New Singapore Oceanarium offers a world of marine mysteries
Opening on Jul 24, the Singapore Oceanarium at Resorts World Sentosa is set to be a world-class marine attraction – part immersive experience, part science centre, part conservation hub. At triple the size of its predecessor (the SEA Aquarium), the Oceanarium spans 22 themed zones that blend well-designed habitats with digital displays and a vast array of marine animals.
Highlights include a 36-metre-wide Open Ocean viewing panel, one of the largest in Asia, and a massive kreisel tank filled with thousands of swirling sea jellies. Visitors can explore a replica of a deep-sea submersible, or descend into the haunting world of a 'whale fall' ecosystem – where the carcass of a whale sinks to the ocean floor and transforms into an oasis for deep-sea organisms. Visitors can even sleep overnight in glamping tents surrounded by marine life.
The Oceanarium takes you on a deep dive into ocean ecosystems. PHOTO: YEN MENG JIIN, BT
Notably, this marine attraction is home to Asia's first Green Mark Platinum Zero Energy marine research centre, powered entirely by solar panels. Accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, it plays a critical role in preserving endangered species such as the bowmouth guitarfish and sunflower sea star.
In short, this Oceanarium offers you a deep dive into the future of the ocean. Whether you're a curious child or a lifelong sea adventurer, it invites you to discover and care.
Tickets start from S$50 for adults and S$39 for children or senior citizens. For Singapore residents, prices start from S$42 and S$35, respectively. The attraction will be open daily from 10 am to 7 pm from Jul 24.
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Business Times
a day ago
- Business Times
Dive into the ocean's story at Singapore Oceanarium in RWS
[SINGAPORE] The Singapore Oceanarium at Resorts World Sentosa doesn't just take you into the ocean's depths. It pulls you through 500 million years of marine history, from prehistoric predators to tomorrow's fragile coral reefs. Spread over 22 themed zones and three times the size of its predecessor (SEA Aquarium), the new oceanarium is designed less like an aquarium and more like a time machine. It's one of few marine attractions in the world that doesn't just display the ocean's biodiversity – it shows you the past, present and future, in an immersive presentation. The coral reef exhibits are a kaleidoscope of colours. PHOTO: YEN MENG JIIN, BT The journey begins in the world's earliest chapters. Creatures long vanished from Earth – such as the jaw-snapping dunkleosteus and the terrifying xiphactinus – rear their prehistoric heads through life-sized animatronics, towering replicas and augmented reality. Alongside them, ancient survivors such as the horseshoe crab and Australian lungfish live in real tanks, having outlasted the Ice Age and even the dinosaurs. The subsequent zones show the ocean as we know it today. In one called Singapore's Coast, visitors are transported to the island's mangrove shores, where the archerfish and barred mudskipper dart between tangled underwater roots. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 2 pm Lifestyle Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself. Sign Up Sign Up A re-creation of Singapore's waters shows how they teem with life. PHOTO: YEN MENG JIIN, BT In Coral Gardens, reef fish shimmer like confetti. In Ocean Wonders, moon jellies float in a 6.8 m kreisel tank, mesmerising the viewer with their gentle undulations. In Open Ocean, the star attraction, a 36 m wide viewing panel allows one to peer into a massive 18 million litre habitat where manta rays, zebra sharks and spotted eagle rays glide by slowly and majestically. But the oceanarium doesn't stop at spectacle and wonder. In an unexpected pivot, it dives into the urgency of protecting our oceans before it's too late. Jellyfish perform their hypnotic, pulsing waltz. PHOTO: YEN MENG JIIN, BT The Open Ocean Currents zone uses art and projection mapping to track the journey of a single plastic bottle drifting across the seas. In Ocean's Future, you step into an animated ice shelf that's fracturing and falling all around you, as global warming destroys one of Earth's last great frontiers. Other installations present haunting visions of what the ocean could become if we don't act. Predators galore in this section highlighting prehistoric sea creatures. PHOTO: YEN MENG JIIN, BT Behind all this is the beating heart of the oceanarium: the Research and Learning Centre. The first of its kind in Asia to be certified Green Mark Platinum Zero Energy, the facility runs on 100 per cent solar power and houses coral propagation labs, jellyfish nurseries, and conservation efforts for critically endangered species such as the bowmouth guitarfish and the sunflower sea star. The oceanarium showcases critically endangered creatures such as the axolotl (ambystoma mexicanum), a paedomorphic salamander. PHOTO: YEN MENG JIIN, BT It's not just a place for scientists – it's open to the public too, through workshops, behind-the-scenes tours, and hands-on experiences that combine education with real-world conservation. Families can dig for real fossils in day programmes, design custom fish on interactive screens, or get up close with Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins in guided spotlight tours. Fancy falling asleep to this view? Singapore Oceanarium invites you to glamp overnight. PHOTO: YEN MENG JIIN, BT For those chasing a more exclusive thrill, try the Ocean Dreams experience. It's a sleepover inside the oceanarium, where guests spend the night in glamping tents pitched right in front of a giant viewing panel. Dinner is curated. The lights are soft. And as the sea creatures drift by, so do your thoughts. This isn't just an aquarium. It's a call to care – for the sea, its future, and our place in it. Tickets start at S$50 for adults and S$39 for children or senior citizens. For Singapore residents, tickets start at S$42 and S$35, respectively. The attraction will be open daily from 10 am to 7 pm from Jul 24.
