Ocean Park 香港海洋公园 – Hong Kong, China

        When I was a little child, my parents took me to visit a marine conservation “Sea World” at Jakarta, Indonesia. At that time, I was amazed to know I was surrounded by many fish starting from the small to the huge ones swimming all over me in a gigantic glass aquarium. I always thought that the one in Jakarta was the most beautiful marine conservation in the world. However, I made up my mind once I visited Ocean Park in Hong Kong last January 2011.

        Aside from the well-known Disneyland, Hong Kong actually has another large theme park called Ocean Park. On the second day of my trip there, Michelle and I preferred visiting Ocean Park to Disneyland for we wanted to have a different taste this time. I quickly rushed to take a shower and wear my pink sweater and boots, ready to set off to the park. It was a cloudy day and the weather was chilling. After we got everything done, we departed from the auntie’s house heading to the MTR station. We took MTR to the Admiralty Station. Then, we crossed the road and found the bus that would take us to the Ocean Park. The bus number is 629. We bought the entrance ticket at the bus locket to avoid any possible long queue. It cost us 250 HK$. I used my Octopus card to pay the bus fee. The bus was a two-storey bus, a typical Hong Kong bus that you hardly find in other places. Michelle and I were very excited to go the upper level, but unfortunately it was already full. So we just stayed downstairs. It only took us approximately half an hour to reach the site.

Upon our arrival, we were welcomed by two plant statues of dolphins. It was so cute. I asked Michelle to have my photo taken with the dolphins.

 

We walked until we reached the main entrance with a large “Welcome to the Ocean Park” text with a seal as its mascot. The entrance fee was pricey. However, I was curious to know what was inside. There were also many people visiting this park. You could see it from how long the line up was.

        Ocean Park as its name represents, is the first theme park in Hong Kong and a world for largely ocean animals emphasizing more to a marine life. This park is also an oceanarium and animal theme park. Before the appearance of Hong Kong Disneyland, the park was a Disneyland in all children’s eye. Since the opening of its rival in 2005, the park had a stiff competition with the new theme park, yet it remained popular. It is not as commercial as Disneyland for it gives special privilege for the elderly and disabled to enter the park for free.  Occupying a large area of 870,000 square meters in Wong Chuk Hang and Nam Long Shan in the Southern district of Hong Kong, the park was founded by the Governor of Hong Kong Sir Murray MacLehose in 10 January 1977. So, the park enjoys history of more than 30 years. Considering the huge area, it is considered one of the largest ocean parks in the world and the largest amusement park in Southeast Asia. Its construction was funded by the Hong Kong Jockey Club with HK$150 million with the land provided for free by the Hong Kong Government.  Therefore, it was initially registered as a charitable non-governmental organization called Ocean Park Conservation Foundation Hong Kong. It has funded many research projects on dolphins, horseshoe crabs, porpoises, giant pandas, snakes and birds in various Asian countries. 

        The park is open daily from 10 am to 6 pm. It has a very strategic location for its area covers two islands that are separated by a large mountain, the Summit (Headland) and the Waterfront (Lowland) with the Headland is much larger than the Lowland. The larger of the two sections is on the headlands of Mount Nanlang. The smaller section is in the Huang Zhu Keng Valley lowlands. You can reach the two areas by a 1.5 km long cable car system, a shuttle bus or the Ocean express. Since its first opening until today, the park has developed into about 35 attraction and rides. It has also won several awards.

        As a major attraction in Hong Kong, the park attracts many visitors from all over the world. It does not only function as an amusement park, but it also has laboratories, breeding and education center and a whales and dolphins fund. The park is the first institution in the world that succeeded in the artificial insemination of bottlenose dolphins and developed numerous breeds of goldfish. To visit the entire park, arrange your time well. Otherwise, you will waste your time moving between the two islands. To have a complete exploration of the park, visit it early in the morning.

        As a jewel of Hong Kong, the park has million ardent visitors flocking to it every year. Annually visited by 30.000 students, it offers cheerful trip for students with complete information about ocean animals. In total, there are over 4 million visitors to this park for the whole year. Hong Kong people visit this park not only for fun but for educational purposes.  

