Underwater World Pattaya, Sightseeing in Pattaya.

Underwater World Pattaya is a leisure attraction showcasing the rich variety of marine life found around the region. Situated at Pattaya, it complements the many other educational and recreational activities available at this beautiful seaside resort.

At Underwater World Pattaya, visitors are taken on a ‘voyage to the bottom of the sea' , which begins at the sandy beaches and shallow rock pools at the water's edge. From here, they start their descent, passing brightly colored corals and all kinds of exotic ocean-dwellers along the way. Finally they come to a spectacular 100 meter-long tunnel with acrylic windows, home to great shoals of fish, prowling predators and a host of other creatures that inhabit the ocean depths.

Besides opening visitors' eyes to the brilliance and diversity of undersea life, Underwater World Pattaya also plays an important role in education and marine conservation. School visits are actively supported, and new educational programs are constantly being developed.

AQUARIUM FACTS

GENERAL INFORMATION

Date of Opening :

4 th July 2003

Cost of Development :

300 million

Land Area :

12 Rais

Location :

Pattaya

Marine Animal Population :

Over 2,500 animals from more than 200 species

Opening Hours :

9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily (last admission 5.30 p.m.)

Price

Foreigner	adult 450 Baht	Child 250 Baht
Thai	adult 250 Baht	Child 150 Baht

FEEDING SHOW

Please note that these times are subject to change without prior notice.

	Daily including Sundays and Public Holidays
Three Musketeers Show	9.30 a.m., 11.00 a.m., 2.30 p.m., and 5.00 p.m.
Coral Reef Tank	10.30 a.m. and 2.00 p.m.
Shark and Ray Tank	11.30 a.m., 3.00 p.m., 4.30 p.m
Ship Wreck Tank	10.00 a.m., 1.30 p.m.
Touch Pool	1.00 p.m.
Dangerous Fishes Zone	4.00 p.m.
Amazing Amazon Tank	3.30 p.m.

It is worth the wait to watch how fishes actually feed. This is the time when they become most active. Visitors will also notice that many of the residents at Underwater World Pattaya have developed quite interesting relationships with the divers who hand-feed them!

Colors of Our Aquarium !

TOUCH POOL The first stop is the Touch Pool, which allows visitors to interact with the marine animals. Our touch pool displays a selection of animals found in rock pools and coastal areas around Thailand. The soft body of a sea cucumber, the sticky tube feet of a starfish and the spiny shell of a lobster tell you something about their habitat and behavior. Visitors can handle marine creatures such as the smooth-textured (and de-barbed) blue-spotted stingrays and the rough texture of the bamboo sharks. Other interesting exhibits include the sharp shooter - archer fish. STONE TEMPLE WATERFALL The reconstruction of an old stone temple features prominently as an icon in the aquarium and will be a major draw for visitors as it will provide an excellent photo opportunity of a memorable visit to Underwater World Pattaya. Colorful Japanese kois are kept in this freshwater pool.
	ANEMONE FISH Anemone fish don’t get stung by the anemones they live in. They are protected by a slimy coat of mucus. They anemone provides a secure home for the fish, while the fish attracts food for the anemone by luring other fishes which will be stung by the anemones. This mutually beneficial relationship is called “Symbiosis”. The clownfish has stripes that break up their outline so they are difficult for predators to see. There are many different kinds of anemone fishes, each one living in its own species of anemone.
SALA TANK Down the ramp, you will see our Sala Tank. Sala is a popular Thai-styled tavern, whose architecture we incorporated into our display. Gathering in this circular tank heavily decorated with artificial corals, are the colorful reef fishes. Observe the majestic blue ring angelfish, the schools of electric blue damselfish or the many butterflyfishes that twist and turn gracefully around the corals, sponges and rocky crevices.

REEF TANK
Coral Communities

For color, beauty, shapes, forms and variety of living things, few natural areas can equal coral reefs. The coral reefs of the tropical seas exist in a fragile yet stable balance. Many of the creatures and plants which live in and around the coral reef are dependent upon each other for shelter, for food, and for their lives. Every reef creature has a specific place in this complex ecosystem from the largest fish to the tiniest shrimp.

Amazing Creatures

Some of the world’s most beautiful creatures grow in tropical waters. Corals in all shapes and colors are formed by millions of tiny animals called polyps. Some of the 2,500 species of soft and card coral can be found in Asian waters, but the Great Barrier Reef in Australia is a famous example of coral wonder. This 30 million year old reef stretches for 2,027 km and is the largest single structure on earth built by living organisms.

Color

A striking feature of the coral reefs is the shoals of brilliantly colored fish which swim in and around the coral. Color is important for camouflage, species recognition and to warn off predators.

