Categories > Guides and Tips
The Best Things to Do in S.E.A. Aquarium for a Reel Fun Day with Loved Ones
- Things to Know
- How to Get There
- Things to Do
- Check out the Shipwreck Habitat
- Marvel at the Open Ocean Habitat
- Explore the School of Fish
- Discover the mesmerizing Sea Jellies Gallery
- Pet sea cucumbers at the interactive Discovery Pool
- See how marine animals are taken care of in The Aquarist Lab
- Journey through the Apex Predators of the Seas
- Dive and swim with sharks
- Watch a feeding session or an interactive show
- Dine with a view of the sea animals at Ocean Restaurant
- Camp inside the aquarium
Singapore’s Sentosa Island holds many wonders, but if you were to ask me to pick my favorite, it would be the S.E.A. Aquarium. This aquarium feels like a portal to a different world—one with 100,000 marine animals across 1,000 species!
Every time I come here, I always forget about my problems. How can I not when there are majestic sharks and stingrays swimming above me?
If you’d like to have a memorable time in the S.E.A. Aquarium, here are the things I like to do here.
Things to Know
Address: 8 Sentosa Gateway
Operating Hours:
- Thursday to Tuesday—10 am to 7 pm
- Wednesday—10 am to 5 pm
How to Get There
By MRT and Sentosa Express: Take the MRT to HarbourFront Station. Then, head to Level 3 of VivoCity Mall and ride the Sentosa Express Monorail to the S.E.A. Aquarium.
By Cable Car: Ride the Mount Faber line cable car from the HarbourFront Station to the Sentosa Station. Then, walk to the Imbiah Lookout Station and ride the cable car to the Merlion Station. From there, get to the Imbiah Station and ride the Sentosa Express to Resorts World Sentosa.
By Car: There’s a dedicated parking lot at Resorts World Sentosa. The one closest to the aquarium is B1 East. The rates are S$6.5 per entry (S$ 9.7 on Sundays and public holidays).
Things to Do
Check out the Shipwreck Habitat
From: rwsentosa
The first time I came to this aquarium many years ago, the Shipwreck Habitat was the one that made my jaw drop. To this day, I still get awestruck every time I check this exhibit out.
With over 4 million liters of water, the Shipwreck Habitat takes you to a viewing panel where there’s an actual shipwreck. You can also spot animals like zebra sharks, brown-banded bamboo sharks, and black-blotched fantail rays!
Pro Tip:
There’s a tunnel that provides a side-view perspective. Walk along it to see more angles of the ship and spot more fish.
Marvel at the Open Ocean Habitat
From: allison_wongsw
The Open Ocean Habitat is probably the crown jewel of this aquarium. It’s a spacious room with a gigantic tank as the centerpiece. The deep blue color of the water spills over to the room, making you feel like you’re also in the tank with all these marine animals.
I always get excited when I see giant groupers and reef manta rays here! Other animals I love seeing are the pick-handle barracudas and Javanese cow-nose rays.
Pro Tip:
There are multiple viewing panels here, but if you want a panoramic view of everything, go to the second-floor panel. The view there is quite breathtaking.
Explore the School of Fish
From: rwsentosa
The School of Fish is an exhibit that highlights—you guessed it—different schools of fish species. The main star of the show is the Coral Garden, a cylindrical tank housing an artificial coral reef and coral reef fish like clownfish (Nemo!) and Napoleon wrasse.
This exhibit also has several seahorse tanks and tanks for freshwater and brackish-water fish like the European sea sturgeon and suckermouth catfish.
Pro Tip:
If you want to see more corals, check out Underwater City, which is a nearby smaller exhibit. This one has several species of hard and soft corals, as well as animals like the giant moray and the regal blue tang (Dory!).
Discover the mesmerizing Sea Jellies Gallery
From: chriscocochanel
I confess: I’m terrified of sea jellies. I mean, some of them can kill you with just one sting! But despite my fear of them, I can’t deny that they’re pretty to look at, which is why I come back to the Sea Jellies Gallery whenever I can.
What I like about this exhibit is that the tank is lit up with special lighting, so the various sea jellies look even more ethereal!
Pro Tip:
Be on the lookout for the moon sea jelly and the white-spotted sea jelly. These are species that have been successfully bred for this aquarium.
Pet sea cucumbers at the interactive Discovery Pool
From: koshilaconcierge
If you’re the curious and adventurous kind, you might want to head to the Discovery Pool and pet a few marine animals!
I know it may seem scary at first because you don’t know what these animals are like, and a mistake might end up hurting you and them. But don’t worry because they don’t bite at all.
I usually touch the sea stars because they’re the most common, and they can feel like a typical rock or something like leather with a bit of prickliness.
Pro Tip:
Be wary of where your hands are going, especially if you want to check out under rocks. You might come across a sea urchin, and you don’t want their spines prickling you!
See how marine animals are taken care of in The Aquarist Lab
From: richi.shah
Do you ever wonder how the animals in the aquarium are being taken care of? Well, you’ll find your answers at The Aquarist Lab!
This exhibit provides you with a behind-the-scenes look at marine care, so you’ll mostly see marine nursery habitats and plankton culture setups. I also encourage you to ask questions; it’s always interesting to hear insight from the aquarists themselves.
Pro Tip:
While you can enjoy the view from outside, I recommend going for an in-depth experience. Just keep in mind that you’ll have to pay an extra fee for it.
Journey through the Apex Predators of the Seas
From: sai.lokur
The Apex Predators of the Seas is the exhibit dedicated entirely to sharks—majestic creatures that inspire either wonder or fear (or both, as is my case). Here, you can find about 100 sharks from 12 species!
My favorite part of this exhibit is the underwater tunnel because walking there makes me feel like I’m on the ocean floor and the sharks are swimming above me. My heart still races every time a shark swims close to the glass!
Pro Tip:
Take the time to read the plaques placed along the tunnel and around the viewing panel. Sharks get a lot of stigma, and it’s important that people realize that they’re not as harmful as various media have made us believe.
Dive and swim with sharks
From: s.e.a.aquarium
If watching sharks swim isn’t enough for you, then you’ll be delighted to know that you can actually swim WITH sharks instead! This is all made possible by the aquarium’s AWARE Shark Conservation Specialty course.
This course features a theory session, discussing all you need to know about sharks and their behavior, and then it’s followed by the thrilling dive into the Shark Seas and Open Ocean Habitats.
This course is only available for people with scuba diving certifications.
Pro Tip:
Please avoid touching the sharks and any other marine animals. Doing so might stress them out and accidentally hurt you.
Watch a feeding session or an interactive show
From: s.e.a.aquarium
If diving with sharks and other marine animals is too intense for you, you might prefer watching a feeding session or an interactive show where handlers bring out marine animals like manta rays, sharks, and dolphins for you to say hi to.
My favorite session that I attended was the Dolphin Chit Chat. The trainers educated us about dolphins, and then they introduced a dolphin or two who performed tricks!
Pro Tip:
The timing for these sessions and shows change often, but I do notice that they mostly happen in the afternoon. Feeding sessions can happen in the morning as well. If you want to know for sure, send an inquiry to [email protected].
Dine with a view of the sea animals at Ocean Restaurant
From: clarinetjess.low
Ocean Restaurant is aptly named because this dining spot truly does make you feel like you’re one with the ocean. You’re literally dining in a room with a full wall of marine animals swimming!
But the view isn’t the only great thing about this place. The food is exceptional as well, which is to be expected because the menu is curated by a two-star Michelin chef.
The menu is multi-course, and it changes often, so you never know what to expect. The last time I came here, I remember enjoying the lobster ravioli and butter-poached Dover sole.
Pro Tip:
I recommend booking a reservation ahead of time because the demand is high. And if it’s possible, get the seat nearest to the aquarium. That way, you have the best view!
Camp inside the aquarium
From: chic_tint_makeup_by_ruvie
Price: S$158 (adult, 13 years and above), S$138 (child, 5 to 12 years old)
I’m almost certain that you’ve never had a sleepover quite like the aquarium’s Ocean Dreams. This program lets you pitch a tent—or spread a sleeping bag—inside the Open Ocean Gallery and fall asleep at the sight of the deep blue wonder of the ocean!
To make things better, your ticket also includes meals and even sleeping bags if you’ve forgotten to bring your own. Not to mention that you’ll be in the aquarium for more than 12 hours (come in at 6:30 pm and leave at 10 am the next day). That’s a lot of time to immerse yourself in marine life!
Pro Tip:
If you want to try this experience, you need to confirm your reservation at least two weeks before your preferred schedule.
