$5.5b plan to revamp Ocean Park is unveiled
More animals and rides will bring in tourists and 'complement Disney'
Carrie Chan
19 March 2005
South China Morning Post

Ocean Park has unveiled plans for a $5.5 billion revamp, financed by private and government loans, to turn it into a world-class attraction.

Presenting the two-stage plan yesterday, chairman Allan Zeman said the park did not aim to compete with soon-to-open Disneyland but to complement it.

The proposal has been handed to Financial Secretary Henry Tang Ying-yen, who heads a taskforce reviewing tourism development in southern Hong Kong, but the government has not said whether it will offer loans for the project.

Tourism Commissioner Eva Cheng Yu-wah said the government supported the plan in principle but there was no timeline on when a final decision would be made.

If the reconstruction goes ahead, work will start in 2006. The first stage would be due for completion in 2008 and the second in 2010, with the park staying open throughout. An extra 33 animal species would be brought in and the number of rides doubled to 70.

"We are not trying to 'outdo Disney' but rather complement it," Mr Zeman said yesterday. "It's a sea-world type park with animals; Disney doesn't have animals." The park is banking on an eventual rail link as part of the MTR Corp's proposed southern line. Mr Zeman said it could survive without the railway, but he advised the government to build the link.

Three new hotels providing 1,200 to 1,500 rooms, are not included in the $5.5 billion and outside partners will be sought for these. It is estimated that about 17,700 construction jobs would be created by the work.

The park's operators say the project would boost annual visitor numbers from last year's 4.3 million to 5 million by 2010 and kick-start the government's plan to transform the nearby Aberdeen area into a Fishermen's Wharf attraction.

They say the park would bring economic benefits of $145 billion over 40 years and make a 0.5 per cent contribution to gross domestic product.

Half the visitors are expected to be from the mainland, 40 per cent local and the rest from overseas.

Mr Zeman said the rate of return should be 16 per cent, based on the assumption of raised admission fees. Although the fees would be increased they would be less than Disney's for at least five years.

Ocean Park's current admission fee for an adult is $185. Disney's will be $295 per head on weekdays and $350 on special days.

Mr Zeman said there might be a drop in attendance initially after Disney's September opening but he was confident about the park's future "with all the tourists coming from China". He said it was too early to discuss collaboration with Disneyland.

Although it was former chief executive Tung Chee-hwa who had persuaded him to try to save the park two years ago, Mr Zeman said he did not think Mr Tung's sudden departure would affect the plan.

"There has been a good response from [acting Chief Executive] Donald [Tsang Yam-kuen] and Henry [Tang]," he said.

A Hong Kong Disneyland spokeswoman said Disney did not see more intense competition from the revamped Ocean Park. The two parks would bring more family tourists to Hong Kong.

****

IT’S TIME… The New Ocean Park to be the World’s Best Marine-Based Theme Park
18 March 2005 Press Release

The Waterfront, The Summit, Aqua City, Birds of Paradise, Whiskers Harbour, Marine World, The Rainforest, Thrill Mountain, Polar Adventure, Polar Bears, Penguins, Killer Whales. Sharks, Sea lions, Walruses, Manta Rays, Snow, Bobsled Roller Coasters, Aquariums, Under Water Restaurant, 3d/4d Simulator, Resort Hotels, Cable Car, High-speed train, Treehouse Village, Thrill Rides….

…..Twice as many attractions by 2010! Expecting more than 37,000(1) new jobs and 0.5%(1) contribution to the GDP

(Hong Kong, March 18, 2005) Ocean Park today announced a redevelopment master plan* to redevelop the park into the world’s best marine-based theme park, doubling the amount of attractions and firmly establishing itself as a world-class, must-see destination that will further strengthen Hong Kong as a premier tourist destination.

Ocean Park is a home grown and valuable asset of Hong Kong with a rich 28-year heritage of providing education, lessons in conservation and entertainment for a staggering 70 million visitors and is beloved by Hong Kong residents and international visitors alike.

The estimated HKD 5.55 billion(2) redevelopment which is targeted to commence in 2006 and be completed in 2010 will transform the existing park into a spectacular, marine-based theme park with an amazing 33 new species of animals, connecting people with nature and offering a plethora of breathtaking attractions unparalleled anywhere else in the world. An expected above 5 million visitors per year by 2010(1) will be able to access the park via various transport options including the proposed MTR South Island Line.

“For the past 28 years, Ocean Park has delighted, stimulated and created enormous joy for its millions of visitors from around the world. We are proud to announce the next stage in the park’s development that will see it grow into a landmark destination, becoming the pride of Hong Kong as one of the top theme parks in the world,” said Allan Zeman, Chairman, Ocean Park.

The new Ocean Park will be divided into two major areas - The Waterfront, formerly the Lowland and The Summit, formerly the Headland - featuring more than 70 distinctive attractions.

The Waterfront will be divided into three themed zones: Aqua City, which will house the spectacular new Ocean Park Grand Aquarium complex; Birds of Paradise, a lush tropical haven for a wide variety of avian wonders; and Whiskers Harbour, a playful port of call for families where Ocean Park’s signature characters will welcome guests.

Towering 150 meters above sea level, The Summit will offer breathtaking views of Hong Kong’s southern shores, Aberdeen and neighboring islands. Terraced levels sculptured into the hillside will showcase animals and entertainment from four different global climate zones: Marine World, the Rainforest, Thrill Mountain and Polar Adventure.

Not-to-be missed natural attractions within the new Ocean Park will include the Killer Whale Stadium, an enormous, seashell-shaped air conditioned building with 5000 seats where visitors can view a dramatic Killer Whale show; the Penguin Glacier where penguins slip and slide to the delight of visitors; Polar Bear Cove, the home of enormous and adorable polar bears; Swim with Dolphins where visitors can don wetsuits and come nose-to-nose with the friendly mammals; and Shark Encounter in Aqua City where visitors can enter a protective cage to watch sharks being fed.

Visitors will be dazzled by 12 new animal and entertainment shows including the live-action Typhoon Stunt Show in the Rainforest area that combines the best of Hong Kong movie making, Wushu martial art stunt fighting and Hollywood special effects, and tremble at the exhilaration of Everest, the ultimate rollercoaster found at Thrill Mountain.

Ocean Park’s signature mode of transport, the stunning cable car, will be rebuilt and visitors will also have the option of riding the Summit Express, a funicular train that will whisk visitors through a tunnel at high speed to The Summit, or back to The Waterfront in a matter of minutes.

The new Ocean Park will be developed in phases, allowing for the park to be kept open during the redevelopment period with animals and their habitats kept to a high standard and new entertainment and animal programs continually introduced. The redevelopment is expected to create 37,100 jobs by 2022(1) and the completed park will contribute 0.5% to Hong Kong’s overall GDP by 2010(1).

The Ocean Park redevelopment master plan also includes a proposal for the development of three hotels to neighbour the park. The hotel development is not essential in driving the new Ocean Park, but will add additional appeal to the overall proposal and will be key to boosting the area as a premier tourist destination.

“We believe the new Ocean Park will not only provide nature, conservation and education, but it will also be a catalyst for the development of the Aberdeen Tourism Project, kick starting an exciting revival of the south side of the island,” commented Zeman.

Ocean Park is a not-for-profit organization, 100 percent wholly owned by the Hong Kong SAR Government and is expected to remain so under the new proposal. The Ocean Park redevelopment should not require any Government subsidies or grants but is expected to be funded by a combination of government and commercial loans.

Note: *The redevelopment master plan is a conceptual plan only and includes details and specifics known at this time. The details and specifics may contain estimates and may be subject to change.

(1) All economic and financial projections have been provided by Economic Research Associates based on its independent research effort, its general knowledge of the industry and consultations with Ocean Park, as well as information provided by Professional Property Services Limited and MTR Corporation

(2) The estimated costs are based on a costing exercise undertaken by Ocean Park’s consultants following appropriate consultations with Ocean Park.

About Ocean Park

Ocean Park is Hong Kong’s unique homegrown theme park. Since its opening in January 1977 as a non-profit organisation, Ocean Park has built itself to be a world-class attraction. Over 60 million people have visited Hong Kong's premier park since its inception and Ocean Park offers adults and children entertainment blended with education and conservation facilities

Source : http://www.danieltse.album.hk/

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Ocean Park hikes ticket prices 20pc
2 July 2009
The Standard

Ocean Park yesterday announced a 20 percent increase in ticket prices on the same day Disneyland increased its fees for local visitors.

Ocean Park chairman Allan Zeman said the second price increase in two years is necessary to finance a HK$5.5 billion redevelopment project and to pay the interest.

The Disney hike came despite a forthcoming HK$3.5 billion injection from its parent company.

Beginning on August 1, an adult ticket for Ocean Park will go up from HK$208 to HK$250, while that for children will increase from HK$103 to HK$125.

The gold smartfun annual pass will now cost HK$695 for an adult against the previous HK$628, while a child will pay HK$350 instead of HK$313.

Those receiving Comprehensive Social Security Assistance need to pay only HK$20.

``We're not for profit, but if we don't increase the prices we are going to lose money,'' Zeman said.

Inbound Travel Association chairman Paul Leung Yiu-lam said Ocean Park's move was inexplicable.

``The trade has hit rock bottom, and we are in discussion with hotels, airlines and restaurants on possible reductions. How come Ocean Park is going the opposite way and not helping us get through these hard times?'' Leung asked.

He warned that some agents would make Ocean Park an optional attraction or be forced out of business if the market cannot absorb the increased cost.

Democratic Party lawmaker Fred Li Wah-ming said the Ocean Park expansion is being funded by the government.

He also feared the increase would adversely impact the tourism industry and the public's interest in visiting the park.

Zeman insisted that even after the price adjustment, Ocean Park was still among the cheapest in world and at least HK$100 cheaper than Hong Kong's Disneyland, with a lot more attractions.

Disneyland yesterday raised its admission prices for Hong Kong residents from HK$295 to HK$350 for adults, and from HK$210 to HK$250 for children. Tourists have been charged these prices since February.

The government on Tuesday announced a deal had been reached with The Walt Disney Company on plans to add three more themed areas _ Grizzly Trail, Mystic Point and Toy Story Land _ and 30 attractions over five years.

The expansion will cost HK$3.63 billion with most of the money coming from Disney.

The Hong Kong government will convert a substantial part of its loan _ about HK$6.25 billion _ to equity, and see its share reduced from 57 percent to 52 percent.

The Legislative Council panel on economic development will discuss the expansion this Saturday.

Panel member Paul Chan Mo-po said he hoped Disney would be more open with its disclosures.

``I want to have a more concrete idea of what Disney is going to disclose, no more guessing games,'' Chan said.

Ocean Park, a whimsical wonderland
13 May 2009
The Jakarta Post

If Hong Kong is one of the destinations at the top of your priority list, then Ocean Park is a recommended, must-see attraction.

The premier park in Hong Kong offers a mix of entertainment, educational and conversational facilities. There are over 40 major attractions in the park, something for everyone, regardless of age. And from the estimated of over three millions visitors each year, the 28-year-old, 870,000-square-meter park is set to continue making its mark for many years to come.

The park was built from donations made by the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club and is operated by Ocean Park Corporation, a statutory board and a non-profit organization offering affordable marine animal education and entertainment. The park lies between Aberdeen and Repulse Bay and comprises two sections: the Lowland in the Lowland Gardens, where the main entrance is, and the Headland at the Marine land.

In the Lowland is the Giant Panda Habitat, arguably the premier draw for Ocean Park since its opening on May 18, 1999, with an area of 2,000 square meters. After all, how many parks offer the chance to witness, live, one of the most endangered species in the world?

The state-of-the-art enclosure is a huge room, with a towering ceiling. It consists of three levels of guardrails for people to stand along and is especially designed to mimic the real-life habitat of the remote, mountainous region of Southern China. The enclosure is appropriately 30 degrees, steeply sloped, and even has misting equipment installed to keep the humidity up and air cool, to emulate the high altitude environment. The two stars of the attraction, pandas Gia-Gia and An-An by name, are a 22-year-old mother of four cubs and a 14-year-old male, respectively. They were a gift bestowed by the central government of China to the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong.

Amid clumps of vegetation, one of the two pandas was sighted half-heartedly munching great armfuls of cut bamboo, their diet of choice. Then, as if sensing an audience, Gia-Gia or An-An - I could not tell the difference - walked, sometimes rolled, on the grass, its nose poking curiously into nooks and crannies. The other panda was assumed to be sleeping behind the strategically placed rocks, some of which are faux.

There is also the Goldfish Pagoda, with 100 varieties of Chinese and Japanese goldfish of all shapes, sizes and colors; the Butterfly House, with hundreds of delicate free-flying insects; the Dinosaur Trail with its 17 life-like dinosaur models including a giant T-Rex near the exit; The Dolphin University, Caverns and Darkness 3D and the Amazing Amazon. The Lowland is also geared toward the young ones in Kids' World, which includes kiddy rides, playgrounds, remote-control cars and boats, and a shooting game arcade.

To cross over to the Headland, one must take the 1.5 km long cable car, one of the park's many popular highlights. The eight-minute ride transports visitors to and fro between the two sections, passing over mountains and offering a spectacular panoramic view of the rocky coastline of the southern part of Hong Kong Island and the South China Sea. It is amazing that it could be so quiet and peaceful up in the cable car. The sight of the lush, verdant hills below and the sea, spreading undulatingly across the endless horizon like a thin sheet of glass under the glaring sun, also creates valuable opportunities to take scenic photographs.

Upon entering the Atoll Reef, one of the world's largest aquariums and the most popular attraction of Marine Land, one is mesmerized by the splendor of the mysterious beautiful underwater world that unfolds in front of visitors. The Reef is a three-pier aquarium with observation passageway at different depths and angles for various views. It exhibits more than 2,000 fish from 250 species, including an 80-year-old, six foot long giant grouper! It also boasts the largest number of Napoleon fish to be found in any aquarium in the world.

A short travelator, Asia's first underwater viewing tunnel, takes visitors down under the arch-bottom of the Shark Aquarium tank, of which the smaller size certainly lacks none of the Reef's grandeur. It is the place to come face-to-face with more than 70 sharks and rays from over 35 species. It is thrilling as the impressively streamlined-body of a shark, about four meters long, slithered past on my left side, with the specially designed glass as the only barrier between us. Among these sharks, over 11 splendid species are especially cared for through Ocean Park's very own captive breeding program, including the black tip reef shark and the rare pygmy swell shark.

One should not miss the Ocean Theater, which features live shows by talented dolphins and sea lions. Music rocked through loudspeakers and a female DJ welcomed the audience. It was heartening to watch the sea lions jumping up and down the platforms, their wet flippers hanging over at their sides. The sea lions were so impressive when they balanced the balls using only the tips of their noses. They were rightfully rewarded for their efforts with fish thrown to them by their trainers, and hearty applause from the audience.

