Singapore Oceanarium launches new behind-the-scenes shark feeding experience
Ever wondered how sharks are fed at the Singapore Oceanarium? A new programme gives visitors an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at shark feeding operations, as well as the chance to get up close with real shark specimens and the equipment used by animal care specialists.
Target feeding dive at the Singapore Oceanarium. (Photo: Singapore Oceanarium)
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Shark lovers, this experience is for you.
Singapore Oceanarium’s newest guided programme, Ocean In Focus: Apex Predators, offers visitors a deeper look into the world of sharks and other ocean predators through exclusive behind-the-scenes access and hands-on interactions.
Launching in conjunction with World Shark Awareness Day on Jul 14, the 60-minute experience accommodates up to 12 participants, who’ll be guided by Singapore Oceanarium’s animal care specialists.
Each participant will receive a programme lanyard, programme credential, shark species identification postcards and an exclusive Dunkleosteus plush keychain as a keepsake.
The experience begins in the Singapore Oceanarium’s public galleries, where visitors learn about the ancient marine predators that once ruled prehistoric oceans, before exploring the important role sharks continue to play in today’s marine ecosystems.
EXCLUSIVE BEHIND-THE-SCENES ACCESS
One of the highlights is the exclusive access to a support area, where guests can observe how animal care specialists prepare food and feed sharks using broadcast, target and dive target feeding techniques.
Participants will also get an aerial view of the habitat, handle real shark specimens and shark eggs, and examine the chainmail suit worn by divers during feeding operations.
While a regular visit to the Singapore Oceanarium introduces visitors to sharks through exhibit displays and interpretive panels, this programme offers first-hand insights from specialists into the care that goes on behind the scenes.
“The biggest difference is actually the perspective shift,” shared Elyn Tan, manager of Education at Singapore Oceanarium.
“We really want to share these behind-the-scenes stories because for members of the public, when they come to the oceanarium, all they do is read the interpretive boards. But hearing the stories is so different. The biggest takeaway from this programme is really to let people know that shark care isn’t random. It’s deeply calculated.”
BALANCING ANIMAL WELFARE WITH THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE
Sessions are typically conducted twice a day, with morning tours featuring broadcast feeding and afternoon tours showcasing target feeding. On Wednesdays, only the afternoon session is available. If the timing coincides with the sharks’ routine, participants may also get to witness dive target feeding as an added bonus.
“We only do it at certain times of the day. This is for us to work around the animals’ schedule to ensure they get the best routine and schedule that’s as close as possible to what they would have in their natural environment,” said Tan.
Beyond offering visitors a behind-the-scenes experience, the programme also highlights the Oceanarium’s animal welfare and conservation work.
“We have a welfare department dedicated purely to animal welfare,” said Nicholas Derbyshire, senior director of Animal Care. “We do health checks. We have a huge veterinary team. All this happens behind the scenes that the average member of the public doesn’t realise.”
WHY OCEANARIUMS MATTER FOR CONSERVATION
Beyond giving visitors a closer look at sharks, the programme also highlights the broader role the Singapore Oceanarium plays in marine conservation.
“The whole reason for these animals to be with us forms the basis of our conservation and education efforts,” said Derbyshire.
“By breeding animals under human care and having them reproduce, we can support conservation efforts through rewilding. We breed animals under human care, complete the full cycle by releasing them back into the wild, learn as much as we can from them while they’re with us, and continue following them after their release through satellite tags and water quality monitoring. It all plays into this bigger picture of conservation, education and driving science forward.”
Among its milestones, the Singapore Oceanarium became the first facility in the world to breed, raise and successfully release a bowmouth guitarfish into the wild.
It also contributes Indo-Pacific leopard shark eggs to the Stegostoma tigrinum Augmentation and Recovery (StAR) programme in Raja Ampat, Indonesia, where the species was previously functionally extinct.
The oceanarium has also transferred whitetip reef sharks and a grey reef shark to Ocean Park Hong Kong and Burger’s Zoo, respectively, for breeding, education and conservation.
Derbyshire said the Singapore Oceanarium also partners with like-minded aquariums across the region and internationally on conservation efforts involving sharks, corals, seahorses and other marine species.
“An aquarium is very much attraction-focused. An oceanarium is a research facility that guests get to walk around.”
Ocean in Focus: Apex Predators is priced at S$39 per participant, excluding admission to the Singapore Oceanarium. Sessions are conducted daily at 9.30am and 1.30pm, except on Wednesdays when only the afternoon session is available. Bookings can be made via the Singapore Oceanarium website.
Source: CNA/jk
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