The park, ranked 7th in ‘The World’s Most Popular Amusement Parks’ by Forbes in June 2006[1], had 4.38 million visitors in the fiscal year 2005/2006.[2] Ocean Park also ranked 16th in the TEA/ERA Theme Park Attendance Report 2007 with approximately 4.9 million visitors, higher than Hong Kong Disneyland at 21st place with 4.1 million visitors.[3] It covers an area of 870,000 square metres.[4] The different parts of the park are connected by a gondola lift system (or cable car system), as well as the world’s second longest outdoor escalator.

The theme park currently has over 14 rides and other attractions such as aquariums.[4] Besides housing two roller coasters, Ocean Park also features a Giant panda exhibit, a jelly fish and shark aquarium, as well as a four-story aquarium displaying more than 2000 fish. The official mascot of Ocean Park is “Whiskers”—a waving sealion.

Besides being an amusement park, Ocean Park Hong Kong also operates observatories, well developed laboratories, an education department and a Whales And Dolphins Fund.

Ocean Park Hong Kong was the first institution in the world to have success in artificial insemination of bottle nose dolphins, and developed numerous new breeds of goldfish.

In September 2007, Ocean Park Hong Kong increased its ticket prices by 12% and 14% to take advantage of the Golden Week Holidays.

History
The park was built with donations from the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club (now Hong Kong Jockey Club) and opened on 10 January 1977. The park is operated by Ocean Park Corporation, which is a statutory board. It offers affordable marine animal education and entertainment and is a private organisation for commercial purposes.

In the early operation of the park, the main sources of income for the park were the ticket revenues and the fundings from the Jockey Club. Since the ticket price was low, most of the time Ocean Park was operating under deficit. On 1 July 1987, the government established a 200 million trust from the fundings of Jockey Club, under the Ocean Park Corporation Ordinance (Hong Kong Law Cap. 388). This separated Ocean Park from Jockey Club and became a non-profit organisation; it needs to be responsible for its own income and was allowed to use commercial means to operate the park.

It gradually raised its ticket price and the deficit turned into profit. In 1992, 3 million visitors visited the park. Since 1998, the East Asian financial crisis, aging attractions, and the passing away of the killer whale; the park recorded a deficit for a couple of years. Although it was allowed to host 2 pandas in 1999 (named An An and Jia Jia), the visitor count did not go up and Ocean Park was forced to close its water attractions and the “Old Village” attraction and switched to bring in more rides in an attempt to capture the youth demand. Together with the opening up of mainland visitors under the Individual Visit Scheme, Ocean Park recorded an increase to 4 million visitors in the fiscal year 2004-2005, the highest since the park opened.

In March 2005, Ocean Park revealed its redevelopment plan.(Details are in the section below.)

On 23 November 2006, Ocean Park held a groundbreaking ceremony for its redevelopment. The public believes that the redevelopment is a measure to counter another major theme park Hong Kong Disneyland.

2 more pandas named Le Le and Ying Ying were added to the Ocean Park on May 1, 2007. After quarantine, they made their first public appearance in Ocean Park on July 1, 2007.

Mascots
Ocean Park introduced a sea lion named Whiskers (known as Wai Wai in Chinese) as the major mascot on December 9, 2000. Whiskers is cute, and has a smile on his face and is always waving a warm welcome with its flippers. There are 5 more members of the Ocean Park family: James Fin H2O (a shark); Jewel (a feminine butterfly); Swift (a dolphin); Chief (a parrot); Professor (a turtle).