A trainer threw several life preservers into the training pool, which was separated from the audience by a low fence of clear transparent plastic panels. The dolphins raced against one another to dive expertly under the water before rising out with the life preservers secured around their necks. The audience sat on higher ground around the half-circular concrete staircase, to prevent being splashed by water over the plastic panels.

The Headland has many adult rides too, and these are definitely not for the faint-hearted. Some rides are restricted to riders standing at 1.5m and above, for safety reasons. Thrill-seekers will have their appetite more than satisfied by the park's offerings. The Dragon roller coaster is highly recommended. It sets the pulse running and adrenaline pumping with flips through its famous twists and loops, including two 360 degrees somersaults - one small and one giant, at a hurricane speed of 77km per hour, covering a total length of 842 meters in just 2.5 minutes. It is the ride of a lifetime and will leave the rider breathless, screaming for more!

Lastly there are the Abyss turbo drop and Crazy Galleon. The latter is a 26-meter-long pirate ship, which, in full swing, can reach up to a height of 20 meters. It gives the impression as if you are falling from a great height, your heart being "sucked down" by gravity. The Abyss uses the same trick, leaving riders feeling glad to have their feet back on the ground.

If you speculate that Hong Kong Disneyland, which opened to the world on Sept. 12, 2005, will soon surpass Ocean Park, think again. A redevelopment master plan is under way to fully refurbish Ocean Park. This aims to turn it into the world's best marine-based park, a world-class, must-see destination that is bound to give Disneyland a run for its money.

In the next few years, some HK$5.55 billion will be spent on installing 100 new rides and doubling the number of current attractions, including a funicular train for transportation from the Waterfront (formerly the Lowland) to the Summit (formerly the Headland). It will also introduce several new animal shows and even an area featuring polar bears. The park will expand to almost twice its present size. To accommodate growing visitors, there will also be a South Island Line to link the current subway system with Ocean Park and the south of Hong Kong Island.

Only time will tell which will emerge the winner, but with so much promise yet to come, it looks like Ocean Park is here to stay.

Zeman expected to serve another 3 years as Ocean Park chairman
25 June 2009
South China Morning Post

Entrepreneur Allan Zeman is expected to serve as Ocean Park chairman for three more years.

He was supposed to step down next month after holding the post for six years.

Core officials of statutory bodies normally follow a so-called "six-six rule" - a government guideline that discourages them from assuming more than six public roles at one time, or working in one job for more than six years.

Mr Zeman, whose contract will end this month, took over as the theme park's chairman in 2003. He confirmed yesterday that the government had approached him recently about serving another term.

"I treat it as a full-time job and it gives me a lot of satisfaction," Mr Zeman said. "I do feel it's my park."

Mr Zeman has managed to boost the park's visitor numbers and generate record profits despite intense competition from Hong Kong Disneyland.

He said bringing the park's expansion plan in on budget and making each attraction world-class would be his priorities if reappointed.

A source said the government would soon announce the appointment. There have been many exemptions to the six-six rule, depending on the circumstances.

Ocean Park board member Simon Ip Shing-hing said he had not yet been told who would be chairman but would be pleased if Mr Zeman stayed.

"The park's expansion project will only finish broadly by 2012, which is three years from now, so if Mr Zeman could stay, the project would be manned by someone who is familiar with it and that is a good thing," Mr Ip said.

Mr Ip, who joined the board about two years ago, said Mr Zeman had always been a hard-working and passionate chairman.

Tourism sector lawmaker Paul Tse Wai-chun also supported Mr Zeman staying, saying the six-six rule was not a binding regulation.

Ocean Park's shy red pandas prepare to live in public gaze
24 April 2009
South China Morning Post

The four red pandas at Ocean Park are learning to live in the public gaze as the theme park prepares to open its new attraction on Thursday.

The four pandas arrived from Sichuan last month and were moved to the Amazing Asian Animals exhibit four days ago after spending a month in quarantine.

Howard Chuk Hau-chung, the park's senior curator, said yesterday that the pandas were adapting well to the new environment. He spotted them marking their territory on the walls with their body smell.

"Only when they find a place good and comfortable will they mark it with their scent," he explained.

The fluffy animals, which resemble raccoons more than giant pandas, have been rubbing their bottoms on the walls to leave their scent.

To help the red pandas adapt to different types of sounds, trainers have tried raising their voices and clapping their hands to check the reaction of the animals.

The pandas were also encouraged with apples, their favourite snack, to visit different corners of the theme park's new exhibit.

"We hope they build up confidence through the training. Their species is kind of shy," he said.

Before the attraction opens, staff will play the role of tourists to help the pandas adapt to visitors.

The curator gave tips on how the public could distinguish the four animals - Tai Shan, Rou Rou, Cong Cong and Li Zi.

The males, Tai Shan and Cong Cong, are bigger than their female counterparts. Cong Cong's hair is shinier and redder, and he is braver than Tai Shan, who looks cautious when he moves around. Rou Rou has a distinctive posture: tilting her head when looking at her trainers. Li Zi has a face that resembles a chestnut.

Meanwhile, pandas Le Le and Ying Ying have also moved into the new exhibit. The Amazing Asian Animals attraction will also be home to Chinese giant salamanders, Chinese alligators, otters, birds and turtles.

By KCLee from dclifehk :

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I've always liked Ocean Park, if only for the simple reason you can see my secondary school from there :D

Ocean Park's Panda Attraction
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Ocean Park urged to cut height of hotel
Planning Department suggests further changes
19 December 2008
South China Morning Post

Ocean Park has been urged to further reduce the height of its proposed Ocean Hotel, one of three new hotels that form part of its massive expansion project.

Plans for the hotel have been criticised by planners and architects, who say it will damage the surrounding natural environment.

The theme park will seek Town Planning Board approval tomorrow for its proposal to build three hotels - Fisherman's Wharf Hotel, the Spa Hotel and Ocean Hotel - with the first two sitting on the headland and the last one at the park's entrance.

The park said last month that it would cut the height of the Ocean Hotel from 17 storeys to eight to address public concerns over its impact on the surrounding area. But the Planning Department said there was still scope to reduce the overall building height and minimise the visual impact without reducing the gross floor area.

"In terms of storeys, the reduction is about 50 per cent, but the actual reduction in absolute building height (measured from the ground floor), from about 60 metres to 40 metres, is only about 33 per cent," the Planning Department says in a paper submitted to the board.

Sandwiched between Shouson Hill and Brick Hill, also called Nam Long Shan, the Ocean Hotel site is surrounded by medium-rise developments mixed with green and open spaces. The Hong Kong Country Club to its south is no higher than 27 metres and the residential development on Shouson Hill is low density.

The Architectural Services Department said the hotels should be visually compatible with their surroundings, while the Planning Department said the proposed Ocean Hotel was solid, formalistic and monolithic. Efforts should be made to soften its hard lines so that it could blend in better.

The Planning Department said it would not object to the proposal but it should be approved with conditions, including revision of the Ocean Hotel's height, submission of the revised visual impact assessment and a tree preservation scheme.

Carolyn Fong Wai-lyn, the co-chairman of the Southern District Sustainable Development Group, challenged the park's mitigation measures, including planting rows of trees to minimise the visual impact.

"I don't believe the graphic released by Ocean Park," she said. "I don't think the trees will be eight storeys high. I doubt such trees can be found in Hong Kong."

