacket (Meuschenia hippocrepis)
- Marbled Rockfish (Sebasticus marmoratus)
- Popeye Catalufa (Pristigenys serrula)
- Vermilion Rockfish (Sebastes miniatus)
- Zebra Fish (Girella zebra)
Seahorse
- Longsnout Seahorse (Hippocampus reidi)
- Rainford's Goby (Koumasetta rainfordi)
- Seagrass Filefish (Acreichthys tomentosus)
Seadragon
- Weedy Seadragon (Phyllopteryx taeniolatus)
Razorfish
- Blackfin Dartfish (Ptereleotris evides)
- Janss' Pipefish (Doryrhamphus janssi)
- Razorfish (Aeoliscus strigatus)
- Ringed Pipefish (Dunckerocampus dactyliophorus)
- Sixspot Goby (Valenciennea sexguttata)
- Yellow Prawn-goby (Cryptocentrus cinctus)
Lionfish
- Red Lionfish (Pterois volitans)
- Zebra Turkeyfish (Dendrochirus zebra)
Unsigned
- Fluted Giant Clam (Tridacna squamosa)
- Indian Sailfin Tang (Zebrasoma desjardinii)
- Rainbow Wrasse (Halichoeres iridis)
- Red-eye Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus solorensis)
Weedy Seadragons are always delightful to see in aquariums:
@Zooish
Australian Elephant Fish (aka Ghost Shark) and Cape Elephant Fish exhibit:
Australian Ghost Shark:
@Zooish
So much for being a 'Southeast Asian' aquarium, as the initial 2012
Maritime Silk Road theme was quickly abandoned and within a few years exhibits such as this Californian Kelp Habitat opened. It's nice, but very small and that's a theme in certain parts of the aquarium.
@Zooish
Going through Apex Predators of the Sea, Underwater City and Quirky Adaptations was an intriguing experience, with the crowds honestly tainting my overall view of the aquarium. The initial shark tank is terrific, but after that there's lots of standard-sized aquaria and tight hallways and a very dark environment. Getting useable photos is difficult, signage is hit and miss and the slowly scrolling screens on many of the tanks are beyond painful to wait for. I specifically remember one section where I had to stop and allow several moms with strollers to pass as there was literally no space for me to walk by. That's why I've frequently praised aquariums that have wide hallways, as these type of facilities are usually only a couple of acres in size and dealing with massive crowds can be frustrating for everyone.
Halfway through the S.E.A. Aquarium, one reaches the
Open Ocean Habitat and it is indeed an ocean of water and absolutely spectacular. Originally supposed to contain Whale Sharks, before there were public objections, the star attractions are the Reef Manta Rays and they are beautiful to watch as they glide through the water. There's more than 40,000 fish in this superb tank, with 4.8 million gallons of water (18 million liters) and it's breath-taking.
It's amazing at how infrastructure can evolve over time in the world of aquariums. When Monterey Bay Aquarium opened its Open Sea wing 30 years ago, it was heralded as a huge step forward in aquaria. I've now seen a number of massive tanks on my travels that are
far superior in terms of the visitor viewing areas, which even at S.E.A. Aquarium is excellent with space galore for the never-ending crowds. Also, the Singapore attraction's big tank is literally close to being
FIVE TIMES LARGER than the one at Monterey Bay, so it's taken that 'big tank model' and greatly increased the overall quality of the presentation. Various other aquariums around the world have these mega tanks, such as the relatively unknown Nordsoen (North Sea) Oceanarium in northern Denmark which has a million-gallon tank with Mola Molas that's also an improvement on Monterey Bay's Open Sea complex and it just goes to show how aquariums have evolved in the last 30 years. The idea of a 'mega tank' is now common all across Asia and so I wonder what's next for aquariums? How big can aquarium tanks in Singapore, China, Japan and United Arab Emirates get? Is there a limit?
Species list for the
Open Ocean Habitat, courtesy of
@NATY
- Black-blotched Fantail Ray (Taeniurops meyeni)
- Bluespine Unicorn Tang (Naso unicornis)
- Bowmouth Guitarfish (Rhina ancylostoma)
- Common Shovelnose Ray (Glaucostegus typus)
- Diamond Trevally (Alectis indica)
- Epaulette Shark (Hemiscyllium ocellatum)
- Eyebrow Wedgefish (Rhynchobatus palpebratus)
- Giant Grouper (Epinephelus lanceolatus)
- Giant Shovelnose Ray (Glaucostegus typus)
- Giant Trevally (Caranx ignobilis)
- Golden Trevally (Gnathanodon specious)
- Greater Amberjack (Seriola dumerili)
- Javanese Cownose Ray (Rhinoptera javanica)
- Leopard Whipray (Himantura leoparda)
- Lookdown (Selene vomer)
- Longfin Batfish (Platax teira)
- Pickhandle Barracuda (Sphyraena jello)
- Porkfish (Anisostremus virginicus
- Redbelly Yellowtail Fusilier (Caesio cuning)
- Reef Manta Ray (Mobula alfredi)
- Scalloped Hammerhead Shark (Sphyrna lewini)
- Snubnose Pompano (Trachinotus blochii)
- Spotted Eagle Ray (Aetobatus narinari)
- Thorntail Stingray (Bathytoshia lata)
- Whitespotted Guitarfish (Rhynchobatus australiae)
- Yellowstripe Scad (Selaroides leptolepis)
- Zebra Shark (Stegostoma fasciatum)
Here are some
additional species listed by
@Jorbe for the
Open Ocean Habitat
- Hasselt's bambooshark (
Chiloscyllium hasseltii) - confirmed by the keepers, but I was unable to find them
- Blacktip reef shark (
Carcharhinus melanopterus)
- Australian whipray
(Himantura australis)
- Mangrove whipray (
Urogymnus granulatus)
- Scaly whipray (
Brevitrygon walga) - maybe
- Sharpnose stingray (
Maculabatis gerrardi)
- Red stingray (
Hemitrygon akajei)
- Broad cowtail stingray (
Pastinachus ater)
- Yellowtail snapper (
Ocyurus chrysurus)
- Spotted sicklefish (
Drepane punctata)
- Elongate surgeonfish (
Acanthurus mata)
- Red drum (
Sciaenops ocellatus)
- Yellowstriped blackfish (
Girella cf. mezina)
- Bulbnose unicornfish (
Naso tonganus)
- Humpback unicornfish (
Naso brachycentron)
- Bignose unicornfish (
Naso vlamingii)
- Milkfish (
Chanos chanos)
- Salmon catfish (
Bleekeriella leptaspis)
- Blue salmon catfish (
Neoarius graeffei) - supposedly
- Rainbow runner (
Elagatis bipinnulata)
- Bluefin trevally (
Caranx melampygus)
- Bigeye trevally (
Caranx sexfasciatus)
- Ribboned sweetlips (
Plectorhinchus polytaenia)
One of the aquarium's 3 massive male Reef Manta Rays:
White-spotted Guitarfish:
@LaughingDove
Here is the viewing area called the
Ocean Dome:
@Zooish
It's odd that the
Ocean Dome would have a sightline that is clearly a walkway that disrupts the view for visitors.
It's crucial that the
Open Ocean Habitat has a
4-tiered viewing area to help with crowd control. It's a far superior setup in comparison to other cramped facilities. I really loved this whole area and it's obviously the best part of the aquarium.
@Zooish
"Bigger is better!" The
Open Ocean Habitat has enormous dimensions that make other aquarium mega tanks seem small by comparison. That's the joy of travelling the world, as you'll see something that's amazing on your own continent and treasure that image, but then you'll go somewhere else with even bigger and better displays.
It's time to head back down the opposite hallway towards the entrance, which brings me to
Ocean Diversity.
Again, thanks to
@NATY for the lineup of species:
Grunts
- Atlantic Blue Tang (Acanthurus coeruleus)
- Doctorfish (Acanthurus chirurgus)
- Hogfish (Lachnolaimus Maximus)
- Seagrass Filefish (Acreichthys tormentosus)
- Smallmouth Grunt (Haemulon chrysargyreum)
Dolphin
- Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops aduncus) - windows into a couple of tanks
Cuttlefish
- Broadclub Cuttlefish (Sepia latimanus)
Coldwater Anemone
- Dahlia Anemone (Urticina felina)
- Japanese Splendid Perch (Callanthias japonicus)
- Longspine Snipefish (Macroramphosus scolopax)
- New England Blue Lobster (Homarus americanus)
- Northern Red Anemone (Urticina crassicornis)
- Purple Sea Urchin (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus)
- Sailfin Sculpin (Nautichthys oculofasciatus)
- Strawberry Anemone (Corynactis californica)
Pineconefish
- Pineconefish (Monocentris japonica)
Sea Jelly
1. Pacific Sea Nettle (
Chrysaora fuscescens)
2. Atlantic Sea Nettle (
Chrysaora quinquecirrha)
3. White-spotted Sea Jelly (
Mastigias papua)
Moon Sea Jelly
- Moon Jelly (Aurelia aurita)
This gallery isn't that exciting and is a bit of a letdown after the ginormous Open Ocean Habitat tank. Seeing cuttlefish is cool and the New England Blue Lobster is a popular sight, but the sea jelly tanks are the usual ones that have been done a thousand times before.