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Animals
* Archerfish
* Blue Tang
* Chinese Alligator
* Chinese Sturgeon
* Chinese Giant Salamander
* Chinese Water Dragon
* Cichlids
* Electric Eel
* Freshwater Sawfish
* Giant Gourami
* Giant Grouper
* Sand Tiger Shark
* Horseshoe Crab
* Humboldt Penguin
* Japanese Giant Spider Crab
* Kittiwakes
* Leafy Sea Dragon
* Oranda Goldfish
* Pirarucu
* Rainbowfish
* Seahorses
* South American Lungfish
* Spotted Eagle Ray
* Spotted Seal
* Tawny Nurse Shark
* Walking Catfish
* Weedy Sea Dragon

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uShaka Sea World
It is the 5th largest aquarium in the world boasting 32 tanks totaling 17,500 cubic meters of water. The sea creatures found in the aquarium range from small sea horses all the way through to sharks and dolphins. The Aquarium is built to look like an old wreck. The Phamtom Ship contains a number of restaurants and cafes and serves as the entrance to the aquarium. The most notable of these restaurants is “The Cargo Hold” restaurant which contains a full wall sized aquarium containing a number of sharks which are visible from most of the dining areas. The dolphin stadium has the capacity to seat 1 200 visitors and the seal stadium can seat around 350 guests.

uShaka Wet ‘n Wild
This is the water park which contains many rides for the young and old. From the lazy river ride which goes through the ship wreck and past some tanks, to the adrenaline pumping high speed slides.There is a large grass area around the swimming pools where people can relax and tan if they have had too much of the slides.

uShaka Beach
This is a beach which has direct access from the amusement park. It boasts a large pier leading out into the ocean and pristine sand beaches.

uShaka Village Walk
The Village Walk is designed in an african theme. Restaurants, cafes and other shops can be find in the Village Walk.

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* Atlantic Ocean Gallery
* Holcim Activity Centre
* Cape Fur Seal Exhibit
* I&J Predator Exhibit
* Indian Ocean Gallery
* Kelp Forest Exhibit
* Sappi River Meander Exhibit

It is possible to scuba dive with ragged tooth sharks at the Aquarium if you hold a Padi Open Water Certificate.

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Features
Featuring 60,000 sq ft (6,000 m²) in two levels with a 90-metre long underwater tunnel, Aquaria KLCC houses over 250 different species and over 20,000 land and aquatic animals from Malaysia and around the world. Interative information kiosks on fishes and turtle conservation. Themed retail area of around 5,000 sq ft (500 m²)

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The National Aquarium in Baltimore is not to be confused with the National Aquarium in Washington, D.C.; however, the National Aquarium in Washington D.C. has been operated by the National Aquarium in Baltimore since 2003.[1] As of 2005, the National Aquarium was the largest tourist attraction in the state of Maryland.

In November 2006, the National Aquarium won a Best of Baltimore award for “Best Over Priced Destination for Families.”

Layout
The aquarium consists of two buildings joined by a single enclosed walkway/bridge. The larger of the two buildings contains the main gallery, which overlooks a pool occupied by sharks (including a blind zebra shark named Zoe), rays (southern stingrays, butterfly stingray,cownose stingray, bullnose stingray, pelagic stingray and roughtail stingrays), tarpon, and a green sea turtle (Calypso). The gallery itself begins with a series of upward spiralling floors connected by long escalators, featuring at first fish from Maryland, first showing a stream in the mountains of western Maryland, and ending with the ocean, but then featuring fish that show off vital skills for survival needed in their various environments. At the top of this spiral is the aforementioned rainforest exhibit, which contains several animals found in the Amazon Rainforest.This part of the aquarium contains an elevated platform for bird/monkey viewing and a cave of various glass enclosed displays of reptiles, amphibians, and terrestrial arthropods. This exhibit exits back into the main gallery, which then goes into a downward spiral. One is then surrounded by the Atlantic Coral Reef filled with fish that would be found anywhere from closer to shore (the loop end closer to you as you exit the escalator) to out into the trench and open ocean. Below the ACR is found sharks. In this exhibit there are sand tiger sharks, sandbar sharks, nurse sharks, and sawfish. One then appears under the Wings in the Water display where one can watch the rays, turtle, sharks, and fish under the water.

The smaller building, opened in 1990, features the marine mammal display and a dolphinarium, which holds dolphin shows at various times. It also holds a temporary exhibit on assorted frogs called “A Chorus of Colors” based on the book. Both buildings have two gift shops and a cafe each.

