I was not enthused about visiting this attraction, until I walked through the door

Singapore doesn’t hide its showstopper attractions. With more than 10 adventure and water parks on the island, there’s no shortage of places for family-filled sugar-fuelled fun, but they’re not the kind of places I usually make a beeline for when I’m in the country.

So, to be completely honest, when I had the chance to visit the Oceanarium I wasn’t very enthusiastic. I didn’t even think I’d want to write about it. But it turns out I was wrong. When it comes to theme parks, one celebrating nature is exactly the kind I want to visit.

From the minute I walk through the door and am greeted by giant tanks of jellyfish, I’m hooked. Watching the invertebrates’ rhythmic pulsing through the water in the Hall of Ocean Wonders is hypnotic.

It’s an opener that sets expectations sky high, but then if you want to ensure return visits from patrons who might already be familiar with the venue, and also have to compete with the theme parks and adventure experiences next door, you have to pull out all the stops.

When Singapore’s Oceanarium (then known as S.E.A. Aquarium) opened in 2012, it briefly held the title of the world’s largest, only to be superseded by China’s Chimelong Ocean Kingdom in 2014.

In 2025, it closed for a major revamp, part of a $S6.8 billion expansion of Resorts World Sentosa, and is now around three times larger. Although it’s still not big enough to take the top spot, it’s huge. To explore its 22 themed zones thoroughly, you’ll need at least three hours and very comfortable shoes.

The Oceanarium’s revamp is not just about size, it’s about the experience, one that takes you through many types of ocean environments, from the surface of the ocean to the mysteries of the deep. There are also many opportunities for hands-on, behind the scenes and interactive experiences including getting your fingers nibbled by cleaner shrimp and getting up close with dolphins and sharks.

Moving from zoomed-in detail to cinemascope, a highlight is the 18-million-litre Open Ocean aquarium with its 36-metre-wide glass panel and terraced viewing areas.

Like most of the exhibits in the Oceanarium, it’s been designed for maximum impact.

In one corner of the “ocean”, guests on guided Open Ocean Dives swim with rays, colourful fish and giant groupers – that is, when they’re not mugging for family and friends on the other side of the panel.

Most of the time, they’re completely upstaged by the marine life of all shapes and sizes, a slice of nature’s theatre that’s more compelling than anything on a big screen.

While many people have experienced reef snorkelling or dolphin tours in the wild, the Oceanarium offers a chance to get close to creatures I’d usually swim away from – and fast – such as sharks, stingrays or venomous jellyfish (not poisonous, a distinction explained by one of the Oceanarium’s many engaging interactive screens).

It offers a window into the world of the deep, what the exhibit describes as the “last frontier” of exploration and something few humans will ever see. The highlight of the section dedicated to this mysterious, inaccessible part of the ocean, is a replica of a submersible, a contraption that’s both hi-tech and not so far removed from the sci-fi TV shows of my childhood.

Seeing so much marine life up close, it’s almost impossible not to anthropomorphise creatures so full of personality. I spot a fish with the exact expression of a grumpy old man and a school of baby fish behaving like toddlers. Some fish are so enigmatic it feels like they’re watching you, not the other way around.

Finding that connection with the ocean is what the Oceanarium is all about. Its focus on climate, environment and conservation seamlessly draws a thread between the ocean’s beauty and its fragility, a message that’s likely to linger long after the thrills fade.

THE DETAILS

VISIT
Singapore Oceanarium is open daily, 10am-7pm, tickets from S$55 ($60) for adults and S$43 ($47) for children (aged four to 12). Entry prices exclude optional immersive programs. See singaporeoceanarium.com

FLY
Singapore Airlines has direct flights to Singapore from Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Darwin, Adelaide and Cairns. singaporeair.com

STAY
The Standard Hotel is located in a leafy neighbourhood a short walk from Orchard Road with easy connections to public transport. Rooms from S$300 a night. On Sentosa, Marriott’s luxury resort The Laurus is steps away from the Oceanarium. Rooms from S$630 a night. hyatt.com/the-standard; marriott.com

MORE
visitsingapore.com

The writer travelled as a guest of the Singapore Tourism Board.