SEA Aquarium, Singapore Overview

Part of the vibrant Resorts Sentosa World, the South East Asia Aquarium, or the SEA Aquarium, is one of the largest aquariums in the world, home to more than 800 species of aquatic wildlife. The chief draw of SEA Aquarium is the Open Ocean Tank - the world's largest viewing panel at 36-m long and 8.3m high. This is also the only aquarium in the world to house the giant oceanic manta ray.

The state-of-the-art complex is home to over 100,000 sea creatures, spread across 10 zones and 49 habitats found between Southeast Asia, Australia and Africa. This magical marine world is home to varied exotic marine biodiversity such as the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin, scalloped hammerhead shark, nurse shark, giant moray eel, poison arrow frog, clownfish, sea nettle, giant Pacific octopus and the Japanese spider crab. Unique species like the guitarfish and the chambered nautilus are also found here. The SEA Aquarium complex also houses the interactive family-friendly exhibition which explores the history of the maritime Silk Route.

10 Zones of the SEA Aquarium

Strait of Karimata and Java Sea: This zone is a simulation of the infamous Strait of Karimata with a shipwreck on the lower-Eastern side of Sumatra comprising of marine fishes such as pompano, threadfin trevally, batfish, Napoleon wrasse etc.

Strait of Malacca and the Andaman Sea: A replication of the Andaman sea, this zone features attractive sea creatures such as leopard wrasse and blue flasher wrasse. There is also a Discovery Touch Pool housing sea stars and sea cucumbers.

Bay of Bengal and Laccadive Sea: This zone comprises of endangered plants and animals found along the Bay of Bengal along with some other sea creatures such as garden eels, clownfish and reef lobsters.

Ocean Journey: Another must-visit zone at SEA Aquarium, Ocean Journey allows visitors to have a face-to-face interaction with the Indo Pacific bottlenose dolphins. It also exhibits the giant spider crab and many different species of jellyfishes.

Open Ocean: Literally an open ocean, this zone is home to gentle giants such as leopard sharks and manta rays.

Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea: This zone features marine life from the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea such as blue spotted stingrays, eight-armed seastars and Sally lightfoot crab. It also includes the soft coral garden inhabited by reef fish.

Red Sea: This zone replicates the Red Sea and the creatures found there such as corals and warm water fishes like fairy basset, orange lined triggerfish and longhorn cowfish.

East Africa: It is a simulation of the two freshwater lake habitats of Africa, that is Lake Victoria and Lake Tanganyika. The sea creatures exhibited in East Africa include frontosa and African tigerfish.

South China Sea: This zone includes lionfish, an array of lobsters, squirrelfish and soldierfish. Moray eel habitats can also be witnessed here.

Shark Seas: The name is suggestive of the fact that it comprises of various shark species such as the silvertip shark and the sandbar shark which is one of the largest coastal sharks in the world.

Unique Experiences

Ocean Dreams
One of the most unique experiences one can have at the SEA aquarium is the opportunity to have a sleepover experience with over 100,000 marine animals, under the sea. This is an overnight program that lets the tourists camp out in the Open Ocean Gallery featuring one of the world's largest viewing panels. The programme includes a guided tour with interactive learning where one can discover the marine world at night and enjoy the fullest at the sensory learning stations. Watching the nocturnal sharks become active, animals behaving differently at night, sea jellies communicating with their kind, the countless marine animals gliding by and waking up to the aquarist feeding manta rays make it an experience one can not miss out on.

Timings: 6:30 PM to 10:00 AM on the following day.

VIP Tour
To achieve the best learning experience of the marine world at SEA aquarium, the VIP tour is the absolute best way. It lets one understand and learn about the marine world in the company of a guide, who introduces them to the inhabitants, their special features and adaptations.

Number of people: The tour is non-exclusive and requires a minimum of 2 guests and a maximum of 10 guests for booking.
Duration: 3 hours
Timings: 9:00 AM and 1:00 PM.
Cost: SGD 88 for adults and SGD 58 for children aged 4-12 years.
Inclusions: The tour entitlements include priority access to SEA Aquarium, one day ticket to SEA Aquarium, 1 VIP lanyard, 1 complimentary group photograph, access to dolphin Island back-of-house and access to SEA Aquarium back-of-house.

