Beneath the Surface: Exploring Singapore Oceanarium

It’s not every day you get to experience more than 500 million years of ocean evolution in just a few hours, but that’s what awaits at Singapore Oceanarium. Located within Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore Oceanarium is freshly reopened after an ambitious expansion, now three times the size of the beloved former aquarium.  

More than a showcase of marine life, Singapore Oceanarium invites visitors to dive into the depths of the story of the ocean, tracing the evolution of marine life through immersive multisensory storytelling and immersive digital displays, offering a peek into diverse underwater habitats from around the world with the help of cutting-edge technology.

More importantly, Singapore Oceanarium aims to foster a deeper understanding of the oceans for everyone, sparking curiosity about the seas by bringing visitors face to face with threatened marine animals, and inspiring a sense of responsibility through real-world conservation efforts.

Go with the flow

The journey begins once you pass the ticket gantry. Underneath the domed arches modeled after a whale, you are drawn into the oceanarium’s captivating dark entrance, where Drop of Water introduces how oceans were formed and the evolution of the first fish.

Crowds begin to gather in Ocean Wonders, mesmerized by some of the most picturesque habitats in the compound where hundreds of sea jellies of varying shapes and sizes gracefully pulse in the water brought to life by artful lighting, making this one of the most photographed sights in the oceanarium.

Crossing into the Ancient Waters section, it’s an underwater prehistoric zone with gigantic animatronic replicas of the Dunkleosteus, an extinct fish that existed during the Late Devonian period about 382-358 million years ago, baring their teeth at you from above. Down below, you can see more habitats featuring other evolutionary wonders like the horseshoe crab and epaulette shark. Don’t miss out on the vividly-colored poison dart frogs and the ever-popular axolotls in the Conquering Land section, showcasing the evolution of animals from sea to land.

Marine animals aren’t the only stars in the Oceanarium. The Spirit of Exploration section features a replica of the 9th-century Jewel of Oman – a dhow which traced the old sea trading route from Oman to Singapore through a 67-day journey. Explorer's Nook (a sit-down cafe) and a suspended web called Pier Adventure by the ship also make this a great place to take a break from your discovery voyage. 

The local mangrove shores get a spotlight in the Singapore's Coast corner down the escalator beside the ship. A large intertidal pool in the center features knobbly sea stars and other coastal critters that can be carefully handled and observed up close. A discovery pool is home to a team of naturally curious cleaner shrimp that interact with guests on their own terms, moving to guests who place their hands in the pool.

Next up is Shark Seas with an extraordinary encounter showing sand tiger sharks and scalloped hammerhead sharks. Download the Singapore Oceanarium app to bring the wall images of sharks to life with augmented reality, but nothing can beat watching the majestic sharks swimming overhead and around you as you stroll through the glass tunnel to the next section. 

The shallow sea habitats ahead feature colorful coral gardens and bountiful kelp forests, but before you get there you have to make a stop at the Open Ocean habitat. Fronted by an expansive glass panel, the largest viewing port in the oceanarium is a window into a wonderful world. Manta rays swoop by gracefully, larger-than-life giant groupers mosey along and bottom-feeding Indo-Pacific leopard sharks swirl about, with nary a collision. You could spend hours watching this real-life screensaver in action.

Amidst the photogenic waterscapes and splendid recreations of marine habitats, Singapore Oceanarium is also a platform for visitors to learn about our impact on the blue world. The Open Ocean Currents section addresses the devastating effects of pollution with a spotlight on growing garbage patches in the oceans, and you can discover the importance of artificial reefs becoming essential sanctuaries for biodiversity in the Artificial Habitats zone.

Things get even deeper in The Abyss, offering a rare glimpse into the mysterious watery depths through deep-ocean exploration. Specimens of these rarely-seen deep sea animals are brought to life with the artful lighting effects and AR technology. The intriguing Whale Fall and Seamount zone impresses with a large whale skeleton replica depicting the resting place of a fallen whale in the depths of the sea. The simulation of underwater volcanoes bubbling all around adds to the atmosphere. 

Singapore Oceanarium journey concludes on a thought-provoking note, shifting focus away from wonders of the deep to the urgent reality nature faces today. An immersive multimedia projection with melting glaciers is a beautiful but unsettling reminder of the impact of climate change. The Hallway of Hope, showcasing successful marine protection efforts, is a call to action – highlighting that while the challenges are great, so too is our capacity to care for the oceans. 

Digging deep with the Fossilist Workshop

Singapore Oceanarium offers several immersive programs for visitors seeking deeper understanding of the underwater world, from Insider Experiences that offer exclusive access to behind-the-scenes areas within the oceanarium, to animal spotlights, educating about marine life like manta rays and sea jellies.

But I was more curious to learn more about the fauna that no longer exist. Part of the Singapore Oceanarium’s expansion includes a dedicated Research and Learning Centre facility located at the back of the building for seminars and workshops, and it is here that I am cheerily greeted by Nasiruddin, my facilitator for the Fossilist Workshop.

The first hour covers an overview of what fossils are and how they came to be, presented in a digestible and interactive way, from handling and examining actual fossils and replicas up close, to creating hilariously bad sketches of what I think the fossils might have looked like when alive. Kids and families love the interactivity of these sessions, but Nasiruddin tells me that the workshop is a surprising favorite for couples on a date. 

The second half of the workshop is dedicated to fossil excavation and a chance to use all the tools laid out on the table. I was given a block of clay and the freedom to chip away at it with a small chisel. It took me just ten minutes to catch a glimpse of something shiny, and a well-placed hit revealed a small shiny spiral-shaped ammonite fossil I could take home – along with an illustrated fossil factsheet and a lanyard.

The Fossilist Workshop is a 2-hour session that takes place twice a day on weekends at 10am and 2pm. I recommend doing the Fossilist Workshop before your visit to Singapore Oceanarium, as it gives you more context and a better understanding of your encounters – especially of the Ancient Waters zone. The workshop costs S$88 ($68 USD) on its own and S$143 adult/$131 child ($111/$101 USD) with 1-day entry to Singapore Oceanarium.

Singapore Oceanarium is open daily 10am-7pm, though there are some early closure days and the viewing panel at Open Ocean has scheduled maintenance on Tuesdays.   

Give yourself ample time to explore - it took me about 2.5 hours to complete a full walkthrough without any guided tours or side activities. Singapore Oceanarium has its own app. It's useful for checking the daily schedule for feedings, presentations and activating AR and VR elements during your visit. Finally, the oceanarium’s proximity to Resorts World Sentosa, and Universal Studios Singapore, makes folding it into a longer family vacation easy. Find out more at rwsentosa.com.