SeaWorld Abu Dhabi launches world's largest multi-species marine life aquarium

AdventureTour amp TasteRelaxingEducationalAncient amp HistoricalI was crouching by the viewing window waiting for another glimpse of the giant beauty when suddenly two of them dived in together Just as I was collecting my jaw from the floor a walrus shot out loose goo of digested shrimp and clams from its rear I laughed wondering who would have imagined watching a walrus taking a dump But then I also hadnrsquot thought of seeing the whiskered mammal in the flesh Before arriving at SeaWorld the 183000square metre marine theme park opened last month in collaboration with Miral on Yas Island Abu Dhabi I was excited about seeing dolphins up close But I returned a walrus fanBesides an upclose look at sea lions having a ball at Rocky Point visitors can feed themDespite their formidable appearance walruses are as cool as their original habitat the Arctic I spent most of my time in the cove observing their wrinkled hides amazed by the ease with which they swam amused by their eye rolls as they sucked freshly thawed seafood When above water they chill on the rocks that resemble sea iceI learned that in the wild the males and females go their separate ways once a year Herersquos how Robert Yordi general curator at SeaWorld Abu Dhabi explained it ldquoIn the wild the males leave the females for about five months in the year and go have chicken wings watch football and complain about the girls The girls over here complain about the guys and five months later they return for the breeding seasonrdquo To mimic nature two habitats have been recreated within the multistoried walrus enclosure A man soaks in the view of the Endless Ocean from the Observation Deck PicsGetty ImagesWalruses share their realm with sea otters who are constantly hopping around diving and swimming and playing in ice cubes They use their agile forepaws to hold onto their food as they gnaw at it while floating on their backs ldquoIn the wild the forepaws help them break open sea urchins or mussels using rocksrdquo a ground staff member told meAs I walked into the fivestoried building I arrived at Abu Dhabi Ocean where you learn the rich history of pearl traders and about the marine life of the Arabian Gulf What caught my attention instantly was Sakina the dugong Dugongs are large herbivorous marine mammals now ldquovulnerable to extinctionrdquo as per the International Union for Conservation of Nature Thanks to the Abu Dhabi realm I now know they are found in India tooWell education is something SeaWorld boasts of besides offering interactive experiences I for one got to feel soft sea cucumbers and spiny sea stars Thrilling On education Thomas Kaferle general manager SeaWorld Abu Dhabi told me that the classrooms built within the park offer entertainment and information ldquoTherersquos one that can fit 3035 children and has windows looking right into the Endless Ocean Not sure how much education will be going on as the fish will be going byrdquo he laughedThe worldrsquos largest multispecies aquarium is designed to look like a ldquofuturistic seabaserdquo where an enormous circular window looking into shipwrecks greets visitors Descend the staircase and you land on the Observation Deck which offers a closer look at rays sharks and schooling fish This realm holds true to its name Endless with different routes taking you on unique journeys through 20 viewing windows tunnels The Cave as well as the escalator The Endless Vista offers a breathtaking 20metredeep view of life underwater Soon you can swim along 68000 marine animals in 25 million litres of water Worry not Itrsquos cleaned every eight hoursWith realms interconnected you are in for a surprise at each turn For me it was Rocky Point where sea lions were chilling even as the loud chatty ones went around chasing another in the choppy waterMy last stop was Tropical Oceanmdashthe topfloor realm that dolphins share with tropical birds such as macaws and flamingos Among all the realms Tropical is the brightest thanks to the floortoceiling windows that bring in sunlight adding to the illumination from the ldquoadvanced animal lighting systemrdquoThe lighting as well as temperature changes as you move through the realms ldquoHere in the Tropical it is hot and humid 25 degrees Celsius and when you go around the corner to the Arctic we bring the temperature down to 17 degrees Celsius In Antarctica which is home to the penguins it is 1degree Celsiusrdquo explained Tom Robert added ldquoWith the change in lighting and temperature we want the guests to be transported to the natural habitat of the animal and learn why that environment is important Itrsquos part of a larger effort to get the guests especially kids to learn about the marine life and conservation We want them to care when they leave If we manage to do that then we have done our jobrdquoWhere does 58 mn litres of water come fromThe marine park with all the realms combined holds close to 58 million litres of water SeaWorld boasts of sustainably sourcing the water from a canal 700 metres away ldquoWe bring it to the building run it through the filtration system and it then goes through the necessary process before being released into each habitatrdquo Thomas said Robert added ldquoWhen we are done with the water it goes back through the filtration system then it goes into a salt marsh that we have created where the nature filters it From there it goes back into the canal cleaner than it came into our filtration systemrdquoAt Abu Dhabi Ocean touch pools allow you to interact with different species of fish such as rays under supervision of courseEat and shopWhile moving through the eight realms you can refuel at any of the 18 eateries scattered across the park each offering a different cuisine With 13 themed shopping destinations you will be spoilt for choice while picking a souvenir While you wouldnrsquot want to miss the thrilling Manta Coaster ride in the Tropical realm MicroOcean is where you might want to conclude your tour amid vibrant world of games adventures rides experiments entertainment and live performancesWhen in YasTake the free shuttle service to any of the fun spots at Yas Island spanning just 25 sq km Go on the exhilarating roller coaster ride touted as ldquofastest on the planetrdquo going a max of 240 kmhr at Ferrari World cool down at Yas Waterworld and revisit your childhood at Warner BrosWant to hear from youWe are looking to visit and write about interesting places of stay and travel near and far If you wish to host us for a fair engaging experience review write to us at smdmailmiddaycom