Ocean Adventure Subic Bay will not disappoint you.

At Ocean Adventure Subic Bay if want you can swim with a false killer whale? Maybe get a kiss from a seal? Or would you just like to sit back and be entertained by these magnificent creatures. Either way, your in for a treat, Ocean Adventure Subic Bay can give you all this and more.....

Let me first start by saying the Ocean Adventure in Subic Bay, is not on the same level as the SeaWorld Adventure Park in San Diego or the Sea World on the Gold Coast in Australia. To be fair you should not compare them as they are obviously on different scales and budgets. Having said that there is a lot of potential here for further growth, not only on a tourist level but also on an educational level as well.

Where is Ocean Adventure Subic Bay?

Ocean Adventure is in Subic Bay Freeport Zone, which use to be a US Naval base. It is roughly 100 kilometres from Manila and on average would be a 3 hour drive, however depending on traffic it could take up to 4 hours.

The actual address is:
Camayan Wharf, West Alanin Forest Area, Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

Subic Ocean Adventure - What is it?

The Ocean Adventure in Subic Bay is said to be South East Asia's only open water marine park. Now what does that mean? Well basically, the Ocean Adventure Park does not contain land based pools to house their aquatic animals, instead they have created pens or floating habitats, in Subic Bay itself, hence it is in the open water.

The admission price at the time of writing is P450 for adults and for children 12 years and under it is P370. That will get you into the Ocean Adventure Park and will include the Sea Lion Show and the Whale Presentation. If you want to get up close and personal with the False Killer Whales, Pounder and Tonker, it will cost you extra, more on that in a minute.

The three main parts to the Subic Ocean Adventure Park are the Sea Lion Show, Whale Presentation and Discovery Aquarium.

Subic Ocean Adventure Floating Habitat

The Ocean Adventure Park is quite proud of being environmentally friendly and try to promote and teach conservation to all who come. It was interesting to discover what materials the marine park used:

65,000 ft (6,000m2) Tensar which is a tough, lightweight plastic mesh used on hillsides to prevent mud or rock slides. This is used as the pen and fencing materials.

The fence and pen are sewn together with 90,000 feet (27,500m) of a tough UV-resistant nylon line called Tuna-Cord.

1,100 ft (335m) of an oil slick retention boom-line, called Aquaguard, it is the same system used to contain oil spills. It protect the animals from surface scum and pollutants.

The pens and habitat are moored. They use over 150 tons (136,500kg) of recycled concrete, telephone poles and concrete batch sample plugs, that are all used to hold everything in place.

Over 3,000 ft (950m) of nylon line is used as moorings.

300 key-lock floats, made of a light weight polyurethane material and held together by hourglass shaped key-locks, make up the walkways.

825 ft (250m) of heavy gauge 2" PVC piping make up the blue fence posts.

1,200 ft (365m) heavy gauge 6" PVC, stiffens the walkway systems.

Subic Ocean Adventure Sea Lion Show

As you walk into the Ocean Adventure Park you will face the water. If you walk to the left you will come to the Seals, to the right are the False Killer Whales and Dolphins. They are kept and either end of the marine park, not sure why.

The sea lions are actually South American Sea Lions and they do a show in the Nautilus Theatre. The show is real fun and enjoyable to all, there is an underlying message of how to take care of the environment.

Now if you want to have your photo taken with one of the Sea Lions, well you can, you can shake it's fin or receive a big fishy kiss. Lots of fun for everyone.

Subic Ocean Adventure Whale Presentation

This would have to be the highlight of the day. You can view the Whale Presentation from the El Capitan Stadium, which is named after a shipwreck just outside the marine park, the wreck is called, yes you guessed it the El Capitan, which is a great scuba dive.

The two False Killer Whales are named Pounder and Tonker and put on a mighty show for all to see, diving out of the water and towing and hurling there trainers out of the water. Lots of fun! The show is conducted with an educational slant hoping that the guests may pick up something and use it in a way that may help the environment.

Now if you would like to swim with them or even scuba dive with them, you can, however it will cost you extra. You will get to touch and be towed by the False Killer Whales and there is always a photographer ready to take your happy snaps, which you can pick up on your way out, for a price of course.

Subic Ocean Adventure Discovery Aquarium

The Discovery Aquarium is a walk through building with numerous aquariums built into the walls. Each aquarium houses different varieties of marine and fresh water creatures, from the coral reefs through to the mangroves each ecosystem has it's unique variety of fish.

The Discovery Aquarium is not to bad, you can really see the difference in colours between the marine or saltwater fish and the fresh water cousins, the marine are so much more vibrant and colourful.

Have a look here for more attractions in Subic Bay.

For more information on Subic Bay itself, have a look here.