The pressure group said the hotels were against the park's principles of conservation and education, and urged the park to move them to urban areas in Wong Chuk Hang.

Ms Fong said the park had already removed trees on the headland to carry out its expansion plans.

A park spokeswoman said work on the headland was for a new project comprising the Thrill Mountain, Rainforest and Polar Adventure attractions. "It is just a transitional period; trees will be replanted when construction is completed," she said.

By fatshe :

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Don't develop Ocean Park at the expense of Wong Chuk Hang
16 June 2008
South China Morning Post

I urge the government to take a co-ordinated approach to the development of the tourism potential of Southern District. There should be a grand vision for the area instead of allowing the existing haphazard development of hotels.

As an example, I would like to cite Ocean Park's proposed hotel development. It wants to build three hotels with a total of more than 1,000 rooms. To allow this would be irrational, because:

It is not Ocean Park's business as a theme park operator to be in real estate;

It would hinder the regeneration of Wong Chuk Hang, barely 15 minutes away, as the tourism hub for hotels and other ancillary services; and

It is damaging to the environment if a precious, low-density greenfield site is built on.

Ocean Park has an unfair advantage in the development of hotels as the government provides its land free. Developers who have to pay for land are being slow to convert existing obsolete buildings in Wong Chuk Hang into hotels, as they are wary of the competition with the theme park. The result is that taxpayers are subsiding Ocean Park's hotel projects while losing revenue on the premiums that could have been achieved on a regenerated Wong Chuk Hang. Ocean Park should focus on developing the land it was given into a park that blends with the environment and therefore contribute to the tourism appeal of the district. Apart from contradicting the strategy of urban renewal for Wong Chuk Hang, a hotel development would conflict with the area's low-density character.

One of Hong Kong's prime tourist attractions is a pleasant coach drive from Aberdeen tunnel exit, covering the bays and beaches all the way to Stanley. The presence of more concrete among the lush greenery and blue waters would diminish the uniqueness of this drive.

What we need is the rejuvenation of Wong Chuk Hang into an area for hotels, serviced apartments, shopping, restaurants and other attractions. The development of a lively nightlife along the lines of Lan Kwai Fong should be encouraged. Office and high-density residential development should follow.

C. P. Ng, chairman, Southern District Sustainable Development Group

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Ocean Park may put off price rise until after summer holidays
24 July 2009
South China Morning Post

Ocean Park may delay by two months a proposed 20 per cent increase on ticket prices after park chairman Allan Zeman said it could afford the loss of HK$22 million.

With many households tightening budgets amid the downturn, legislators yesterday challenged Mr Zeman about the need to raise ticket prices to HK$250 for adults and HK$125 for children from August 1.

Ocean Park board members must approve the proposed delay in the ticket price increase.

"If we're talking about a couple of months - to October - I would imagine it's an impact of about HK$11 million per month. The park can handle it in the present situation. If it's something like that, I can probably give a commitment to try to get it down because obviously, from my own side, I don't have a problem with it," he said.

League of Social Democrats lawmaker Albert Chan Wai-yip put a non-binding motion opposing the increase, which was passed on four votes to two, with two abstentions.

Ocean Park has raised ticket prices seven times since 1996, when adult admission increased by HK$10 to HK$140 and child tickets rose from HK$65 to HK$70. Since Mr Zeman became park chairman in mid-2003, there have been three price rises, amounting to 39 per cent.

About 80 per cent of visitors did not pay full price, through social programmes and concessions, he said.

Charging visitors more now is needed to pay off loans and interest expenses relating to its redevelopment plan. Three loans need to be repaid, starting in 2011 with a commercial loan of more than HK$2.77 billion and ending in 2031 with a HK$1.39 billion government loan at 5 per cent interest a year.

From 2012, when the plan was expected to be completed, the loan and annual interest payments were estimated to total about HK$300 million.

HK Ocean Park defers price hike plan

HONG KONG, July 28 (Xinhua) -- Hong Kong Ocean Park has decided to defer raising its entrance fees and the new charges will come into effect on Oct. 5, according to a press release Xinhua received on Tuesday.

The decision came after the park's board of directors met on late Monday.

The park announced earlier this month that it will raise its entrance fee by 20 percent starting from Aug. 1 which incurred grumbles from the society.

Ocean Park Chairman Allan Zeman said the move was inevitable as more attractions will be completed and the cost of operation kept increasing.

Zeman expected the park to receive 40 million HK dollars (about 5.2 million U.S. dollars) less in this fiscal year due to the deferral of price hike.

The single ticket for adults will cost 250 HK dollars, compared with the current 208 HK dollars while the child ticket will rise by 22 HK dollars to 125 HK dollars.

In terms of the annual pass, the fee will be up 67 HK dollars to 695 HK dollars for adults and 37 HK dollars up to 350 HK dollars for children.

Meanwhile, children younger than three years old and elders aged above 65 will still have free access to the park.

As one of Hong Kong's leading theme parks, Ocean Park received 5.03 million visitors in 2008 and the park has seen rising number of visitors and revenue level in the last five years.

Bay dolphins enjoy new home
3 August 2009
The Herald

PORT Elizabeth dolphins Domino and Dumisa are settling down well in their new Hong Kong home, where they are enjoying a bigger, more intricately shaped pool, plenty of company and some unusual treats.

Responding to questions from The Herald, Bayworld senior curator Robyn Greyling said the dolphins seemed happy and healthy.

“They are eating the same amounts as when they were in Bayworld’s facilities and their behaviour is also normal.

“I look for changes in their normal behaviour and so far they have been good and pretty much as they were back home,” she said yesterday.

“We also monitor the number of times they breathe in a five-minute period. This is one of the ways we can measure if they are slightly stressed or anxious. So far they are still in the lower range of the normal counts.”

Having grown up in a single pool at Bayworld measuring 30m long by 20m wide, the animals are now in a complex of three pools leading into each other, ranging between 15m by 15m and 17m by 19m in size.

“During their 30 days of quarantine, they will be watched closely for any slight changes in eating patterns, swimming patterns or behaviours that might indicate a health issue,” she explained. “At this time, both dolphins are doing well and exploring the pool, interacting with me and becoming acquainted with their Ocean Park trainers.

“In addition to the time spent with the trainers, they spend time on their own, as well as with a variety of enrichment items from inner tubes to balls to ice with food items inside.”

Asked about pollution of the ocean around Hong Kong and how this affected the supply to Ocean Park’s tanks, zoological operations and education executive director Suzanne Gendron said water quality varied from no pollution to very high, depending which waters were sampled.

“Deep Water Bay from where we draw our water has a popular swimming beach and the water quality is very good. The same water has been the source of life for the 3600 fishes and marine mammals of Ocean Park since 1977.”

Half-price tickets for August birthdays
7 August 2009
South China Morning Post

In a last-minute concession, Ocean Park has cut the price of admission by half from today until the end of the month for anyone whose birthday falls in August.

The move comes after a 20 per cent price rise due to start on August 1 was postponed until October 5 after lawmakers questioned the need for higher prices when many households were financially strapped.

Ocean Park said this month's promotion was to mark the birthdays of four-year-old giant pandas Le Le and Ying Ying.

Although city residents continue to enjoy free entry to Ocean Park on their birthdays, this month's promotion applies to everyone, including overseas and mainland visitors.

Admission is normally priced at HK$208 for adults and HK$103 for children, meaning the promotional prices this month are HK$104 and HK$51.50. After the increase, the new prices will be HK$250 and HK$125.

