February 2019

The sea lions were so smart and even trained to stick out their tongues; these sea lions are from Chile since they are not endemic to the Philippines

This diver was feeding the sharks squid but the animals were all well-behaved and not at all aggressive; squalor was pervasive across Manila with most people struggling to make money

The walk-through aquarium was the most popular feature at Ocean Park; traffic in Manila is horrendous and chaotic and likely to get worse with all of the new high-density development

Black-spotted pufferfish; locals speak Tagalog but many know some English and the performances at the Aquarium were narrated in English

These budgies, called parakeets in the US, are native to Australia where they have lived for 70,000 years; the birdhouse was a small addition above the barnyard

The tiny orange and black poison dart frog is native to Central America; in 1965 Ferdinand Marcos was elected president here with the slogan - this nation can be great again

Each evening there is a laser and sound show with water fountains that can shoot water 130 ft high; kids enjoyed the laser images of sea characters and the choreographed show

The freshwater mata mata turtle is native to South America; this strange looking species has a shell that resembles a piece of bark

A few fireworks were added to the end of the symphony show; the aquarium promoted lots of opportunities to interact with sharks, rays and sea lions at an additional cost

The audience member didn't seem enthusiastic about being kissed by a sea lion; the aquarium, owned by a Chinese company, opened in 2008

The endangered zebra shark is a nocturnal species found throughout the tropical Indo-Pacific region; in the Trails of the Antarctic exhibit Humboldt

Ribbon eel; this species is native to the Indo-Pacific region and can reach 4.5 feet long

Spotted sweetlips; there were lots of admission options but I chose the cheapest visit which was about $10

Clownfish; this aquarium is pretty dated with small tanks and many missing identification labels

Stonefish; the world's most venomous fish, which is endemic to the Indo-Pacific region, can even be fatal to humans

Ocellate river stingray; native to South America, this species is the most widespread, freshwater stingray

This female Patagonian sea lion, weighing 300 lbs, is dwarfed by her male counterpart who can top 750 lbs; the Philippines has 105 million people, 82% of which are Catholic

My aquarium ticket included admission to the barnyard; there were mice, hamsters, rabbits and guinea pigs in this cheap addition to the facility

The endangered sun conure parrot can live 30 years in captivity; this species is monogamous and lives in a relatively small area of NE South America

The yellow-banded poison dart frog is from northern South America; the bright coloration evolved as a warning to potential predators that it will make an unpalatable or toxic meal

You could rent one of this punked out cars to pedal around the entrance to the aquarium; the Philippines were named for the great grandson of Spain's Ferdinand and Isabella

These knight anoles are native to Cuba and have migrated to Florida but can't tolerate cold temperatures; I just love how they can stick to the glass

The tawny nurse shark is nocturnal, endemic to the Indo-Pacific region and eats primarily octopus; a large hotel and shopping complex is attached to the aquarium

The Philippines is the world's second largest archipelago with 7100 islands; there are 17 active volcanoes here in a nation frequently hit with natural disasters

The tanks didn't have live corals or sponges and some I thought were overcrowded

Lionfish; Manila doesn't have much in the way of tourist attractions but serves as a gateway to other Philippine destinations

Dogface pufferfish; the aquarium had tons of school groups and is hopefully educating them about protecting the environment

Giant Trevally; this species can weigh up to 175 pounds and is native to the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific region