Underwater life has always fascinated me, especially if you are a kid who grew up loving Disney’s Under the Sea song by Sebastian the Crab. That said, it has taken me years to visit KLCC Aquaria! And jolly well, was it truly entertaining!
Upon collecting the tickets, the first block is these creatures – the infamous Piranhas. It was indeed slightly creepy as the school was not moving 😬. It was as though they just had a good meal and were probably in a food-coma mode. Nevertheless, they are known to be aggressive, and even though the media has portrayed them as vicious, they are known to move off unless it were a bloodied, raw piece of flesh that was dangled around them.
Interestingly, the entire marine exhibition has been broken into several parts to incorporate sight and learning. The arrangement truly does cater for all marine enthusiasts, hobbyists interested in rearing aqua-life, and for pure knowledge interest. This is clearly seen, especially as we enter the space.
Right after being greeted by the Piranhas, we caught a glimpse of some aquascaping! My first encounter with the idea of aquascaping came somewhere in 2008, where my then-colleague had this little aquarium setup within his cubicle space. What fascinated me then was the co-existence of live plants and the various types of fish. It was such an inspiring sight. Circling back to Aquaria, the section kicks off, with a beautiful display detailing facts about underwater plants and land plants; types that co-exist with freshwater fish-types and saltwater types (marine / sea life)
Plants above water and underwater arranged into a beautiful feature.
Formation of rocks arranged into a miniature waterfall to regulate the water system.
Don’t be deceived by this short, this crustacean is probably about 2cm in length.
Moving along, we slowly venture into the “Shipwreck” section, and, as it name suggests, we see various types of fish what live alongside the garden of corals. Fascinatingly, eels too come in bright colours and cute spots!
To be honest, if there weren’t that many people, I would have enjoyed the quietness however, it is a learning experience for the younger generation and also a good place for families to spend a day outing and “fishing”.
(Above) A cylindrical tank featuring a school of tilapias!
(below) Some really ancient fishes. Some fishes can really, really grow.
The best was yet to come as we finally arrived at the underwater tunnel. The tunnel runs on a moving ramp wherein visitors can stand still and enjoy the view in 180 degrees. Nevertheless, my first impression was not that good as I was getting slightly annoyed at the person standing in front of me who kept replaying her TikTok on full (irritating) music volume, and, added to that the ramp was slightly jerky and squeeky! There were at some points where we hopped onto the sidewalk (a lane designed for parents with prams or visitors on wheelchairs) and walked a short distance ahead to get some good views. But hey! if you do get a chance to visit, stay tuned and look out for a diver who would feed these wild things while drawing bubbles to entertain you!
Anyhow as our journey was coming to an end, I finally got to see my two favorite sea creatures and as much as I wish there were more types to see — I’ll be grateful I still got to see the alluring jellyfishes and sea horses.
The “Station Aquarius” that showcases some jellyfishes and Seahorse.
Of course, no journey is complete if you don’t take home a keepsake memory in the form of a photo or plushie. This and much more can be found nearer to the exit as you head on home.
Overall, I will definitely pay another visit to Aquaria but perhaps on a less travelled day. Till the next travel tales, signing off with a shoutout to Klook Malaysia for giving great deals such like this with Aquaria KLCC.
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