As you may have seen from their website, the park is open from 9 am to 6 pm daily. Rates are as follows:
Admission Prices :
Adult - Php 500
Children 12 years old and below - Php 420
Senior Citizen - Php 400
Children 12 years old and below - Php 420
Senior Citizen - Php 400
A quick look at the place back in the summer of 2009, gave us the impression that the place was well maintained, the staff was courteous, well informed and very helpful.
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| Bamboo Shark housed at the Ocean Discovery Aquarium |
First up on the tour was a quick peek at the sea creatures housed in the Ocean Discovery Aquarium. Sharks, fishes, crustaceans and other curious looking animals from mangrove forests, coral reefs, dark caves and fresh water streams, are all housed in this building.
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| Picture this baby without it's spikes, topped on a hollowed out cucumber...mmm :) |
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| Baby manta |
Next stop on the tour was the Sea Lion Marine Patrol Show. South American sea lions ham it up on stage with their trainers. If you could ignore the fishy smell of these mammals, this is one show that would delight young and old alike.
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| 'Sup people?! |
That summer, there was also a High Dive Show which featured a foreign diving team. It was quite entertaining but given that it was summer and the show was done in the afternoon, the sun beat down on our exposed precious selves mercilessly.
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| the venue of the high dive show (forgot the name of the diving team that was in it..my bad) |
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| the view from where we sat at the high dive show venue (behind us is where the Dolphin Friends Show is held) |
Lunch was a pretty decent affair at the Ilanin Bay Cafe. Food portions were big enough for heavy eaters (not referring to us :p ), food options were plenty and varied and prices were quite reasonable. The air conditioned restaurant found in the heart of the park was a welcome respite from the summer heat.
After lunch, while waiting for the Dolphin Friends Show to begin, we chanced upon a group of trainers feeding dolphins nearby. Up close, and without a crowd, we got to take pretty decent pics of the animals.
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| Feeding Time |
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| Waiting for the grub |
Soon enough, it was time for the show. We were ushered into a mini amphitheater of sorts, that was overlooking a fenced in portion of the bay. Tribal music began to play, as an announcer began a tale of the wonders of the sea, the love for mother nature and how we, in our own way, can make a difference. As she was narrating, trained cetaceans (dolphins, porpoises, false killer whales and their pantropical spotted dolphin) performed leaps and tricks, delighting the audience. I remember comparing this show to a similar one at Ocean Park in Hongkong, and I must say, I was quite impressed with the one we have at Subic.
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| Nope, these dolphins are making a break for it. It's part of the Dolphin Friends Show |
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| Tribal music ushered in the start of the show |
Of course a trip to Ocean Adventure won't be complete without an actual interaction with a live animal. Since we were heading off to the Zoobic Safari right after, we opted to sign up for a Sea Lion and a Dolphin Photo Encounter. After the Sea Lion Marine Patrol show as well as the Dolphin Friends Show, we got to get our pictures and interact with the stars of the show. On top of the entrance fee, shelling out extra moolah to hang out with these creatures was sooooo worth it. Here are the rates:
Sea Lion Photo Encounter
Price: One to Three persons Php 350.00
Price: One to Three persons Php 350.00
Dolphin Photo Encounter
Price: Solo Php 500.00
Two persons Php 650.00
Three persons Php 800.00
Price: Solo Php 500.00
Two persons Php 650.00
Three persons Php 800.00
*Photos will be burned on a CD.
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| Sea Lion Photo Encounter |
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| Ocean Adventure Entrance fee: 500 php. Sea Lion Photo Encounter 350 php. Feeling the love from these gentle animals: PRICELESS! |
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| Nothing prepared me for this experience. Touching a dolphin is neither gross or icky. It's actually like touching a latex body board, and they DO NOT smell at all! |
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| Touching Dawn the dolphin's pin-hole of an ear. despite the intrusion, she was soooo friendly! |
The processing of our photos was quite fast. After shopping a bit for pasalubong (presents for those back home) at the Ocean Treasures Gift Shop (cute, reasonably priced stuffed toys, magnets, shirts, keychains and so much more), our cd was ready for pick up. On top of our pictures with the animals, extra shots of the parks creature features and main attraction were burned into. (Note: the air conditioned photo kiosk had real pleasant people in it, and even without the shopping, waiting for your cd would not have been such a chore) . Also, for those with kids, they have a place called The Learning Center, were kids are given an entertaining yet educational lesson on marine ecology.
Regrettably, our visit at Ocean Adventure came to an end. Checking out their website showed me recent additions to their already great roster of activities and features. Among those I'd want to check out are The Adventures of Olongapo Jones and the The Walk on the Wild Side Show. I would definitely come back and hopefully have all the kiddies with us in the next visit. Just don't forget to bring the usual summer travel essentials (drinking h2o, sunblock
(banana boat or our very own, locally made Beach Hut products are the bomb) , maybe some after sun lotion
, a hat and sunglasses, and you're all set for this summer getaway!
, a hat and sunglasses, and you're all set for this summer getaway!
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From TMW, may all your wanderings be better than ours!!
