Related Blog Post: Subic Bay Yacht Club Staycation (2023)
OCEAN ADVENTURE is a marine conservatory and adventure park located in Subic Bay and founded by animal behaviorists and trainers. It is owned by Subic Bay Marine Exploratorium, that is the same Philippine corporation running Camayan Beach Resort beside it.
Here is a family’s guide to the must-experienced attractions at Ocean Adventure:
Top 10 Adventure Attractions in South East Asia for Kids!
Ocean Adventure is 151+ kilometers away from Manila via SLEX and SCTEX (approximately 3-hour travel).
You have to wear comfortable clothes as you move from one marine attraction to another.
Make sure you have swim suit, changing clothes, and sun block for the encounter experiences.
SWIM WITH DOLPHINS ENCOUNTER
One of the unique experiences in Ocean Adventure is getting to know the Dolphin up close and personal. The Dolphin swim encounter is P4,200/head for around 30 minutes.
The dolphin will swim with you and bring you from the beach area to the platform training area.
They are very friendly and will give you a handshake to welcome you. This encounter is usually done with 2-3 persons.
The trainer will show you the dolphin’s mouth, teeth and tongue to appreciate them up close.
He would continue to explain the different parts of the dolphin like the fins and what is it made of.
They are very sweet and you can kiss them 🙂
You’ll also get to appreciate how to determine if they are a boy or a girl,
touch their tail fins, and
hug them 🙂
You’ll learn basic hand signals to interact with the dolphin,
like how to turn them around playfully, and
how to make them jump!
Finally, our favorite part — dancing with the dolphin in the water 🙂
They are, indeed, gentle creatures that we should love, care for, and preserve.
We learned so much about the dolphins in the 30- minute encounter than in any textbook we read about them.
DOLPHIN BEACH ENCOUNTER
You can also have a more condensed version of the encounter along the beach (P2,800/head). You need to attend a short orientation on how to behave and interact with the dolphin.
The 30-minute encounter starts with touching and saying hi to the dolphins along the beach area. The encounter is limited to 2-4 persons.
You’ll get a chance to also learn more about the different parts of the dolphin and its behavior.
It’s a great encounter experience for kids to make them appreciate the dolphins better.
Best part is you get to experience the playfulness of the dolphins up close and personal.
The photos of the Dolphins and the kids are priceless 🙂 (Photo taking is not free – rates do apply)
DOLPHIN FRIENDS SHOW
The Dolphin Friends Show is the main show attraction held at the El Capitan Theater.
During summer, they usually have a 12.30pm, 2.00pm and 4.30pm show in the open amphitheater.
The show is inclusive in the entrance fee.
This is where the dolphins would show off their skills like walking on water,
doing somersaults,
synchronized swimming,
swimming with trainers, and
catapulting them in the air 🙂
The special guest – Tonka the whale usually appears to wow the crowd with his black beauty.
The show lasts for about 30 minutes and this is the highlight show in Ocean Adventure that you should not miss.
ILANIN BAY CAFE
Check out Ilanin Bay Cafe Full Menu
Food and drinks are not allowed inside Ocean Adventure and there’s only one main cafe in Ocean Adventure that serves lunch. Best to avoid the peak lunch hours.
Hungarian Sausage (P220).
The food is decent and I like this huge saucy that is a bit spicy.
Fried Whole Chicken (P418).
For a big groups, the fried whole chicken order is worth it. Make sure to order in advance.
Lechon Kawali (P225.50).
They also have rice meals ranging from P200-P250.
Chicken BBQ (P214.50).
The Chicken BBQ is relatively good. Overall, the food is decent.
Cheese Popcorn (P35) and Bottled Water (P25).
You can have popcorn and water for merienda.
TIP: You can sneak in simple pica-pica and water in your own containers for snacks.
SHOW: SEA LION MARINE PATROL
They also have a sea lion show which is already common among the marine adventure parks like Manila Ocean Park.
During summer, they have three shows starting at 11.00am, 1.15pm, and 5.15pm at the Sea Lion Point Stadium. The show is inclusive in the entrance fee.
It’s fun to see them fly through the air and glide around the stage.
A lucky audience participant gets a chance to kiss the sea lion during the show.
Also, there’s a man vs. sea lion challenge where the audience participants gets to imitate the things the sea lion does. Sometimes, he ends up in the water for a hilarious finish.
There’s a chance you’ll get wet if you are too close to the water on the stage.
SHOW: WALK ON THE WILD SIDE
The Walk on the Wild side show features exotic trained animals like eagle,
snakes, and
fruit bats.
During summer, they have three shows starting at 10.15am, 12.30pm, and 3.30pm at the Eco Theater. The show is inclusive in the entrance fee.
To make it fun, you can volunteer to be the audience participant in the show.
BALANCING ACT FEAT. AFRICAN ACROBATS SHOW
The African Acrobats Show introduced this summer was a hit 🙂
It showcased the different somersaults,
difficult acrobatic acts, and
balancing formations.
