A review of Oceanarium

Over the weekend we went to Sentosa to witness the newly renovated Oceanarium. It was an experience we were all looking forward to. I had not been there since the domestic tourism of Covid times, and companion blogging author (CBA) visited just about two years ago. My friend is a great fan of fish, so naturally we had to all go.

First impressions: the facade of the building looks really impressive. I thought the arches and the extended roof made it look imposing and wavy, which was a good thing. It would also be good for rainy days, which I noticed was not the case a few years ago. Sentosa is just poorly designed – they had roofs but the roofs don’t connect to each other, making the user experience during rain a huge pain. I think they are fixing this in recent developments.

After we entered the gantries, we were thrust into a hall that seemed shiny and new. The jellyfish came up immediately – okay, looks like the gallery is organised chronologically. Makes sense that we start from the not-too-sentient beings before we move on up the evolution chain. The jellyfish looked very similar to the last time I went, and I remember this because I really liked the jellyfish when the venue was still SEA Aquarium.

We continued on our way and ended up in a fairly large and cavernous room. Despite the gargantuan size, the live fish only took up like maybe 5–6 tanks in the room. There were cool interactive digital displays, and exhibitions of animatronics and fossils, but otherwise the area was normal.

It was around this point that I realised that I found the path familiar. We were basically going through the old aquarium in the opposite direction. Maybe they did this to extend a semblance of refreshment even though it was not super fresh. It’s like spraying deodorant under your pits after playing sport.

We then headed on to the other rooms. The fish extended from fresh and brackish water to oceans, then deep ocean. I appreciated the fact that the tanks were Halloween themed. Makes you want to come back to see if the fish would be riding sleighs in a couple of months.

All I could think about were microplastics

Some of my favourite exhibits included the jellyfish (although bare… but I guess ethereal is always nice), the shallow pool with the funny seahorses that kept getting blown away from their kelp posts, the coral reef tank with the football-looking fish, and the giant tank with the hammerhead sharks. The underlying thread among all this is that fish when in Situ of their environment looks a lot better than solo or in a small box of their own.

The labelling in the aquarium was also lacking. They would put a plaque of the fish name next to a tank, but you won’t see it. You will doubt your sanity, then you will see it in the neighbouring tank. Don’t say we did not warn you. Looking at you, Mandarin Fish.

I also felt quizzical that they had a frog section. Like sure yes similar habitat, but this opens us up to a slippery slope like what about alligators or other marine wildlife that are not so bound to the sea? I want water-bound only. If on land it does not shrivel up, I think it should be disqualified.

My favourite fish is the puffer fish. They look so confused all the time and ready to cry.

I did not like these fish. They were unmoving and eerily staying in place in a horde.

Overall, I don’t think the renovation did much to the aquarium. I think the amount of content was almost the same as before? The density is lower now that the total area is larger. Would not stop you if you got to go for free because of some corporate discount, but if you paid $50 on a weekend to see this, it would probably be the first and then last time you will see it for a long while.

Still, I enjoy looking at fish and learning from my fish enthusiast friend about the characteristics of a triggerfish. Overall, the company was probably what made the trip worth it.