The summer months, including August, are a peak period for Ocean Park. But the global economic crisis and fears over the spread of human swine flu have put a significant dent in the number of tourists and visitors this year.

Attendance for the year to June 30 dipped some 5 per cent to about 4.78 million from 5.03 million a year ago.

According to tourism data, the number of visitors fell 3.4 per cent in the first half of this year to just under 13.7 million compared to a year ago. Preliminary figures for July and August are not promising.

About Ocean Park

OCEAN PARK SUMMIT
Aberdeen, Hong Kong

The project consists of four lands :- Polar Adventure; Thrill Mountain; Rainforest and Marine World. When completed it will double the size of the Ocean Park's current facilities.


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http://web.leighorange.com/en/projects/index.php?pid=70&step=163

Half the visitors are expected to be from the mainland, 40 per cent local and the rest from overseas.

Park hoping price rise won't spook visitors
14 August 2009
South China Morning Post

Improving economic conditions have Ocean Park management in a cheerful mood as the park gears up for its scariest month of the year.

Park chairman Allan Zeman, who dressed up as King of the Underworld yesterday to promote its Halloween attractions, said visitor numbers were expected to rise in October, with the brighter economic outlook more than offsetting any impact from a 20 per cent rise in admission prices, starting from October 5.

"There were 500,000 visitors in October last year, and we are expecting a breakthrough this year," he said. "I understand some people would like to not have a price rise; I wish we could make it free but we cannot."

The 9th Ocean Park Halloween Bash will be held from September 25 to November 1, with adult tickets priced from HK$235 up to HK$825 for special party tickets.

The park is spending a seven-figure sum on this year's Halloween event, and plans to make it the scariest ever.

"There will be eight new haunted houses, 13 new shows and 80 daily performances and 404 wandering ghosts," Mr Zeman said.

New attractions include Hong Kong's first movie-themed haunted house, where visitors could encounter ghoulish characters from horror stories, such as "Ms Single Braid" and the "Vampire Catcher".

The park will also feature a haunted house designed by members of the public for the first time. Winston Li Ho-yin and Michelle Chau Man-yin, from Polytechnic University, beat 70 other competitors in April and will bring their haunted train station "Purgatory Express" to the event.

"We were often told ghost stories about railways when we were young, especially a story about the last train heading to hell," Mr Li said. "I would warn all the visitors not to hold the handrails as you never know what might happen,"

The park had planned to raise admission prices from HK$208 to HK$250 for adults and from HK$103 to HK$125 for children on August 1, but its board postponed the rise.

Happy 4th birthday! Now what about kids?
10 August 2009
South China Morning Post

Le Le and Ying Ying, one of two panda couples at Ocean Park, turn four this month, which means they will soon be sexually mature, and wildlife experts hope the pair will start a family.

The amusement park threw a birthday party for the two mainland-born pandas yesterday, replete with an "ice cake" topped with fruit and bamboo shoots. They ate about half, then wandered away.

"The fourth birthday is very special for pandas because that's when they say goodbye to their childhood and become sexually mature," said Zhang Xiwu, director general of the Department of Wildlife Conservation and Nature Reserve Management under the mainland's State Forestry Administration.

Mr Zhang had brought the pandas two potted plants as gifts, which symbolised an extending family tree. "We are eagerly anticipating the arrival of the baby of Ying Ying and Le Le," he said.

Female pandas normally become sexual mature at 41/2, with the male following about one year later. The pair were given to Hong Kong two years ago to mark the 10th anniversary of the handover.

So what's the chemistry between Le Le, the male, and Ying Ying? According to Timothy Ng Sau-kin, deputy director of Ocean Park Conservation Foundation Hong Kong, Le Le had yet to show affection for her.

Artificial insemination was an option, but the park preferred they mate naturally because this gave the cubs a better chance of surviving.

The rising hopes for cubs come as the mainland continues to get its conservation effort back to normal after one of its main panda areas was badly damaged in the Sichuan earthquake last year.

The Wolong Giant Panda Breeding Centre was almost destroyed in the May 12 disaster, and the nearby nature reserve, home to wild pandas, suffered landslides. At least one panda was killed and a second is still missing.

Secretary for Development Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, who attended the Ocean Park ceremony, said rebuilding of the main road leading to the reserve began in April.

Another 23 reconstruction projects for the reserve, for which the Legislative Council set aside HK$1.56 billion of an allocated HK$10 billion, had been approved and design work would begin soon.

Last week, Ocean Park announced half-price admission for people with birthdays in August. It follows a 20 per cent price rise slated to start on August 1 but which was postponed until October 5 after lawmakers questioned increasing the ticket price during the downturn.

Meanwhile, the park announced the launch of a new tunnel train system, dubbed Ocean Express, which will start service next month. Visitor trials will start next week.

Park chairman Allen Zeman said the park would get Chinese sturgeons in the last quarter of the year.

Residents rail at South Island Line Push to have entire link built underground
7 September 2009
South China Morning Post

Residents of Shouson Hill and Sham Wan Towers will start a campaign this week to persuade their Southern District neighbourhood to back them on a proposal that would put the entire South Island Line underground.

Designing Hong Kong, a group that has been helping the residents, filed an objection with the government against the MTR Corporation's design under which a section of the link between Nam Fung Road and Ap Lei Chau would be built as a viaduct.

A residents' group plans to send petition letters to every household in the district's major estates including South Horizons, Aberdeen Centre and Lei Tung Estate this week, urging them to also file complaints before the objection period ends on September 22.

Nelson Yeung, convenor of the residents' group, said that building the seven-kilometre extension that links South Horizons to Admiralty above-ground would not only spoil the district's scenery - especially the nearby nullah that is home to hundreds of egrets - but also bring noise and nuisance to the many who live near the rail line. That includes a hostel that caters for autistic and mentally ill people.

The arguments were put to MTR Corp and the government two years ago when the project was first approved by the Executive Council. Most of the residents and their respective district councillors had already given up hope after the MTR Corp said that changes would delay completion - scheduled for 2015 - by three years and add another HK$2 billion to the budget.

Moving the rail section underground would also mean closure of up to two-thirds of the Aberdeen Channel - an important passage for fishermen and a shelter for cruise boats - for three years. It would also require much larger-scale excavation in Wong Chuk Hang and push the new Wong Chuk Hang and Ocean Park stations deep underground.

But Yeung said the pain would be temporary. "There may be much nuisance during the construction period but, building it above ground, the nuisance will be permanent."

Paul Zimmerman, of Designing Hong Kong, said an above-ground Wong Chuk Hang station meant it was likely that the planned western part of the South Island Line would also have to be on a viaduct.

Their views, however, were backed by only two of the 21 Southern District councillors in a special meeting last Thursday.

Lam Kai-fai, a Southern District councillor whose constituency includes Lei Tung Estate, said he would be surprised if the new campaign changed anything.

"The people they are trying to persuade are those who actually travel to work by MTR. Three years of delay means a lot of inconvenience, but I bet many residents in Shouson Hill and Sham Wan Towers drive to work," he said.

^^ Sham Wan Towers have already ruined the scenery, those people have no say at first, IMO. The viaduct and bridge above the Aberdeen Typhoon Shelter will parallel and be similar to the existing two bridges. The new bridge won't change a thing for the Sham Wan Towers; and half of the flats face Wong Chuk Hang that don't even see the bridge. Why are they arguing?

If they try to push MTR to build the rail underground, why don't they just push MTR not to build something crazy for the channel crossing, but something as simple as the simply supported bridge. It is even more practical.