@NATY
Up next is
School of Fish, an area with a lot of vibrant, colourful species. There's several rarities here, but photos in the ZooChat gallery are at a premium and I suppose that's due to the very dark atmosphere of the aquarium and the inability to snap outstanding photos because of the thick crowds around each standard-sized tank.
The species list for
School of Fish, via the invaluable
@NATY
Tasmanian Giant Crab
- Tasmanian Giant Crab (Pseudocarcinus gigas)
Focus Lens
1.
- Blunt-end Sea Hare (Dolabella auricularia)
- Singapore Glassy Perchlet (Ambassis kopsii)
- Tiger Cowrie (Cypraea tigris)
- Yellow Boxfish (Ostracion cubicus)
2.
- Dragon Moray Eel (Enchelycore pardalis)
- Snowflake Moray (Echidna nebulosa)
- Zebra Moray (Gymnomuraena zebra)
3.
- Bicolor Dottyback (Pictichromis paccagnellorum)
- Blood Red Fire Shrimp (Lysmata debelius)
- Dwarf Hawkfish (Cirrhitichthys falco)
- Longnose Hawkfish (Oxycirrhites typus)
- Purplemask Angelfish (Centropyge venustus)
- Zoanthids (Zoanthus sp.)
Old Wife
- Old Wife (Enoplosus armatus)
- Globefish (Diodon nicthemerus)
- Blue Bat Star (Patiria pectinifera)
Cylinder Tank
- Atlantic Blue Tang (Acanthurus coeruleus)
- Barred Filefish (Cantherhines dumerilii)
- Blacktail Humbug (Dascyllus melanurus)
- Blue-ringed Angelfish (Pomacanthus annularis)
- Clown Triggerfish (Balistoides conspicillum)
- Eyestripe Surgeonfish (Acanthurus dussumieri)
- Foxface Rabbitfish (Siganus vulpinus)
- French Angelfish (Pomacanthus paru)
- Giant Moray (Gymnothorax javanicus)
- Gilded Triggerfish (Xanthichthys auromarginatus)
- Napoleon Wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus)
- Pennant Coralfish (Heniochus acuminatus)
- Pinktail Triggerfish (Melichthys vidua)
- Port Jackson Shark (Heterodontus portusjacksoni)
- Powder Blue Tang (Acanthurus leucosternon)
- Queen Triggerfish (Balistes vetula)
- Raccoon Butterflyfish (Chaetodon lunula)
- Sailfin Tang (Zebrasoma velifer)
- Streaked Spinefoot (Siganus javus)
- Tessellate Moray (Gymnothorax favagineus)
- White-freckled Surgeonfish (Acanthurus maculiceps)
- Whitetip Reef Shark (Triaenodon obesus)
- Yellow Tang (Zebrasoma flavescens)
- Yellowfin Surgeonfish (Acanthurus xanthopterus)
- Yellowtail Tang (Zebrasoma xanthurum)
- Zebra Bullhead Shark (Heterodontus zebra)
Discovery Pool
- Azure Demoiselle (Chrysiptera hemicyanea)
- Blue Green Chromis (Chromis viridis)
- Chocolate Chip Sea Star (Protoreaster nodosus)
- Green Brittle Star (Ophiorachna incrassata)
- Pink Anemonefish (Amphiprion perideraion)
- Red-knob Sea Star (Protoreaster linckii)
- Scopas Tang (Zebrasoma scopas)
- Spiny Chromis (Acanthochromis polyacanthus)
- Three-striped Damsel (Dascyllus aruanus)
Banggai Cardinalfish
- Banggai Cardinalfish (Pterapogon kauderni)
- Black Long Spine Sea Urchin (Diadema setosum)
- Blueband Goby (Valenciennea strigata)
- Chinese Zebra Goby (Ptereleotris zebra)
- Jewelled Blenny (Salarias fasciatus)
- Orange Dashed Goby (Valenciennea puellaris)
- Pyjama Cardinalfish (Sphaeramia nematoptera)
- Scopas Tang (Zebrasoma scopas)
- Scribbled Leatherjacket Filefish (Aluterus scriptus)
- Star and Stripes Puffer (Arothron hispidus)
- Tiger Cowrie (Cypraea tigris)
- Yellow Tang (Zebrasoma flavescens)
- Yellowstriped Cardinalfish (Ostorhinchus cyanosoma)
Focus Globe
1.
