RWS to open world's largest oceanarium in December

Ng Kai Ling Straits Times 25 Sep 12;

THE world's largest oceanarium will open in Sentosa on Dec 7, completing Resorts World Sentosa's (RWS) five-year development. But the dolphins won't be at the opening party.

The 25 wild-caught dolphins, which animal activists have been lobbying to release back to their natural habitat, will be on display only next year to give them enough time to settle into their new enclosure. RWS declined to say when the dolphins will arrive or when visitors will be able to see them next year.

But the 8ha Marine Life Park, the size of 13 football fields, will open with more than 100,000 animals from 800 marine species.

And when it does, it is expected to give other attractions a run for their money, said analysts.

RWS said that with the resort fully operational, it expects more than 16 million visitors a year.

Some 30 million visitors visited it in its first two years of operation.

Since the opening of RWS and Marina Bay Sands in 2010, visitor arrivals to Singapore increased 36 per cent, from 9.7 million in 2009 to 13.2 million last year.

RWS' grand opening celebrations will include a performance by soprano Sarah Brightman and a 12-minute fireworks display.

The marine park will be home to a South-east Asia Aquarium and an Adventure Cove Waterpark.

Visitors get to see what an underwater world is like - with just giant glass panels separating them from the "ocean".

They can also snorkel at the park's Rainbow Reef and ride on South-east Asia's first hydromagnetic roller coaster, the Riptide Rocket.

Ticketing details are not available yet.

The dolphins will face competition from the pandas - Wildlife Reserves Singapore's River Safari will open its panda enclosure in December.

But tourism analysts expect Marine Life Park to take away visitors from Sentosa's other aquarium, Underwater World, as they target the same group of visitors.

They added that tourists, with limited time here, are more likely to gravitate towards RWS as it offers a full package, including hotels, restaurants, Universal Studios Singapore and the casino.

Asked what it intends to do to fend off the competition, an Underwater World spokesman would say only that "competition has certainly intensified, but the increase in Singapore's visitor arrivals should also benefit all stakeholders in the industry".

No dolphins at Marine Life Park opening
Adrian Lim my paper AsiaOne 25 Sep 12;

SINGAPORE - Resorts World Sentosa is set for a grand opening on Dec 7, as it puts the finishing touches on its second anchor attraction - the Marine Life Park.

But don't expect the 25 dolphins - caught in waters off the Solomon Islands, near Papua New Guinea - which have been a point of contention for animal-rights activists, to be there then.

Resorts World said at a media briefing yesterday that the arrival dates of the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins have not been firmed up yet. The mammals are being held in Subic Bay in the Philippines.

The dolphins are to be part of a series of immersive programmes beginning next year, to be held at the park's Adventure Cove Waterpark.

As part of the programmes, visitors will be able to feed and interact with the dolphins, and learn more about their anatomy.

The programmes are "meant to be rolled out progressively after the opening of the park to ease operations", Mr Robin Goh, assistant director of communications at Resorts World, told my paper.

Still, visitors will have much to look forward to at the Marine Life Park - which comprises the "wet" Adventure Cove Waterpark and a "dry" South-east Asia Aquarium (SEA Aquarium).

Besides thrilling rides, the former will feature Rainbow Reef, where visitors can snorkel alongside some 20,000 fishes.

The SEA Aquarium will boast the world's largest viewing panel, although Resorts World did not provide further details.

It will showcase marine animals like manta rays and hammerhead sharks.

The park is billed as the world's largest oceanarium, with more than 60 million litres of water, and 100,000 marine animals from over 800 species.

Marine Life Park's completion marks another milestone for Resorts World, which opened for business in January 2010. In March that year, it opened its first anchor attraction, the Universal Studios Singapore theme park.

With the upcoming grand opening, Resorts World has its sights set on extending its average guest-stay duration from the current three days to four days next year. It is also targeting to attract more than 16 million visitors next year, up from 30 million visitors recorded in its first two years.

British soprano Sarah Brightman, who will be accompanied by the Singapore Chinese Orchestra, is set to perform at the grand opening.

Mr Louis Ng, executive director of Animal Concerns Research and Education Society, said the Marine Life Park can serve as an educational tool, but it can do without the dolphins. He pointed out that a threat facing the specific dolphin species comes from being captured live for oceanarium display.

