Manila Ocean Park - shallow reef

the Philippines as a whole is part of the coral triangle area of influence making it one of the most diverse underwater sanctuary of sea species. my father and my brothers spent so much time snorkeling during summer and special weekends. it is the best bonding time that we do next to watching sci-fi movies.

in Luzon, my favorite is the Balayan bay, which covers the area of Anilao and the nearby islands of Verde and Sombrero. here you can see giant clams, jawfish, clownfish, parrotfish, pufferfish and live corals in its own environment. you can easily spot and enjoy the presence of fishes even on its shallow area.

two months ago, the first ever ocean park in the Philippines was inaugurated. the Manila Ocean Park is boasting the different species found in this archipelago and in the world. it is not yet fully operational but i can’t resist seeing this park as early as this time. let me show you some of its species the closest possible view i can get.

the park features four divisions according to the environment. in this post i’ll feature "agos" and "bahura". "agos" or flow displays the fresh water creatures like the giant arapaima, river stingray and oscars. my favorite in this area is the alligator fish, it’s not as big as the arapaima but this one looks more grievous because of its long alligator-like snout.

if you are used to snorkeling, you’ll be fascinated with "bahura" or the shallow reef. here you get to see the famous clownfish and other colorful fishes.

giant clams are best displayed here.

tube anemones looks like plants with thick stems. the flower-like part get's inside its stem-like body or the dwelling tube once disturbed. the photo below shows the one infront with its flower-like part outside while the one in the rear side has its flower-like part hidden in its dwelling tube.

but like the rest of the people, i was intrigued with the bamboo shark eggs . it says that it hatches after four months.the small spotted garden eels and the weird yellow cowfish are also among the most interesting species in this section.

there are lots of tiger fish, stone fish, sea horse and parrotfish found in the bahura section. the rare species like the slipper lobster and the big japanese spider crab are among the most viewed creatures.
fake corals were used on most of the aquariums since corals are very delicate and are now being protected and preserved in the Philippine sea. knowing from my father that corals can take 20 to 30 years to recover when damaged. it’s good to know that World Wild Fund for Nature (WWF) is working with the Manila Ocean Park management to assure the safety and conservation of the species in this park.

on my next post, you will see more of the deep sea creatures found in this oceanarium.