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History
The first public aquarium was opened in London Zoo in May 1853; the “Fish House”, as it came to be known, was constructed much like a greenhouse.[2] P.T. Barnum quickly followed in 1856 with the first American aquarium as part of his established Barnum’s American Museum, which was located on Broadway in New York before it burned down.[2] In 1859, the Aquarial Gardens were founded in Boston.[2] A number of aquaria then opened in Europe, such as the Jardin d’Acclimatation in Paris and the Viennese Aquarium Salon (both founded 1860), the Marine Aquarium Temple as part of the Zoological Garden in Hamburg (1864), as well as aquariums in Berlin (1869) and Brighton (1872).[2] The oldest American aquarium is the National Aquarium in Washington, D.C., founded in 1873. This was followed by the opening of other public aquaria : San Francisco (Woodward’s Garden, 1873-1890), Wood Hole (Science Aquarium, 1885), New York (Battery Park, 1896-1941), La Jolla (Scripps, 1903), Detroit (Belle Isle, 1904-2005), Philadelphia (Fairmount Water Works, 1911-1962), San Francisco (Steinhart Aquarium, 1923), Chicago (Shedd Aquarium, 1929). For many years, the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago was the largest aquarium in the world, until the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta opened.

In 2005, the Georgia Aquarium, with more than 8 million US gallons (30,000 m³; 30,000,000 liters) of marine and fresh water, and more than 100,000 animals of 500 different species opened in Atlanta, Georgia. The aquarium’s notable specimens include whale sharks and beluga whales.

Current public aquaria
Modern day aquarium tanks can hold millions of U.S. gallons of water and can house large species, including dolphins, sharks or beluga whales. This is accomplished though thick, clear acrylic glass windows. Aquatic and semiaquatic mammals, including otters,[3] and seals [4] are often cared for at aquaria. Some establishments, such as the Oregon Coast Aquarium, have aquatic aviaries.[5][6]

Most aquaria will have special exhibits to entice repeat visitors, in addition to its permanent collection. A few have their own version of a “petting zoo”; for instance, the Monterey Bay Aquarium has a shallow tank filled with common types of rays,[7] and one can reach in to feel their smooth skins as they pass by.

Also as with zoos, aquaria usually have specialized research staff who study the habits and biology of their specimens.

Logistics
Most public aquaria are located close to the ocean, for a steady supply of natural seawater. An inland pioneer was Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium[8] that received seawater shipped by rail in special tank cars. The early (1911) Philadelphia Aquarium, built in the city’s disused water works, had to switch to treated city water when the nearby river became too contaminated.[8] Similarly, the recently opened Georgia Aquarium filled its tanks with fresh water from the city water system and salinated its salt water exhibits using the same commercial salt and mineral additives available to home aquarists.

In January 1985, Kelly Tarlton began construction of the first aquarium to include a large transparent acrylic tunnel, Kelly Tarlton’s Underwater World in Auckland, New Zealand. Construction took 10 months and cost NZ$3 million. The 110-meter tunnel was built from one-tonne slabs of German sheet plastic that were shaped locally in an oven. A moving walkway now transports visitors through, and groups of school children occasionally hold sleepovers there beneath the swimming sharks and rays.

Activities
Public aquaria are often affiliated with oceanographic research institutions or conduct their own research programs, and sometimes specialize in species and ecosystems that can be found in local waters. For example, the Vancouver Aquarium in Vancouver, BC is a major center for marine research, conservation, and marine animal rehabilitation, particularly for the rich ecosystem of the Pacific Northwest.[10] The Vancouver Aquarium was the first aquarium to capture and display an orca whale, Moby Doll, for 3 months in 1964; as well as belugas, narwhals[11] and dolphins. None of these whales has ever left the aquarium alive, with the exception of Bjossa, a female orca who was sent to SeaWorld San Diego in April 2000 and died shortly afterward in October 2001.

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The Seattle Aquarium recently underwent an expansion, which opened in June 2007. This expansion increased the Aquarium’s size by 18,000 square feet and included a new exterior, entrance, and exhibit hall. Another feature of the expansion is the Puget Sound Great Hall, a three story building with interactive educational kiosks, sea life art, and conservation exhibits focused on Puget Sound’s ecosystems. The Window on Washington Waters is a 17-foot by 39-foot, 120,000 gallon exhibit based on Neah Bay’s rock blades, containing salmon, rockfish, sea anemones, kelp, and other marine life. The transition hall between the Windows on Washington Water exhibit to the tidal waters of the Life on the Edge exhibit will feature an open 40-foot by 8-foot Wave Tank allowing visitors to observe how marine animals and plants survive in turbulent water.

The Seattle Aquarium became the first institution in the world to raise sea otters from conception to adulthood with the birth of Tichuk in 1979, followed by three more pups in the early eighties.

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Exhibits
Located in the central open atrium of the main building, the principal feature of the Aquarium is the Giant Ocean Tank, a cylindrical 200,000 gallon (750,000 liter) tank simulating a Caribbean coral reef. This tank houses sharks, turtles, and many smaller reef-living fish. Open at the top, the concrete tank is surrounded by a walkway that spirals down from the top level allowing visitors access to 52 different windows which offer views of the reef from every angle and level.

At the bottom, the tank stands in a large, square 150,000 gallon penguin exhibit, hosting African penguins, rockhopper penguins and little blue penguins. The penguin exhibit can be seen from the spiral walkway of the central tank or from elevated viewing areas that completely surround the perimeter of the exhibit. The penguins live on several artificial rock islands within the exhibit.

Surrounding the atrium are three different levels of smaller exhibits including:

* The “Thinking” Gallery, also known as the Temperate Gallery, featuring goliath grouper, ancient fishes, rare sea dragons, coastal environments and thousands of schooling fish
* The Freshwater Gallery focusing on freshwater habitats in South America compared to New England river systems. This gallery features piranhas, anacondas, electric eels, Atlantic salmon
* The “Edge of the Sea” tidepool. Visitors are allowed to touch New England tidepool animals including sea stars, sea urchins, snails, hermit crabs and horseshoe crabs
* The Northern Waters of the World Gallery focuses on New England marine habitats compared to Pacific Northwest habitats. The gallery features shorebirds, colored lobsters, goosefish, giant Pacific octopus and countless other invertebrates
* The Tropical Gallery features many colorful tropical fish, cuttlefish, venomous fish including lionfish and scorpionfish, and living corals.
* The Aquarium Medical Center gives visitors a behind the scenes view of what it takes to care for thousands of animals including fish, reptiles, mammals and birds.

In front of the Aquarium is a harbor seal exhibit, and it can be seen for free without going into the building. Other marine mammals, such as three northern fur seals are on exhibit behind the Aquarium on the harborside terrace. The New England Aquarium’s marine mammals participate in daily training sessions that are open for public viewing.

The new West Wing was completed in 1998 by Schwartz/Silver Architects. The glass and steel addition includes a harbor seal exhibit on the public plaza, ticketing booth, changing exhibit galleries, gift shop, cafe, and lobby. Another recent expansion is a separate building housing a 3-D IMAX theater by E.Verner Johnson and Associates.

The aquarium staff often participates in rescue efforts for stranded marine mammals and sea turtles.

Special exhibits
Killer Instincts

“They’re the animals that scare you: sand tiger shark, anaconda, giant Pacific octopus, electric eel and more. But how dangerous are they really? Which ones are deadly to humans, and which ones are humans driving to extinction? Find out all about the ocean’s deadliest creatures with the New England Aquarium’s newest theme program, Killer Instincts. The program includes an interactive passport program along with live animal presentations and our larger-than-life high definition shark video to help you face your fears and understand the truth about these creatures.”

“Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure rounds out the program through a startlingly realistic 3D movie that tells the story of the most terrifying animals ever to roam the sea: the ferocious underwater dinosaurs of the Cretaceous period.”

Both Killer Instincts and Sea Monsters 3D launch on October 5, 2007. More information about all the animals featured in the theme program are available through the New England Aquarium’s website.

Another special exhibit that the New England Aquarium is setting up is a ray and shark touch tank. Opening on July 1, this touch tank will be home to southern rays, cownose rays, yellow rays, and coral catsharks, among others.

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