 

Lowland Sections

The Lowland is made up of Amazing Asian Animals, Lowland Gardens, and Whiskers Harbour. 

 

Amazing Asian Animals

As the latest park attraction, this section was officially opened in January 30 2008. Amazing Asian Animals is made up of Giant Panda Adventure, Panda Village, Gator Marsh and Goldfish Treasures. 

Besides the one in Chimelong Zoo, Guangzhou, you could also see Panda in the Ocean Park. Look at that sleeping Panda, he’s so lazy…

Look! How cute this panda is !!!

A Panda Shop at the exit of the Panda Village, selling all cute stuff in Panda forms

The statue of a Panda eating  bamboo at the entrance of the Hong Kong Jockey Club Giant Panda Habitat 

Nearby the entrance to the Goldfish Treasures, there is a glass board filled with the handwritings and signatures of people who leave their personal message to support the conservation of ocean animals and a greener environment. As a young person, I would also like to participate, so I wrote something on the board, but I forgot what it was.

The entrance gate to the Gold Fish Treasures displays a big goldfish as its mascot. Indeed, inside the building there is a variety of goldfish with unique shapes, colors and sizes.

What a cute goldfish it is! Look at its chubby tummy…

The first time I saw these fish, I was laughing myself. They were just so funny with two eye lids that cover their real eyes. I wonder how they could recognize which direction to go. I call them blind goldfish. So funny. Their being shows how great my God is.

Lowland Gardens

The Lowland Gardens section consists of  Hong Kong Jockey Club Giant Panda Habitat, Sky Fair and Bungee Trampoline. 

At the Sky Fair, there are many gigantic and colorful helium-filled balloons that can soar up to 100 meters into the air with a diameter of 22 meters, taking visitors to overview the majestic views of Southern Hong Kong.

I was about to fly. The balloon would take me to the sky above… whoaaa… 

When I saw this clown for the first time, I found him very colorful. I said to Michelle to help me take a picture with him. What a clown!!! There were also jugglers and acrobats around this area.

Whiskers Harbour

The Whiskers Harbour section is made up of Dolphin University, Whiskers Harbour Playground, Ocean Theater and Whiskers Theater.

This is the entrance gate to the Whiskers Harbour section. From the colorful gate, you can guess that the place must be a fun and exciting place for kids.

In the middle of the Whiskers Harbour, there is a talking tree with a robotic owl that comes in and out telling the visitors to throw trash into the trash bin and keep the environment clean. This is a very good way to educate young children to love their environment. This tree supports the purpose of this park, that is for ocean animals conservation and environment preservation. What a brilliant idea. 

I was pretending to have a phone call in the telephone station. Surprisingly, the color of the station is the same as my sweater.

I entered the Whiskers Theater and watched the performance of the seals and other animals. However, I like the one in Sea World Jakarta much better than this one.

At the Whiskers Harbour Playground there is a black board filled with animal pictures. Those pictures might be drawn by kids or artisans.

        The Whiskers Harbour section is filled with a variety of rides for kids and adults who like to play. It offers a plethora of games and shows. However, I did not take any of the rides since it was not attractive to me. Do not take the rides if you have a heart attack. I recommend you not to take more than three rides, otherwise you would go home with a spinning and dizzy head. 

        We moved to the Headland by taking Ocean Express. Ocean Express was opened in 2009 and is a funicular express train that carries visitors to travel between the Summit and the Waterfront via a 1.3 kilometer tunnel in just 3 minutes. Visitors can enjoy a fantastic marine voyage with this latest transportation system that can carry up to 5000 people per hour in each direction. The Ocean Express resembles a submersible vehicle that offers visitors a vivid experience through a journey in the ocean. Get yourself ready for the surprises of sea creatures. Equipped with 3D multimedia of underwater life, the train makes the visitors feel like traveling inside the ocean. When I was sitting inside the Ocean Express, I felt like I was in a real ocean with 3D multimedia effects of sea creatures swimming above me. I really enjoyed the ride. And just in a snap, I arrived at the Headland.

