Giant Panda Adventure
Walking into the Giant Panda Adventure, the first thing you notice is the microclimate (complete with their favoured trees). Ocean Park has obviously paid a lot of attention to detail to ensure that their animals, including the giant pandas Ying Ying and Le Le, are comfortable. There is an interesting amount of moisture in the air, with a constant fine spray and a pleasing coolness that makes you want to come back. The giant pandas greeted the visitors that day with a fine view of their rear. One clung to a tree, enjoying a siesta, while the other paraded for a bit before returning to its designated room to ‘chill’. At the Giant Panda Enclosure, visitors also get to see the giant pandas’ Chinese cousins, the red pandas, on the treetops. Though they are smaller in build, they are just as furry and adorable. The enclosure also hosts the Chinese giant salamander, the largest amphibian in the world. The diets of the pandas, we learned, largely comprise bamboo, high-fibre biscuits, as well as fruits and vegetables. And no, you don’t get to hug them (we asked).
Expedition Trail
This is among the most intriguing of the attractions offered at the Ocean Park. Getting here requires visitors to take a cable car ride that overlooks the blue expanse of the South China Sea with its clean, frothy foam lapping at the cliffs on one side, and greenery on the other. Visitors could also choose to take the Ocean Express, a themed train up to the summit. Among the most fascinating aspects of this rainforest-themed attraction, are its intricate micro terrains, designed to suit the habitat of each reptile, amphibian or freshwater fish it hosts. Here is where you realise that beauty, while alluring, could be equally deadly. There were poison dart frogs, in shades of cobalt blue with brown patches.
The enclosure also hosts some of the world’s largest freshwater fish, such as the arapaima, and the (in)famous anaconda. Then there are kinkajou, a species of sweet, racoon-like rainforest mammals, sloths, as well as toucans (birds), capybaras (the world’s largest rodents) and pygmy marmosets (among the smallest monkeys in the world).
North Pole Encounter and South Pole Spectacular
It was cold inside the North Pole Encounter enclosure (nearly eight degrees Celsius), yet no one cares as they are so taken in by the beauty of the Pacific walruses swimming, at their majestic best, spanning nearly 3.6 metres (over 11 feet). The path through the enclosure takes you over a pool where the sea lions are basking on the ice; they can also choose to jump into the large expanse of icy waters that run their course through the enclosure. The South Pole Spectacular was quite reminiscent of the penguin dream team from the Madagascar series. Visitors can sign up for a special Penguin feeding exercise, to make their daily fill of multi-coloured jello and frozen fish. There are over three species of penguin, including king penguins; dramatic southern rockhopper penguins; and white-bonneted, gentoo penguins.
Note: Trainers host regular talks on each of these species at the enclosures. For details, visit oceanpark.com.hk/en.