Underwater World, Singapore

Underwater World, also known as Underwater World Singapore Pte Ltd, was an oceanarium located on the offshore Singaporean island of Sentosa. It was opened on 13 May 1991 and closed on 26 June 2016.[1]

Underwater World, Singapore
Entrance to Underwater World
1.2586°N 103.8112°E / 1.2586; 103.8112
Date opened13 May 1991 (1991-05-13)
Date closed26 June 2016 (2016-06-26)
Location80 Siloso Road
Singapore 098969
Land area28 hectares (69 acres)
No. of animals2500
No. of species250
Major exhibitsAquatic Creatures

History

The oceanarium was developed by the Western Australian Development Corporation in the late 1980s.[2] It opened to the public on 13 May 1991 and was sold to private investors a year later.[3] It had more than 2,500 marine animals of 250 species from different regions of the world.[4] The oceanarium was mostly underground and it was owned by the Haw Par Corporation. The Underwater World's ticket included admission to the Dolphin Lagoon at Palawan Beach. It re-opened on 23 February 2010 after a revamp of several attractions within the park.[5]

Underwater World was also involved in several environmental and educational projects, such as the Living in the Ocean Programme, Ocean Ambassador Programme and the Coral Club. The Underwater World also provided exclusive venues to host events, such as ocean-themed functions.

Attractions

Underwater World had a 83-metre (272 ft) long travelator that moved visitors along a submerged 6-millimetre (0.24 in) thick acrylic-windowed tunnel from which they could look at an array of marine life including coral reefs, stingrays, moray eels, turtles, sharks and others.

Adventures

The Underwater World and Dolphin Lagoon offered numerous adventures to the visitors. Some of them included:

  • Marine Discovery
  • Dive With the Sharks
  • Swim With the Dolphins[6]

Dolphin Lagoon
Dolphin performing an agile feat at the Dolphin Lagoon

The Dolphin Lagoon was home to several Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins, also known as the "pink dolphins". Several "Meet-the-Dolphins" sessions were held daily that allowed visitors to enter the waist-deep pool and interact closely with the dolphins. The ticket to the Underwater World & dolphin show did not include the direct contact with the dolphins, an additional photo-coupon had to be purchased. The lagoon also included a Dolphin Suite where visitors could watch the dolphin performance from within an air-conditioned area.[1]

In August 2014 the organizations Wildlife Watcher Singapore, in collaboration with Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, reported sub-standard living conditions for the animals.[7]

The pink dolphins have since been rehoused in Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, an oceanarium in Zhuhai, China.[8]

Effect of plans for Sentosa Integrated Resort

On 6 December 2006, Underwater World Singapore launched three new attractions—an interactive stingray feeding pool, a display of small marine reef species, and 'Fish Reflexology', Singapore's first fish reflexology spa, where two species of doctor fish gently nibble away at the dead skin on visitors' feet. The new features cost S$650,000.

This was amid plans that were being proposed for Sentosa's Integrated Resorts. Genting Group's S$5.2 billion proposal, Resorts World, would feature the world's largest oceanarium at that point in time—the 8-hectare (20-acre) Quest Marine Life Park—which would house 700,000 marine animals in a 30,000,000-litre (6,599,000 imp gal; 7,925,000 US gal) lagoon. Rival bidder Kerzner-CapitaLand's proposal would have an even larger marine habitat, with a capacity of 109,000,000 litres (23,977,000 imp gal; 28,795,000 US gal), including the world's largest jellyfish enclosure and an artificial reef for diving and snorkelling.[9] A week later it was announced that Genting International won the bid. In 2012, the Marine Life Park (also known as S.E.A. Aquarium) opened in Resorts World Sentosa.

Closure

On 6 June 2016, it was announced by operator Haw Par that the venue would close on 26th of that month. Its pink dolphins, fur seals and otters had been transferred to Chimelong Ocean Kingdom in Zhuhai, China the week before the announcement.[1]

List of animals in Underwater World and Dolphin Lagoon
Sharks at Underwater World
Indo-Pacific humpbacked dolphin performing at Dolphin Lagoon

See also

Transit

The Underwater World Monorail Station used to serve this attraction, but it no longer does since the station closed in 2005.

A 3 Cabin Beach shuttle ( Beach Tram ) Serve the Former attraction but little is known about it.

References
  1. Channel NewsAsia. "Underwater World Singapore to close Jun 26". Channel NewsAsia. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
  2. Lague, David (22 June 1989). "WADC faces $6.7M Oceanarium Blow-out". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  3. Gallop, Geoff (31 August 1992). "Sale of Sentosa Island Underwater World". Government of Western Australia, Media Statements. Archived from the original on 10 May 2021. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  4. "Underwater World Singapore". NLB E-Resources. 6 June 2016. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
  5. "Underwater World revamped". The Straits Times. 23 February 2010. Retrieved 20 October 2010.
  6. Underwater World Staff. "Underwater World – Adventures". Underwater World. Haw Par Corporation. Retrieved 20 October 2010.
  7. Laura Elizabeth Philomin (27 October 2014). "Underwater World Singapore criticised for 'sub-standard' animal living conditions". Today Online.
  8. "Underwater World Singapore to close, animals sent to China".
  9. Jessica Cheam, "Underwater World not threatened by IR plans", The Straits Times, 7 December 2006
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