For those who lives in Shouson Hill, if they don't drive to work and anywhere everyday, and we can reduce the congestion at Aberdeen Tunnel. They are one of those contribute the traffic problem.


A residents' group plans to send petition letters to every household in the district's major estates including South Horizons, Aberdeen Centre and Lei Tung Estate this week, urging them to also file complaints before the objection period ends on September 22.


And please, save the paper and be green. This is just pointless.

Ocean Express chugs off to glory
10 September 2009
The Standard

Visitors are making sure they have a ticket to ride at Ocean Park, where Hong Kong's first and only tunnel funicular train began running to a hearty response. The Ocean Express takes only three minutes to travel through its 1.3-kilometer tunnel _ just a quarter of the time it takes to cross from one end of the park to the other by cable car.

``We realized the current capacity of our cable car system will be inadequate for the new Ocean Park [after the completion of a HK$5.5 billion redevelopment project, of which the train is a part].

``We are anticipating an annual attendance of more than seven million around 2017. So we explored all in-park transportation options available,'' Ocean Park chairman Allan Zeman said at yesterday's opening ceremony. Actor Nick Cheung Ka-fai was a guest of honor.

A first-time Ocean Park visitor from the mainland was impressed with the train, calling the ride a ``very good experience.''

A local visitor said the express was better than the cable cars as it had air-conditioning.

The 400-seat train connects the Waterfront and the Summit areas and can transport up to 10,000 passengers every hour.

The 1.3km tunnel running through Brick Hill was bored using the drill-and-blast method.

The train was designed to look like a 19th century explorer's submarine with riders having a ``deep sea experience'' through videos flashing ocean creatures along the way.

The park has decided to postpone a planned hike in admission prices until October 9 in a bid to net Golden Week visitors. The admission price will be increased by about 20 percent to HK$250 for an adult and HK$125 for a child.

HK's Ocean Park Eyes Possible Overseas Expansion - Report
11 October 2009

HONG KONG (Dow Jones)--Ocean Park is preparing to argue its case for a more flexible interpretation of a 22-year-old ordinance governing its operations, with an eye on expanding overseas, the Standard reported Monday, citing an unnamed source.

Ocean Park's bid to expand comes in response to invitations over the years from countries including North Korea and India to establish joint ventures with overseas attractions, the newspaper reported.

A local-level official in mainland China has also offered land on which the theme park could duplicate its successful operations in Hong Kong, the newspaper reported.

The report said the ordinance governing the theme park limits the definition of Ocean Park to the 'public recreational and educational park called by the name and situated at Brick Hill.'

Brick Hill is on Hong Kong Island.

Ocean Park ha ha ha!
A 32-year old Hong Kong icon is keeping it real, even as it sinks $1 billion into upgrading the park
31 October 2009
TODAY (Singapore)

The journey to the depths of the ocean is a perilous one. Passengers are huddled, the steady ping of the submarine signalling their descent. Through the portholes, they can see fish gliding by, until, suddenly, the vessel is gripped by the tentacles of a giant squid, Captain Nemo-style. But the vessel survives the onslaught. The door opens and passengers find themselves ... at the Summit of Ocean Park.

The adventure lasts three minutes, the length of time it takes to transport visitors from the park’s Waterfront to its peak in the Ocean Express, a tunnel funicular system that opened in September.

The ride is as multi-media as it gets at Ocean Park, said its chief executive officer Tom Mehrmann last week. The rest of the attractions are natural.

The Ocean Express is the second in what will be a string of new experiences in Hong Kong’s grand dame of playgrounds.

The 32-year-old park has been upgrading since 2006 in a $1 billion project to double its animal exhibits and rides from 35 to over 70 by 2012.

The first major area to open was the Amazing Asian Animals group of attractions in April. Among the exhibits are giant and red pandas, and over 300 goldfish collections housed in what looks like a traditional Chinese medicine shop.

In the next two years, the park will roll out a grand aquarium, rainforest trails, a thrill ride and a polar bear exhibit. Three hotels are also being built, making the park a veritable destination resort.

Come next year, though, Singapore will have two of its own. Will people fly four hours to be thrilled when they can very well do it at home?

“Singaporeans will always travel and when they do, we want them to come to Hong Kong,” said Mr Mehrmann. He added that the park complements Hong Kong Disneyland in doubling the appeal of the city as a fun getaway.

Ocean Park distinguishes itself from the competition, however, by focusing on nature-based attractions. It’s a formula that works. The park has had record-breaking attendance with 5 million visitors last year.

With 32 years of experience in the amusement park business, Mr Mehrmann believes that the success of a product is dependent on how it encourages social interaction. “I’ve seen some amazing technology come and go,” he said.

“At the end of day, people want to have fun with their friends and family in a safe environment,” he added. “They want to hear each other laugh. I don’t see that changing.”

So, there will be no high-tech rides through fantasy worlds in Ocean Park as long as Mr Mehrmann is helming it. His one concession is the Ocean Express. “But that’s transportation,” he said. “No one’s strapped in; people can still talk.”

The ride down from the Summit, by the way, will take passengers on a simulated journey to the earth’s core and the fabled lost city of Atlantis. Talk may be the last thing on anyone’s minds.

Halloween in Hong Kong

Ocean Park has one of the best-attended Halloween event of any theme park in the world, drawing about 500,000 visitors during a two-month Halloween period.

“We have eight new marquees every year,” Mr Mehrmann said, with over 400 talents to deliver fright and mayhem.

This year, Hong Kong horror directors Danny and Oxide Pang channel their imaginations in the Recycle house, which features a hell’s lift, cemetery and other creepy places inspired by the film. Meanwhile, Japanese spirits, vampires, and zombies haunt a lab, train and police station, to name a few stalking points. The event ends on Nov 1, so mark the date next year if you want to join the freak fest.

Theme Parks Crucial for Tourism Growth
6 November 2009
Korea Times

As Korea strives to become a superpower in tourism, it has no better Asian model to replicate than Hong Kong, a highly preferred destination for tourists all over the world. An icon of Hong Kong is the 33-year-old Ocean Park, one of the world’s most popular and sizable amusement parks, hosting over 4 million visitors annually.

The sea-life and animal theme park has been a benchmark model for similar ventures in Korea, such as Lotte World and Everland.

“Korea is obviously a very important market for us. One out of five Koreans visitors to Hong Kong have visited Ocean Park,” Tom Mehrmann, chief executive of Ocean Park Corporation, said during an interview with The Korea Times, Wednesday, at the Westin Chosun Hotel in central Seoul. “Korean airlines and travel agencies have been very supportive as well.”

Mehrmann and his delegation are visiting Korea to promote some of the new additional attractions at their park. They stressed that theme parks are great catalysts for success for any country that wants “tourism dollars.”

“Asia is becoming the focus of theme park development. Singapore, Malaysia, Japan and China are rushing to build them,” Mehrmann said.

China, in particular, has been forthcoming about theme parks. In a landmark move, China recently approved the construction of its first Disneyland in Shanghai. The $3.5-billion project makes it one of the largest-ever foreign investments there. Developments are also under way in Beijing, Gangzhou and Shenzhen.

“Theme parks are a major component of tourism campaigns and tourism dollars,” Paul Pei, executive director of sales and marketing, said. “This is because they are important for the growth of the surrounding community by creating jobs and new infrastructure. Also, theme parks offer a great opportunity for families to spend time together.”

Ocean Park has fared better than its rival Disneyland Hong Kong in terms of attendance and revenue. “Competition is good for improving our services,” Pei said.

