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Home of the Pink Dolphins: Underwater World
Singapores new Dolphin Lagoon
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UNDERWATER
WORLD SINGAPORE
2010 continued to be a challenging year for Underwater World Singapore (UWS). With the
opening of Integrated Resorts in Singapore, competition among attractions heightened.
Despite the competitive environment, UWS, aided by a new Dolphin Lagoon, proved to be
resilient and recorded a modest year-on-year increase in visitorship over 2009. Through
increasing advertising spent and stepping up public relations efforts, UWS succeeded in
capturing and sustaining mindshare. To stay ahead of the curve, UWS continued its effort
in redefining the oceanarium experience by introducing new products that were responsive
to the changing tourism landscape in Singapore.In conjunction with the local mid-year school holidays, UWS collaborated
with the Singapores National Library Board (NLB) to offer the first underwater
story-telling session in Singapore. During the weekends, librarians took turns to dive
into the Giant Arapaima Tank and to narrate marine-related stories underwater using a deep
sea communication system from the United States and waterproof visuals from the storybooks.
UWS marked the official opening of the new Dolphin Lagoon in July 2010 with a surprise
introduction of the second pink dolphin calf born in UWS named Speedy. Speedy was the
second documented birth of this species of dolphin at any marine park in the world
following the worlds first documented birth of the dolphin calf, Splash, at UWS in
2002. |

Children for Children 2010 at Underwater World
Singapore(Above from left) Haw Par Corporation Executive Director Chng Hwee Hong, CHIJ
(Kellock) Principal Clara Lim-Tan, Arts House Board Chairman Jennie Chua, Business Times
Editor Alvin Tay, Guest-of-Honour Lui Tuck Yew (Singapores Minister for
Information,Communications and the Arts) and ChildAid 2010 Organising Chairman Seow Choke
Meng at the cheque presentation. Net proceeds were donated to ChildAid which supports The
Business Times Budding Artists Fund and The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund.
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Magical experience: Meet-the-Dolphins sessions at the new Dolphin Lagoon |
Over two years in the making, the facility located within UWS features a
600-seat sheltered viewing grandstand and an elevated air-conditioned gallery that
overlooks the performance area, providing visitors with greater convenience and comfort,
and serving as a unique venue for corporate events. Mr S Iswaran, Senior Minister of State
for Trade and Industry and Education, graced the occasion as the Guest-of-Honour.
UWS was one of the venues for the I Do
Weddings 2010, a mass wedding solemnisation ceremony for 118 couples that was supported by
the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports of Singapore and held in Sentosa
on 10 October 2010. Four couples exchanged their vows by the Dolphin Lagoon while one
couple took the plunge into the Reef Colony Tank and tied the knot underwater amongst
hundreds of marine creatures. The unique weddings at UWS attracted media attention and
garnered mainstream media coverage.
The overall interest in the Integrated Resorts will remain strong and downstream
competition among the other attractions is expected to stay intense in 2011. However,
there are good reasons to be optimistic. The opening of the new Dolphin Lagoon coupled
with intensified sales and marketing efforts this year have shown indications of positive
impact in the second half of the year. A certain amount of this momentum is expected to
carry through into 2011. The scheduled reopening of Rasa Shangri-La Sentosa, a 500-room
hotel situated next to UWS, in January 2011, is envisaged to boost visitorship.
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Exquisitely
camouflaged: Leafy Seadragon and Weedy Seadragon |
Up
close and personal: Memorable encounters with friendly fur seals |
Sparkling
performance: The Rhythmic Gymnasts from CHIJ (Kellock) as starfishes promoting
the marine conservation message |
UNDERWATER WORLD PATTAYA
In 2010, Underwater World Pattaya (UWP) performed satisfactorily despite
the instability in Thailand. Taking advantage of the improved climate for tourism in 2010,
UWP leveraged its networks to grow both foreign and local visitorship, working closely
with the Tourism Authority of Thailand and with other partners such as travel agents,
museums and the media.
During the Songkran Festival,
Thailands New Year, in April 2010, UWP, in collaboration with Coke and Charoen
Pokphand Group (CP), staged football games for UWP visitors and rolled out a multi-faceted
advertising campaign across TV, radio, print and online platforms. In August 2010, Dr
Pichai Songchaeng, President of National Science Museum, invited UWP to participate in the
National Science and Technology Fair, Thailands largest science and technology
festival.
In its effort to enhance visitors experience, UWP offered innovative displays with
unique themes this year: the Aqua Monsters exhibit, the Ray Pool
display and the Koi feeding with milk bottle programme.
UWP will continue to face challenges from the instability in Thailand and competition from
other attractions. Riding on the momentum from 2010, UWP will forge ahead with concerted
marketing efforts to extend their reach to emerging foreign markets and further strengthen
their position in the local market.
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| Aqua Monsters: Exotic freshwater animals
at Underwater World Pattaya |
Family Fun: Celebrating Childrens
Day at Underwater World Pattaya |
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