 Standing in front of the Ocean Express Station at the Lowland, ready to go to the Headland.

Inside the Ocean Express Station, you could find many robotic statues with unique shapes and colors.  

Headland Sections

The headland has various thrilling rides including the Dragon, Eagle, Mine Train, and Abyss Turbo Drop, Crazy Galleon, Flying Swing, Raging River, Ferris Wheel, Ocean Park Tower and Space Wheel.

This is the Ocean Express station at the Headland. Look at the funicular tunnel.

        As I climbed all the way to the peak, the cold wind stroke me gently making me freezing. When I reached the top, I saw a very beautiful natural scenery. Overviewing the two islands, buildings and oceans that surround them, I really marveled at the beauty of the park.

A remarkable natural scenery seen from the Headland. You could see the skyscrapers, waters and hills surrounding the park.

Marine Land

We arrived at Marine Land section. This section consists of Pacific Pier, Atoll Reef, Chinese Sturgeon Aquarium, Ocean Park Tower, Sea Jelly Spectacular, Ocean Express, Cable car and Japanese garden.
   

The entrance of Pacific Pier

Pacific Pier is the place where you can see marine life in a man-made ocean glass tunnel . 

  

Pacific Pier houses 20 sea lions and seals from the Northern Californian Coast. The sea creatures are given a rocky habitat that looks like their original ecosystem.

 

Look at this lying seal. The Park provides a place that makes the mammals feel like being in their original habitat. 

The tower stands as high as 200 meters above the sea level, making it one of the tallest observation towers in Southeast Asia. You can overview the South China Sea from this place. It is another aerial vantage of 72 meters to provide you a panoramic view of the whole park.

Mesmerize yourself at the Park’s Atoll Reef. Atoll Reef is a huge elliptical four-stories fishbowl that consists of two major sections, the shadow and the deep levels. It has a collection of over 2000 fish from 250 different species including sharks, tropical fish and nautilus, morays, turtles and over 400 kinds of maritime animals from the Pacific islands or the South China sea. You can view these fish through a six-centimeter glass windows.

Sea Jelly Spectacular exhibits an underwater garden with over 1,000 sea jellies all over the world. The sea jellies are displayed in a clear crystal glass with lighting, music and multimedia effects, together creating an impressive view of underwater life.  To best capture the sea jelly’s movements, you’d better take videos than photos. It was amazing watching the grace movements and the glow-in-the-dark form of the sea jellies. They were just amazing!!!

 

The garden is a tranquil garden with Japanese style. It is decorated with greeneries, bridges and streams. You can find many koi fish here.  

 

There was almost nobody visiting this garden. No wonder, it was so calm and tranquil, a suitable place for those who seek for serenity.

The shops have unique outward face with the layout of the food products they sell .  

I was riding the cable car to go back to the Lowland. What an adventure!!!The cable car operates 205 meters above sea level. It transports visitors from the Headland to the Lowland and vice versa. The ride only takes ten minutes. Enjoy the unprecedented views of the surrounding area, the sea and the Park from inside the cable car.

Just getting off the cable car at the Lowland Cable Car Station

        After getting off the Cable Car, we ended our one-day exploration. Fatigue and hungry, we headed to the exit to find the bus that would take us back to Admiralty. Overall, the park is indeed a fascinating park for its marine life. However, for other animals shows, the ones in Chimelong are much worthwhile. If you visit the park in summer, be sure that you will be sweating. So, don’t forget to bring lots of waters for the restaurants inside the park are very expensive. You need a whole day to explore the entire park. So prepare yourself for a whole one-day exploration. Ocean Park promises fun for the whole family. It is a complete park with thrilling rides, entertainment, education and adventure. The park will fill your day with wonder, pleasure, excitement and reward you with satisfying memories. So, what are you waiting for? Visit the park soon!!!

 

Sources:

Personal experience and additional information from other online articles