Located on the southern side of Hong Kong, the park covers more than 870,000 square meters. It has connected guests with nature through education, conservation, and entertainment for more than 30 years.

Ocean Park houses 20 attractions featuring rare animals, including giant pandas, red pandas, and thousands of fish, bird, amphibian and marine mammal species. In addition, tourists can enjoy 20 ride attractions, including the iconic cable car with a fantastic view of the South China Sea.

“We are constantly evolving with new attractions and facilities, giving reasons for people to come back,” Pei said. “There is a saying that ’One has not been to Hong Kong until one has been to the Ocean Park.’ We offer unique experiences, such as the honorary panda keeper program, and our entertainment is also world-class,” Pei said.

As part of the re-development plan, Ocean Park recently launched an Amazing Asian Animals attraction, which includes rare animals. The third phase is to begin in 2010, and will include an aquarium featuring over 5,000 fish. Currently, the park houses 40 attractions which will increase to 70 by the end of the re-development.

The Ocean Park delegation visit comes at a time when cross visits between the two countries are on the rise. Last year, a total of 845,000 Koreans visited Hong Kong, posting a 9-percent increase from the year before, and 160,000 people from Hong Kong visited Korea, 15 percent more than the previous year.

What is it about Korea that Hong Kong people find worth seeing? “Seoul has unbelievable characteristics and is a wonderful destination,” Mehrmann said. “Korea has wonderful food and exciting day and night life. And don’t underestimate the merits of your seasons. You have winter and skiing ― something we don’t have in Hong Kong.”

Ahead of the official launch of a 3-year Visit Korea campaign, many Koreans are increasinlgy looking to learn from Hong Kong’s phenomenal tourism success. “The depth and breadth of experiences for tourists in Hong Kong are significant. Hong Kong offers a very compact range of services, whether it is shopping, transportation, hotels and etc,” Pei said.

It is look like very amazing Is it finished yet?

It is look like very amazing Is it finished yet?

It will take another 3-4 years to have everything completed, but infrastructures are opening as soon as they are done. So new things have been popping up in the past year or so, and more to come in the next few years.

Yes - bit and pieces of the expansion are coming online. It's great Disneyland has brought more visitors and opportunities for Ocean Park.

Ocean Park rings up the awards for marketing and promotion
24 November 2009
South China Morning Post

Asia's "world city" has received a few worldly commendations. At the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions Expo in Las Vegas last week, Ocean Park was recognised by industry peers in more than 90 countries with three awards in the area of marketing and promotion. The park was acknowledged for its originality, creativity and excellence with two Brass Ring Awards. It won the best outdoor advertising prize for its Amazing Asian Animals campaign using public bus, MTR and shopping mall displays. It was also awarded best print advertising for ads supporting last year's Ocean Park Halloween bash. Further, the park's face-changing master performer received an honorary mention in the entertainment and performers category Big E award. Unfortunately, there is still no prize for a park executive's willingness to embarrass himself for the sake of promotion. Allan Zeman would be a shoe-in for that one.

Over in the field of hospitality, four Hong Kong inns kept their five-star reputations intact as the new Forbes Travel Guide (formerly the Mobil Travel Guide) was released in New York earlier this month.

The top local lodgings last year - Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Mandarin Oriental, The Four Seasons and The Peninsula - all kept their five stars. In Macau, Wynn Macau also retained top standing and is now joined by the Altira Macau, which was elevated from four to five stars.

In the spa category, the Oriental Spa in The Landmark Mandarin Oriental also made the jump, joining the Penn's Espa in the exclusive top rankings.

The Hong Kong park that outdid the Mouse
5 November 2009
International Herald Tribune

As Mickey Mouse heads north from Hong Kong to Shanghai, he runs the risk of being followed by his Asian nemesis: Whiskers the Sea Lion.

Whiskers is the mascot of Ocean Park, a 32-year-old Hong Kong theme park that was widely expected to wither with the opening of Hong Kong Disneyland four years ago. But Ocean Park has unexpectedly thrived instead and is now reviewing requests for franchised theme parks from cities across Asia and the Middle East — including Shanghai, where the Walt Disney Co. has just obtained permission to open its next theme park.

Hong Kong Disneyland has stumbled repeatedly, starting as Disney’s smallest theme park and disastrously miscalculating the dates of the Chinese New Year during a promotion. Ocean Park has emphasized its Hong Kong and Chinese ties and gained attendance even in the first year after Mickey Mouse arrived in Hong Kong, when it had budgeted for a 25 percent slump in visitors.

‘‘I wasn’t really trying to kill the Mouse, but I think they didn’t really understand the culture and got it wrong,’’ said Allan Zeman, the 61-year-old chairman of Ocean Park, who has repeatedly grabbed the spotlight from Hong Kong Disneyland with stunts like d being shot out of a cannon.

Cities in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia and across China have asked Ocean Park to open theme parks, Mr. Zeman said. Ocean Park is less likely to consider Shanghai until after the new Disneyland has been built and its performance can be assessed, he added.

Disney is already taking steps that suggest it has learned lessons from its experience in Hong Kong. The Shanghai theme park is slated to be enormous when it opens — 400 hectares, or 1,000 acres — instead of starting small and gradually adding one or two attractions a year, as Hong Kong Disneyland has done. The Shanghai park also has a somewhat less remote location than Hong Kong Disneyland — although neither can rival Ocean Park, a 10-minute drive from the Hong Kong business district.

A spokeswoman for Hong Kong Disneyland said that design work for the new Shanghai theme park would probably be done separately from Hong Kong Disneyland. She declined to discuss competition with Ocean Park.

When Hong Kong Disneyland opened in September 2005, it had an image as the Wal-Mart of theme parks — the American Goliath that would put local competitors out of business.

But organizers of mainland Chinese tour groups complained that the park was expensive, while Hong Kong residents groused that the park was aimed mainly at very young children. It has only one fairly large roller coaster, Space Mountain, while Ocean Park has three and is building more; Hong Kong Disneyland does not have animal attractions like the dolphin shows at Ocean Park or its four giant pandas.

Hong Kong Disneyland’s most memorable miscue came when it failed to allow for the full length of the mainland’s Chinese New Year holiday five months after it opened and made it possible to use discount tickets on the last three days of the holiday. Faced with throngs of visitors who were flooding the park, Disney security guards shut the front gates so quickly to halt the flow that a very unhappy young child was separated from his family and passed by the crowd over the green spikes atop the gate.

Ocean Park had 3.68 million visitors in 2004, the last full year before Hong Kong Disneyland opened, and 5.03 million last year. Hong Kong Disneyland does not report annual figures but said it had seen over 17 million visitors from its opening through the end of May 2009 — or an average of about 4.5 million visitors a year.

Ocean Park has stressed its combination of exhibits of pandas and other Chinese wildlife and more exciting rides than Hong Kong Disneyland’s.

National Geographic Kids magazine rated Ocean Park several years ago as the second ‘‘wildest’’ theme park outside the United States, trailing only a rival in Queensland, Australia.

‘‘Ocean Park is more fun — Disneyland is more for kids,’’ said Frankie Tong as he admired the pandas at Ocean Park on Wednesday morning while celebrating his 38th birthday at the park with his wife, Mandy Ma. ‘‘Disneylands are more or less the same in places all over the world — Disney is more American.’’

But Disneyland continues to enthrall the very young. Sam Wong, a 40-year-old civil servant, took his 5-year-old son, Keith, to Ocean Park because he thought it would be educational. Keith Wong said he would rather go to Disneyland, adding wistfully, ‘‘Disney has Mickey Mouse.’’