Mr Ng said: "It's going to be a contradiction if Resorts World says it is here to educate the public about dolphin protection."

Mr Biswajit Guha, the park's director, said: "There is very little baseline data about Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins in the wild.

"All the data collected can contribute to managing (the) animals in the wild."

RWS to unveil oceanarium
World's largest such facility to welcome visitors before resort's grand opening on Dec 7
Woo Sian Boon Today Online 25 Sep 12;

SINGAPORE - Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) will be unveiling the world's largest oceanarium ahead of the resort's grand opening on Dec 7, but stopped short of providing an official date.

Housing more than 100,000 marine animals of over 800 species in more than 60 million litres of water, the Marine Life Park will comprise of two ticketed attractions: The Adventure Cove Waterpark featuring a hydro-magnetic coaster and the South East Asia Aquarium.

In a media preview yesterday, Marine Life Park Director Biswajit Guha also promised that the 25 Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins it acquired - which have provoked much controversy - will be part of "interactive programmes" which will be "progressively introduced" next year.

Animal activists were up in arms when some of the wild-caught dolphins died in their holding area in Malaysia in 2010, and animal welfare group Animal Concerns Research & Education Society (ACRES) has petitioned for RWS to release and rehabilitate the mammals.

However, Mr Guha said that the dolphins, which are now in the Philippines, "are doing very well" but did not say when they will be arriving at the park.

He reiterated that the dolphins will be "given the best care possible" when they arrive.

"To ensure that, we adhere and even go beyond the guidelines stipulated by the American Zoo and Aquariums Association as well as the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks Aquariums.

"We also have a full team on board comprising veterinarians, marine mammal specialists, a life systems support specialist - all these will holistically ensure that the dolphins are given the best care," he added.

Mr Guha said that the dolphins will be "ambassadors" for the park's three pillars of conservation, research and education.

However, ACRES Executive Director Louis Ng maintained that the park does not need live dolphins to engage in educational outreach.

Citing the example of Switzerland, where its government recently banned any further import of dolphins, Mr Ng questioned why Singapore is "starting something which other countries are stopping".

He said: "How will Resorts World tell the kids, look, these dolphins are here, but the biggest threat they face is because we are capturing them? How can this be education?"

Mr Ng said ACRES will support the park if focuses on ethical acquisition polices.

Questioning how many of the park's animals were captured from the wild or obtained sustainably, he said: "You can't educate people when you don't practice what you preach."

Marine Life Park to open to public ahead of RWS official opening
Olivia Siong Channel NewsAsia 24 Sep 12;

SINGAPORE: Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) said it targets to bring in 16 million visitors next year.

The integrated resort also announced that its second anchor attraction - the Marine Life Park - will open days ahead of RWS' official opening on December 7.

The exact date of the park's opening was not given to the media.

The Marine Life Park will be the world's largest oceanarium and will house more than 100,000 marine animals.

These include 25 dolphins, which will be part of the park's interactive programme that starts next year.

The dolphins were the subject of controversy last year, with some animal welfare groups calling for them to be freed.

In response to critics, Mr Biswajit Guha, director of Education and Conservation at the Marine Life Park, said: "The dolphins are doing very well, 25 of them (are) in the Philippines. I don't have any firmed up dates yet to share with you at this stage about when they'll be arriving.

"Essentially, all of the standards meet and in fact exceed the guidelines set by the American Zoos and Aquariums Association, as well as the Alliance for Marine Mammals Parks and Aquariums. In that respect, we're fully confident that the dolphins will receive the best care possible."

Mr Guha added the Marine Life Park is open to continue working with non-government organisations (NGOs) and other agencies that focus on marine education and conservation.

He said they welcome the opportunity to collaborate on such issues.

RWS first opened to the public in 2010 and has attracted some 30 million visitors since then.

It is hoped the new attraction will also encourage more to extend their stay at the resort.

Mr Greg Allan, vice president, Rooms and F&B, Resorts World Sentosa, said: "We hope they'll stay an additional night. We feel that the Marine Life Park will add significantly to the options available to families visiting. We are very much a family resort, and this is an experience that all age groups can come and enjoy together."

Visitors can also expect a weekend of festivities during the grand opening.

The highlights of the grand opening include public performances and a 12-minute public fireworks display at the RWS waterfront promenade.