Shark Encounter
A visit to SEA Aquarium in Singapore is incomplete without the adventurous Shark Encounter experience. This programme offers a thrilling experience of being around hammerhead, silvertip and sandbar sharks inside a customized acrylic enclosure.

Number of people: Each session is completed with a maximum of 2 guests.
Timings: These sessions take place daily on an hourly basis from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Cost: The pricing is SGD 74 for adults and SGd 64 for children
Exceptions: However, those who cannot swim or hold their breath underwater and are below 12 years of age cannot opt for it. Even the guests under 21 years of age must have a parent/legal signed declaration form.

Sea Trek Adventure
Strolling among the colourful marine life amidst the manta rays and breathing freely in the marine realm close to some of the majestic gentle giants of the sea is what the Sea Trek Adventure is all about. The programme doesn't require one to be SCUBA certified because it's all about walking and exploring marine life.

Number of people: Each session is limited to a maximum of 5 guests who must be at least 15 years of age and medically fit. The guests under 21 years of age must have a parent/legal signed declaration form.
Timings: The sessions take place from Monday to Friday at 1:00 PM.
Cost: SGD 88 for adults and SGD 78 for senior citizens.

Diving Programmes
There are educational programmes arranged for visitors for a good diving experience. The various diving programmes at SEA Aquarium include -

Open Ocean Dive - Scuba certified divers can immerse themselves by descending 12 metres and have a close encounter with the majestic manta rays, grouper and schools of fish. The session takes place from Monday to Friday from 1:00 PM. Pricing is SSGD 288 for adults and SSGD 128 for children or senior citizens. Pre Booking is required, walk-ins are not entertained.
Shark Dive - This is one of the most recommended diving programmes because it provides the thrill of swimming with the apex private dators of the seas and getting close to over 100 sharks from 12 different species. The session takes place from Monday to Friday from 1:00 PM. Pricing is SGD 188 for adults and SGD 128 for children or senior citizens.
PADI Open Water Dive - This is one of the ways in which one can get the most recognised scuba diving certification, under some qualified instructors. The price is SGD 548, which includes all the learning materials, certification, dives and equipment.
PADI Advanced Open Water Diver - This course is for learning advanced scuba diving skills and becoming more comfortable with water. The courses walks one through the underwater navigation, deep water adventure and some adventure dives. The price is SGD 648 which includes course materials, certifications, dives and equipment.
Discover Scuba Diving - This course provides an introduction to scuba diving and helps beginners with key skills and knowledge that they must know before attempting to dive. They are taught under the supervision of PADI professional instructors in saltwater training pools. The sessions are usually of 1.5 hours, held from Monday to Friday at 1:00 PM. The price is SGD 148 which includes dive equipment and DSD course materials.

Shopping & Dining
There are ample options for shopping and dining at SEA Aquarium. Some of these are -

Ocean Restaurant - An underwater dining experience cannot be missed when one can enjoy one of the finest and freshest Mediterranean Californian cuisines.
SEASide Snacks - Ideal for quick bites, this is the small outlet one can visit if they wish to grab a bite. They offer some tasty hot dogs, pastries and refreshing beverages that one can enjoy while admiring the view of fascinating dolphins.
Ocean Bites - Another outlet for quick bites, they offer muffins, cakes, corn dogs and other light snacks. It is a small stall next to the Open Ocean Gallery.
SEAA Treasures - This is a good shop for those willing to buy gifts and souvenirs. One can buy toys, t-shirts and quirky accessories from here.
SEAA Wonders - This is another shopping stop where one can purchase a good variety of eco-friendly merchandise.

Animals at SEA Aquarium

The marine realm of SEA Aquarium in Singapore is home to a multitude of marine life, housing more than 100,000 different aquatic creatures of over 1000 species, divided into 50 different habitats. These species hail from the Bay of Bengal, Straits of Malacca, Andaman Sea, Great Lakes of East Africa, the underwater county in coral reefs and cool marine life in cold-water habitats. Each species is as fascinating as the next.

