Did you know that manta rays have no bones, only cartilage, and are able to somersault in water? Now’s your chance to find out more – plunge into the mysterious world of these majestic sea creatures this September at the South East Asia (S.E.A.) Aquarium!
In this month-long celebration, marine life experts will shed some light on this elusive creature, and little ones can embark on fun, exploratory adventures to learn more about manta rays. Here are some of the activities in store for you and your tots:
Manta adventure trail
Kids will tackle challenges and find answers to complete their activity sheet at nine stations scattered around the Aquarium. There are prizes to be won, so persevere! The starting point is the Ocean Gallery and the trail will be held from 10am to 7pm daily.
Manta feeding
Grab this rare opportunity to view the feeding of manta rays in the aquarium in this 15-minute session held between 12:30pm and 2pm from Monday to Saturday. Only 20 guests are permitted for each session, so make haste and sign up quick at the Ocean Gallery station. Children have to be at least six years old to participate.
Deep sea dialogue
Speak to a real-life diver and guide to find out more about manta rays and other marine animals in the Open Ocean Habitat. The dialogue will be held at the Ocean Gallery on weekdays at 2pm.
Sharing sessions by marine life experts
Experts making an appearance at the Ocean Dome and sharing their wealth of knowledge include:
* Dr. Mark Erdman, Senior Advisor of Conservation International, who will share more about how scientists tag manta rays to study them (6-7 Sep, 11:30am/1:30pm/3pm/4:30pm)
* Shawn Heinrichs, founder of Blue Sphere Media, on the difficulties faced in filming manta rays (12-14 Sep, 1:30pm & 4:30pm)
* Sarah Lewis from Manta Trust, who will share her life-changing experience diving with manta rays (12-14 Sep, 11:30am & 3pm)
Video screenings
Two films will be shown at the Bakau Wreck area everyday from 10am to 7pm. The first is a 3-minute video entitled “Majestic Manta Rays”, and focuses on the overfishing threats faced by manta rays and how we can protect them. The second video showcases the work of the Manta Trust Team involving the population of manta rays in the Maldives.
Shoot & Share contest
From 1 to 30 September, stand a chance to win Sea Trek (aka trekking underwater) and Ray Bay experiences (where you get to feed manta rays) worth up to $476 when you do the following:
* Follow @rwsentosa on Instagram
* Take a photo/video with a manta ray theme
* Post it up on Instagram and add the hashtag #seaaquarium
Have a blast and enjoy discovering more about these underwater creatures!