A Morning at the S.E.A. Aquarium in Singapore

We have absolutely loved our time in Singapore! Between photo sessions we found time to do a little exploring and sightseeing. Last week we spent a morning at Singapore’s S.E.A. Aquarium on Sentosa Island. Overall we enjoyed ourselves, but did have some mixed feelings about the experience.

Pros:

• The facility was massive and gorgeous! It was sparkling clean and easy to navigate, with wide hallways, elevators and ramps (perfect for strollers).
• The aquarium boasts an INCREDIBLE collection of marine life from regions all over the world.
• All of the exhibits were immaculate. Tanks were clean, beautifully designed and labeled clearly.
• The staff were friendly and helpful.
• Children under 4 enter the aquarium for free. Isla received a complimentary water bottle when we bought our tickets- not sure if that is the norm or something to do with Chinese New Year?

Cons:

• In several exhibits, emphasis on ease of viewing the animals seemed to take priority over animal comfort. For example, we counted 18 moray eels in one modestly-sized tank, which seemed very crowded. Also, some animals, like the octopus, did not have anywhere to hide within their habitat. While the viewing was amazing, we walked away feeling sad for these animals.
• Rude, ignorant tourists were everywhere! They were crowding, pushing, banging on the glass… of course this is not the aquarium’s fault at all, but dealing with so many obnoxious people was draining, and definitely put a damper on our experience. Don’t even get me started on the twerps with the selfie sticks…

I do think the aquarium is a fascinating place for families to visit while in Singapore. I’d suggest visiting on a weekday and getting there right when it opens (most mornings at 10:00am) to try and avoid some of the crowds.

The image above gives you an idea of how many people swarmed around each exhibit. Luckily, there seemed to be some natural ebb and flow of traffic, so we’d wait until a large group moved on, then sneak up close to the tank for a few quiet moments before the next wave of people rushed in.