These animals include some of the rare groups of sharks like the nocturnal Nurse Shark which feeds on the bottom-dwelling animals and Hammerhead sharks which have an odd hammer-shaped head that helps them find their prey.
Other than that, there are some interesting species like the giant moray eel which resembles a snake, the toxic frog going by the name Poison arrow frog, the beautiful looking Clownfishes, reef manta rays which are one of the largest creatures in the ocean and are known for their distinguishing patterns.
Some specific animals one must definitely not miss out on are the sea nettle and some intelligent species such as the Giant Pacific octopus which are considered to be an intelligent species and are blue-blooded as well as the Indo Pacific bottlenose dolphins which are found in small groups and are known for their great hearing ability.
One can spot the giant Goliath grouper, the largest animal in the aquarium and which is critically endangered because of overfishing.
One can also watch the seahorses swim effortlessly around and get intrigued by their strong grasping ability.

Tips For Visiting SEA Aquarium

Photography is permitted without the flash.
Wheelchairs available for rent for SGD 15, with SGD 50 as a refundable deposit.
It is best to go early in the day, around 10:00 AM, as the crowds can get pretty huge as the day progresses. Avoid weekends if you do not want to be squished by the crowds.

How to Reach SEA Aquarium Singapore

Bus: To reach SEA aquarium, take the buses from Vivocity or Harborfront for the Resorts World Sentosa Bus Stop 14519 and then enter the forum and head to the Level 1. These buses stop near the Maritime Experiential Museum, located straight up from the bridge. The aquarium is located inside the museum. Those taking a bus from Changi Airport must board bus no 36 at the basement of Changi Airport Passengers terminal building 2 and alight at the bus stop opposite to the Ritz Carlton on Temasek Avenue. From there, board bus no 97 and deboard at Vivocity on Telok Blangah Road. From there, board bus RWS8 and then alight at Resorts World Sentosa drop off point.

Cable Car: This is a popular way to reach SEA Aquarium and tourists opt for it so that they can enjoy the pleasures of sightseeing along with transport. One has to board the cable car from Harbourfront Station and deboard at the Imbiah station. After disembarking at the Imbiah station, take the Sentosa Express and alight at Waterfront Station, then head towards the Merlion Statuette and cross the bridge to arrive at the Maritime Experiential Museum. The aquarium is located inside the museum.

Car: Drive through the Sentosa Gateway and stick to the left lane towards the Resorts World Sentosa Car Park. There is a space for Cars/Tadi on the right and those driving must follow the signage to 'B1 East'. To park the car, locate the nearest Car Park directory and follow the directions to SEA Aquarium on level 1. There will be some parking charges for the car park.
Monday to Thursday excluding public holidays:
7:00 AM to 7:00 PM: SGD 7 for 1st hour, SGD 1 subsequent half hour or part thereof
After 7:00 PM: SGD 6 per entry
Maximum: SGD 28 per 24 hours
Friday/Saturday/Sunday/Public Holiday:
7:00 AM to 7:00 PM: SGD 8 for 1st hour, SGD 2 subsequent half hour or part thereof
After 7:00 PM: SGD 8 per entry
Maximum: SGD 28 per 24 hours
Valet Service Charges: SGD 3 service fee per vehicle (excludes prevailing parking charges)

MRT Train + Sentosa Express Monorail: This can be considered as one of the fastest ways to reach SEA Aquarium. Here is a quick guide to the aquarium by MRT Train followed by Sentosa Express monorail.

Take the North-East Line or Circle Line to HarbourFront MRT Station, since this is the nearest MRT station to the SEA Aquarium.
Get down at the HarbourFront MRT Station and exit the Vivocity shopping mall via Exit E and take the Sentosa Express.
Take the escalator up to level 3 of Vivocity.
From there, purchase tickets from the ticketing counter which is located at Level 3 of Vivocity. The ticket price is SGD 4 and it can be paid by cash or card.
Hop on the Sentosa Express monorail from Vivocity station to reach Resorts World Station at Level 3 of VivoCity.
Get off at the Resort World Station and follow the directions for SEA Aquarium in Sentosa Island.

Note: After April 2019, the Sentosa Station and Waterfront Station have been renamed to VivoCity Station and Resorts World Station.
Sentosa Express Operating hours: 7:00 AM to 12:00 AM
Time required (one - way): Vivocity Station to Resorts World Station + Resorts World Station to SEA Aquarium : 3 minutes + 5 minutes = 8 minutes
Cost of travel: HarbourFront MRT Station to SEA Aquarium via Sentosa Express - SGD 4