- Checkerboard Rainbow Wrasse (Halichoeres hortulanus)
- Pastel-green Wrasse (Halichoeres chloropterus)
- Sea Apple Sea Cucumber (Pseudocolochirus violaceus)
2.
- Spotted Garden Eel (Heteroconger hassi)
Sponges and Gorgonians
- Adorned Wrasse (Halichoeres cosmetus)
- Bicolor Goatfish (Parupeneus barberinoides)
- Black Sea Cucumber (Holothuria atra)
- Blackbar Chromis (Pycnochromis retrofasciatus)
- Blackfin Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus melanomarginatus)
- Blue Linckia (Linckia laevigata)
- Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse (Labroides dimidiatus)
- Blue-spotted Spinefoot (Siganus corallinus)
- Brown Tuxedo Urchin (Mespilia globulus)
- Cherry Anthias (Sacura margaritacea)
- Cherry Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus sp.)
- Fan Bellied Filefish (Monacanthus chinensis)
- Finger Sponge (Holopsamma sp.)
- Flower Tree Coral (Scleronephthya sp.)
- Glassy Sweeper (Pampheris schomburgkii)
- Helfrich's Dartfish (Nemateleotris helfrichi)
- Japanese Swallow (Genicanthus semifasciatus)
- Messmate Pipefish (Corythoichthys haematopterus)
- Pintail Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus isoceles)
- Quoy's Parrotfish (Scarus quoyi)
- Redtail Filefish (Pervagor melanocephalus)
- Sand Sifting Sea Star (Archaster typicus)
- Sixline Wrasse (Pseudocheilinus hexataenia)
- Splendid Dottyback (Manonichthys splendens)
- Threadfin Cardinalfish (Zoramia leptocantha)
- Whitetail Bristletooth (Ctenochaetus flavicauda)
- Yellow Slender Wrasse (Pseudojuloides xanthomos)
- Yellow Tilefish (Hoplolatilus luteus)
Tasmanian Giant Crab:
@Hix
Last by not least is a real highlight in the shape of the
Shipwrecked! exhibit. I'm a huge fan of seeing
something in a big tank and that can be in the form of rock formations, sandy outcrops, or even a mock shipwreck placed in the center of the exhibit. It creates a sense of intrigue for both visitors and the denizens of the tank, with fish finding shelter as they curiously swim around whatever is in the exhibit. Occasionally, an aquarium will have bland tanks that invoke the actual ocean, but they are not as successful as something like Shipwrecked! here in Singapore. Again, I refer to the Nordsoen Oceanarium (Denmark), as their guidebook details about how they used to have an open ocean concept in their million-gallon tank, but they later changed it and put in rocks and their own shipwreck and the fish behaviour positively increased by a huge percentage. The animals became healthier, more lively, had a place to hide if they so chose, and the shipwreck became a focal point for the fish community.