Growth

Polyps that build coral reefs live together in colonies. The polyp collects calcium carbonate from sea water forming a limestone coat around each animal. New animals grow slowly on the hard dead remains of previous generations and so the reef develops.

SHARK AND RAY TANK

Shark – The name evokes an almost universal fear, tinged with a certain admiration for this awesome predator of the seas.

The Shark’s Future
Sharks have been on earth for 400 million years, but the last 15 years have been very difficult for them and many species may be on the road to extinction because of humans’ misunderstanding and cruelty.

Stingrays
Rays are closely related to sharks. The skeleton is made of cartilage, just like that of sharks. Rays swim so gracefully that they are sometimes called “birds of the sea”. Their pectoral fins look like wings and when their fins flap, they dislodge food from the sandy bottom for the bottom-feeding fish. Stingrays have a serrated, razor-sharp spine on the top of their whiplike tail. The stinger has venom, but it is not used as an attacking weapon, only for protection. For safety the barbs are occasionally removed in the aquarium setting. However, they will grow again.

In the second section

Visitors come face-to-face with the big, powerful predators that prowl the ocean depths. Shark species living here include the huge nurse sharks, leopard sharks and blacktip reef sharks. Whilst the majority has rows of sharp teeth commonly associated with ‘Jaws’, the leopard and nurse sharks actually have smaller teeth to crush their prey. Other large, but perhaps less menacing residents include the large brown stingrays, strange-looking shovelnose rays and giant groupers. Be sure to check out the rare sharkray, body shaped like a shark but with a head flat and rounded like a ray!

SHIP WRECK TANKArtificial Reefs

Sunken ships have long been part of the underwater landscape. And whether they end up at the bottom as a result of natural calamity, war or as artificial reefs - one thing is certain – fish love them. Countless shipwrecks produce a habitat for marine life. Over time a large fish population will congregate around the shipwreck which helps to populate surrounding oceans.FROM TRASH TO TREASURE – NATURE CLAIMS THE WRECKBuilding a new community

Through war, misadventure or accident, shipwrecks become silent memorials to their past – whilst e becoming the skeleton to a new reef – and a new marine community.Shipwrecks have significant ecological value providing shelter for the very creatures threatened by human intrusions into the underwater world – many becoming thriving coral communities. These artificial reefs attract divers, thereby easing human pressure on natural reefs.Ships made of steel make successful reefs – the steel structure is quickly covered by calcareous algae which provides a good surface for coral larvae to grow on.When a ship sinks it immediately become a shelter for marine organisms. The new habitat is used by fish very quickly as it provides food sources and greater protection for young marine life. Coral, which is composed of small and delicate polyps, develops more slowly, covering a shipwreck’s surface over a period of many years.

Great steamships of a bygone era, like the famous TITANIC resting quietly on the ocean floor offer a new role in underwater venture.

Coral reefs around the world are experiencing substantial decline due to human activities and the presence of artificial reefs as an alternative dive site can reduce the stress placed on the natural reefs.

Off Pattaya

There are many shipwrecks off the coast of Sattahip and Samasan, including the Hardeep shipwreck, which was sunk by allied bombers in the latter part of World War II. The Hardeep is a 64m long Indonesian cargo ship, which now lies on her starboard side just a few hundred meters from the coral island of Koh Chang. Her hull is largely intact and there is access to the engine room. After nearly 60 years nature has worked her magic on the wreck and it is home to angelfish, batfish, groupers, stingrays, barracuda, wrasse, butterfish, crabs and nudibranchs. Whale sharks also sometimes visit. Most shipwrecks present vertical structures that attract soft corals, such as the colorful dendronphya and scleronephthya which add an attractive framework to many reefs.

MORAY EELS AND OTHER DANGEROUS MARINE ANIMALS

Moray eels can be found in tropical coral reefs, hidden in caves and crevices. Moray eels are generally shy and don’t attack without provocation but their sharp teeth can inflict severe wounds.

Sharks are not the only dangerous sea animals. Stonefish, scorpion fish, lionfish and puffer fish can also be dangerous. A puffer fish can puff itself by gulping in water or air when it’s threatened. It is also commonly called “Fugu, Globefish, Blowfish, or Swellfish”. Its liver, ovaries, intestines and skin contain one of the most deadly poisons known – tetrodotoxin. When eaten, this poison can paralyze and kill a person in les than an hour.

Stepping on a stone can be fatal if the stone turns out to be a stonefish. Disguised along the back of the stonefish is the most efficient venom injection system to be found in a marine animal. The instant agonizing pain can leave a victim in pain for life if he is lucky enough to live.

Tariff