Independent Singapore
5 days ago
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'Can wonder spark change?' Singapore's revamped Oceanarium bets on storytelling to save the sea
Photo: Singapore: After nearly three months behind curtains, what was once the S.E.A. Aquarium is resurfacing with a bold new identity. Come July 24, Singapore Oceanarium—now rebranded as an 'ocean institute'—will open its doors to the public. It's bigger, flashier, and three times the size of its predecessor, boasting 22 immersive zones spanning prehistoric oceans to imagined futures. But beneath the shimmer of life-sized animatronics and digital projectors, a deeper question surfaces: Can an attraction built on spectacle also inspire stewardship? During a media preview on July 16, reporters were led through a tightly choreographed journey that begins with a single drop of water—symbolic of beginnings—and winds through coral gardens, deep-sea trenches, and even speculative zones on climate change, Singapore's mangroves and sustainability. The Oceanarium's new pitch is not just entertainment, but 'knowledge, love, and action.' There's a clear attempt to shed its old aquarium image, positioning itself now as a place for ecological storytelling. Marine education is woven into every installation—from high-definition projections of migratory species to quiet corners spotlighting overfishing and coral bleaching. Tickets: A premium for purpose? That sense of mission, however, comes at a price. Residents : $42 for adults and $35 for children (weekday); $49 and $39, respectively, on weekends Tourists : Up to $55 per adult on peak days For a family of four, that's nearly $200 before a single fish is seen—or a conservation message absorbed. While the new Oceanarium promises more bang for the buck, the question of accessibility remains. And while Resorts World Sentosa touts a 'sea of celebrations' through August—including talks, exhibits, and immersive shows—the experience, at first glance, still caters to foot traffic, photos, and curated interaction over raw ecological urgency. The ocean as mirror Still, it's a rare space in Singapore where the ocean is not reduced to a commodity—be it seafood, shipping, or shoreline development. By starting with a drop of water and ending with the question of what our oceans might become, the Oceanarium takes a brave thematic leap: inviting visitors to wonder not just at nature, but about their role in preserving it. Whether this transformation truly fosters marine literacy—or simply updates the aquarium into an even grander Instagram stop—remains to be seen. But at a time when climate collapse looms larger than leviathans, perhaps even a spark of awe is a step in the right direction. () => { const trigger = if ('IntersectionObserver' in window && trigger) { const observer = new IntersectionObserver((entries, observer) => { => { if ( { lazyLoader(); // You should define lazyLoader() elsewhere or inline here // Run once } }); }, { rootMargin: '800px', threshold: 0.1 }); } else { // Fallback setTimeout(lazyLoader, 3000); } });
CNA
6 days ago
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Sustainable tourism: Singapore Oceanarium opens, connecting visitors to marine conservation
Singapore is making waves in sustainable tourism, with the new Singapore Oceanarium adding a splash to its growing list of eco-friendly offerings. At three times larger than its predecessor, it boasts a Research and Learning Centre to advance marine education and support conservation. Caitlin Ng brings us through the revamped ocean institute and how it is more than just an attraction.