One last species list, this time for
Shipwrecked!, courtesy of
@NATY
- Bonnethead Shark (Sphyrna tiburo)
- Bowmouth Guitarfish (Rhina ancylostoma)
- Bumphead Parrotfish (Bolbometopon muricatum)
- Common Eagle Ray (Myliobatis aquila)
- Foxface Rabbitfish (Siganus vulpinus)
- Golden Trevally (Gnathodon specious)
- Greater Amberjack (Seriola dumerili)
- Humpback Grouper (Cromileptes altivelis)
- Humpback Red Snapper (Lutjanus gibbus)
- Oblique-banded Sweetlips (Plectorhinchus lineatus)
- Orange-spotted Spinefoot (Siganus guttatus)
- Pennant Coralfish (Heniochus acuminatus)
- Snubnose Pompano (Trachinotus blochii)
- Spangled Emperor (Lethrinus nebulous)
- Zebra Shark (Stegostoma fasciatum)
@Jorbe has a list of
additional species that are located in the
Shipwrecked! exhibit:
- Banded scat (
Scatophagus tetracanthus)
- Silver scat
(Selenotoca multifasciata)
- Hogfish
(Lachnolaimus maximus)
- Spanish grunt
(Haemulon macrostomum)
- Common bluestripe seaperch
(Lutjanus kasmira)
- Limespot butterflyfish
(Chaetodon unimaculatus)
- Earspot angelfish
(Pomacanthus chrysurus)
- African moony
(Monodactylus sebae)
- Titan triggerfish
(Balistoides viridescens)
- Yellowmargin triggerfish
(Pseudobalistes flavimarginatus)
- Harlequin sweetlips
(Plectorhinchus chaetodonoides)
- Red-toothed triggerfish
(Odonus niger)
- Crimson snapper
(Lutjanus erythropterus)
- Blubberlip snapper
(Lutjanus rivulatus)
- Russell's snapper
(Lutjanus russellii)
- Spanish flag snapper
(Lutjanus carponotatus)
- Masked bannerfish
(Heniochus monoceros)
- Coralgrouper (
Plectropomus sp.)
- Black-velvet angelfish
(Chaetodontoplus melanosoma)
- White-banded triggerfish
(Rhinecanthus aculeatus)
- Lined butterflyfish
(Chaetodon lineolatus)
- Streaked spinefoot
(Siganus javus)
- Humphead wrasse
(Cheilinus undulatus)
- Chinamanfish
(Symphorus nematophorus)
- Pinktail triggerfish
(Melichthys vidua)
- Yellowface angelfish
(Pomacanthus xanthometopon)
- Indo-Pacific tarpon
(Megalops cyprinoides)
- Javelin grunter
(Pomadasys kaakan) - confirmation needed
- Coral grouper (
Cephalopholis miniata)
- Blackwedged butterflyfish
(Chaetodon falcula)
Summary:
S.E.A. Aquarium is arguably one of the great aquariums of the world and to think that it's situated only a half-hour away from the
FIVE elite Mandai Wildlife Reserve zoos is crazy. The species diversity and quality of zoo and aquarium exhibits to be found in Singapore is unbeatable anywhere on the planet. The Open Ocean Habitat is staggering in size, which makes it all the more remarkable that there aren't Whale Sharks swimming around in the colossal tank. It's the second largest aquarium in the world and that particular exhibit is the second largest I've ever seen after Ocean Voyager at Georgia Aquarium. There is a bit of a parallel between S.E.A. Aquarium and Georgia Aquarium, as once one is done gaping at the gargantuan main tank, then everything else is slightly underwhelming.
I also loved the Apex Predators of the Sea tank, with its 100+ sharks swimming around in what is perhaps an overstocked exhibit. Shipwrecked! is the third massive exhibit here and it's equally stunning. The problem is that after one gazes at those three world-class exhibits, all gorgeous and appealing in their own way, then the rest of the aquarium consists of cramped hallways, tight spaces, jam-packed crowds even on a Monday afternoon, and standard tanks that can be seen anywhere else. It's a little bittersweet. There's circa
45 exhibits in total, but what can the aquarium do to combat the flow of the intense crowds?
Hopefully an expansion is the answer:
Future: The S.E.A. Aquarium was under construction during my visit, and there were many posters and signs promoting the fact that it will be renamed as the
Singapore Oceanarium and expand in size and that will help with the intense crowds. There's a lot of articles online, but honestly very little information as to what exactly will be different in terms of animal exhibits. It's all part of Resorts World Sentosa's $7 BILLION expansion, which includes two hotels, Minion Land at Universal Studios Singapore, the upcoming Harry Potter: Visions of Magic experience and whatever the Singapore Oceanarium will look like when everything is finished. Singapore is
INSANE with it's quality everywhere and I would not be surprised to see the aquarium become even more sensational. Is there a remote possibility of adding Whale Sharks? I suppose not, so the 2 million annual visitors will have to be content with the graceful Reef Manta Rays as the star attraction in a facility that has more than 1,000 species if one counts all the fish and corals. Between the Mandai Wildlife Reserve parks and the Singapore Oceanarium, there must be approximately
2,000 captive species in a half-hour radius. Reading my own reviews, I'm tempted to go back to Singapore tomorrow!
Pah!