It features the sea lion mascot explaining the importance of cleanliness and conserving our environment.
OCEAN DISCOVERY AQUARIUM
There’s a small aquarium featuring sharks and interesting fishes like below:
OCEAN ADVENTURE STORE:
To end your trip, make sure to buy souvenirs to cap your trip with the kids at Ocean Adventure.
OVERALL, the Dolphin and Whale show and Dolphin encounters are quite unique that you won’t be able to experience in similar parks in Manila. The Swim Encounter is highly recommended and make sure to go there when they offer discounts during the non-peak season.
Make sure to go there as early as 9am and allot an entire day to explore and enjoy the attractions.
The food is decent, make sure to eat lunch early to avoid the peak lunch crowd. Sneak in some snacks and bring water in your own container.
The show goes on rain or shine so make sure to bring jackets and umbrella during the rainy season.
Budget about P700/head + the Beach/Swim encounter fee.
OCEAN ADVENTURE
Camayan Wharf, West Ilanin Forest Area Subic Bay Freeport Zone 2222, Philippines
Telephone: +63(47) 252-9000
Manila Marketing Office: +632 706-3344
E-Mail: info@oceanadventure.com.ph
Facebook: Ocean Adventure Subic Bay
Youtube: Ocean Adventure Subic Bay
Website: http://OceanAdventure.com.ph/
Operating Hours: Daily 9am to 6pm
Admission Fee (inclusive of all Featured Shows and Aquarium Exhibits):
- Adult (13 years old and above) – P550
- Children (12 years old and below) – P440
- Senior Citizen (with valid ID)- P440
Interactive Programs Fee:
- Animal Trainer Adventure – P5,980
- Swim Encounter – P4,200
- Beach Encounter – P2,800
- Dive Encounter – P4,760
NOTE:
- Children 30″ and below are free of charge
- No Bringing of Food and Beverages
- Smoking is allowed only in designated areas
- No Pets allowed.
Read complete Ocean Adventure Park Rules and Regulations
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Full Disclosure: We’ve been to Ocean Adventure twice — we paid during our first time, and our second trip was courtesy of our friends from Ocean Adventure.
I wrote this blog post myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I have no business relationship with any company mentioned in this post or any organization promoting it. As a policy, I don’t receive compensation from food and travel places we feature in the blog.
I don’t think dolphins aren’t meant to be held in captivity, let alone forced to perform tricks for food. They’re incredibly intelligent, highly sociable animals and the tanks that they’re kept in are more often than not inadequate for their needs. It’s akin to being held in prison.
A dolphin held in captivity off the coast of Jeju Island recently escaped and reunited on its own with its pod family. After 4 years in captivity!
India recently declared dolphins to be “Non-Human Persons”, meaning it is now illegal for them to be held in captivity for commercial entertainment, private or public exhibition, or for any other interaction purposes. Kudos to them, especially considering all the negative press they’ve been getting lately.
I apologize for raining down on anyone’s parade. I realize that dolphins are incredibly charismatic creatures, but I believe people need to be educated more on their well-being, especially our youth.
Jb everyone is entitled to their opinion about animals. Which is worse having a dog or a cat or a bird as a pet compared to a dolphin that is taken care in captivity? I don’t see anyone trash talking in having a pet. How about horses that are used in farms? How about cows that people slaughter to eat? Or chicken? Or fish? Any trash talking on those animals? They are still animals correct? It is hard to be sympathetic to one animal and at the same time actually eat and devour animals as food.
*typo* I don’t think dolphins ARE meant to be held in captivity…
These dolphins are not kept in tanks. They are kept in large open ocean areas. This gives them more room and provides them with a natural environment.
A dolphin swims up to 113 kilometers in 10 days. Are Ocean Adventure’s “large open areas” 113 kilometers long? I seriously doubt it. “Tanks, enclosures, large open areas”, it doesn’t matter what language we use. The truth it, these artificial habitats DO NOT allow these dolphins to practice their full range of natural behaviors. That’s an indisputable fact.
I hope they require people to wash their hands and face thoroughly before touching / kissing the dolphins.
I’ve been here before during our field trip, and I would definitely go back for the Swimming with the Dolphin encounter. It was a very nice and descriptive review! Thanks. 😀
I probably would bring my family here, if I did not know better. To be fair it looks like a great place to enjoy with the family.
But do you know where the dolphins come from? They are taken from the wild from the Solomon Islands. Is there anything wrong with taking sentient dolphins from their pods in the wild to perform show after show with no chance of returning to their natural habitat? Does making them perform cute tricks make it alright?
I’m a regular reader of your blog and I must say this post just broke my heart. Have you not seen The Cove? I suggest you do. Along with your family.
OK, I haven't seen it and we will watch The Cove with the family.
AntonÂ
Were is this located
Inside Subic Freeport.
I like to visit this place , how to go this place? We flying from Davao to Clark ! Are you near from Clark?
it’s 2 hours away going to Subic