Visitors to cash in on theme park alliance
The Standard
Wednesday, December 02, 2009

Fun times are set to roll across the region as Ocean Park teams up with 11 theme parks in a bid to bring in more overseas visitors to each venue.

As of yesterday, visitors to Ocean Park and 11 theme parks in the mainland, Singapore and Taiwan can enjoy a 10 percent discount on admission if they present tickets from any other member park, or a 15 percent cut if they are annual pass holders.

The promotion will last until December 31 next year, except at Beijing Aquarium, where it will continue till April 30, 2011.

Ocean Park is also seeking more strategic partners, such as in South Korea and Canada, according to park chief executive Tom Mehrmann.

The 11 parks in the alliance are Beijing Aquarium, Shanghai Ocean Aquarium, Shenzhen's OCT Happy Valley, OCT East Knight Valley and OCT East Tea Stream Valley, Panyu Chimelong Paradise in Guangzhou, Taiwan's Leofoo Village Theme Park and Hualien Farglory Ocean Park, and the Singapore Zoo, Night Safari and Jurong Bird Park.

The discount for the next theme park visit is offered when the full admission price is paid at the first park visited.

"On top of adding value for our guests, we're hoping to strengthen the Ocean Park brand in overseas markets," Mehrmann said. "We want to attract tourists from the region and beyond."

He hopes it will ultimately be a win-win situation for Hong Kong's tourism industry as well as all the theme parks in the alliance.

An Ocean Park spokesman denied the alliance aims to counter the popularity of Hong Kong Disneyland or prepare for competition from Disney's upcoming park in Shanghai.

Travel Industry Council chief executive Joseph Tung Yao- chung said the discount will not only benefit consumers and the alliance but also help promote Hong Kong.

Ocean Park profits plunge to less than half of last year's record high
3 December 2009
South China Morning Post

Slower ticket sales and increased spending on staff, shows and advertising reduced Ocean Park's full-year profits to HK$98.6 million, less than half of the record HK$204.7 million surplus last fiscal year, according to its financial statements.

Battered by the global economic downturn, which has hurt household spending and international travel, Ocean Park also faced swine flu fears, adverse weather and visa restrictions on mainland visitors, who accounted for almost half of its 4.8 million visitors in 2008-09.

The park's fiscal year runs from July 1 to June 30.

"Looking forward, we have wonderful opportunities for growth, in terms of spare land for further development, and our proven ability to build traffic from many geographic and demographic markets," chairman Allan Zeman said.

Financial statements show ticket sales dropped to HK$649.8 million from HK$681.9 million last fiscal year, while income from merchandise was HK$86.1 million, down from HK$88.9 million. But business at Ocean Park's restaurants and food stores improved from HK$115.5 million to HK$118.7 million.

Total staff salaries rose to HK$342.3 million from HK$323.3 million, and advertising and promotion expenses climbed HK$8.3 million to HK$54.1 million. There were slight increases in expenditure on repairs and maintenance, utilities, animal care, and shows and exhibitions, while the amount of donations shrank more than 30 per cent to HK$7.5 million.

In early October, admission prices rose, with adults paying HK$250, up from HK$208, and children paying HK$125, up from HK$103.

Ocean Park is embarking on an ambitious plan that will more than double the number of attractions from the present 35 by 2012. Most will be rides for families and exhibits. So far, a new Amazing Asian Animals exhibit has opened and a tunnel train system, Ocean Express, has begun shuttling visitors between the park's lowland and headland areas.

The park forecasts 5.8 million visitors a year by 2012-13.

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How Ocean Park rose to the Disney challenge
20 January 2010
SCMP

When Hong Kong Disneyland opened in September 2005 it was viewed as a major tourism cash cow that would help drive the city's economy.

The wholly government-owned Ocean Park, with a mandate to provide public recreation and education, faced intense competition. But it has risen to the challenge.

For the past three financial years it has beaten Disneyland on number of visitors, and has also made - with the exception of last year - increasing net profits. The figure has risen from HK$119.5 million in 2005-06 to HK$204.7 million in 2007-08. Even in 2008-09, despite the financial downturn, it still registered a net profit of HK$98.6 million.

Visitors to Ocean Park have grown from 4.38 million in 2005-06 to 4.8 million in 2008-09.

Hong Kong Inbound Tour Operators' Association chairman Simon Hau Suk-kei said Ocean Park had certain advantages over the Disney venue.

It had been established for 33 years and was better known to overseas visitors, whereas Disneyland had only been operating for four years, he said.

An Ocean Park visit is now a fixed itinerary for many inbound tours from the mainland, whereas a trip to Disneyland is optional.

"Visitors would have to pay an extra HK$400 and, given the location, they have to spend a whole day at Disneyland. Many therefore do not often choose to go," Hau said.

But he said that with the launch of the solo visitor scheme, many visitors from Guangdong were coming to Hong Kong specifically to spend a day or two at Disneyland.

"Currently, about half of these tourists will visit Ocean Park, compared with 20 per cent for Hong Kong Disneyland. There is a huge potential for growth for Disneyland."

He added: "An average visitor spends between HK$1,000 and HK$2,000 at Disneyland, but would only spend HK$200 to HK$300 at Ocean Park."

Dr John Ap, an associate professor of tourism at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, said it had taken about 30 years for Ocean Park to reach an attendance of nearly 5 million, while the Disneyland venue had been open for less than five years. "Don't be too pessimistic. We have to wait five more years to get a better picture [of Hong Kong Disneyland]," Ap said, adding that theme parks usually recorded no profit in the first few years.

Lawmaker Fred Li Wah-ming said the Disney venue suffered from a bad start, which affected its reputation and popularity.

"Hong Kong Disneyland was, until recently, governed by foreigners who do not understand the local culture or the characteristics of mainland visitors," he said.

"Now the management has changed, but it will still take time for the park to change."

Park predicts half-a-million holiday
The Standard
Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Ocean Park expects half-a-million people to visit over the Lunar New Year holidays - 20,000 more than last year.

Park chairman Allan Zeman predicts 500,000 will visit between Saturday and February 28 - about 4 percent more than last year.

But the hoped-for figure falls short of his wish for a 10 percent surge on last year's holidays.

"We're hoping travel agents will bring in more tour groups," he said, adding that many will come from southern China.

Zeman is targeting a 5 to 15 percent year-on-year increase in the number of mainland tourists this financial year, which ends on June 30.

He is optimistic about business because the economy is picking up and consumers are more willing to spend.

Zeman also had good news for people who want to get married in the park over the holidays.

On Valentine's Day on Sunday, the park can make special arrangements to give lovers a "unique and memorable experience."

The service is free, but couples must tell the park of their plans three days in advance, he said.

The park is decorated with 99 peach blossom trees and an eight-meter tall Chinese lantern.

Its bird theater features more than 10 new species, including a steppes eagle, Lanner Falcon, Striated Caracara and Turkey Vulture.

Zeman said its Aqua City - one of the largest aquariums in Asia - will be unveiled after the summer.

There has been no significant boost in business due to the simplified Individual Travel Scheme which has made it easier for mainlanders to come.

But Zeman said the park has established itself as a brand and is attracting visitors from across the globe.

On the opening of Universal Studios Singapore, Zeman said Ocean Park, which entails more educational and environmental protection elements, is very different from its Singaporean rival, which features rides and films.

He believes Ocean Park can draw in more family tourists than Universal Studios.

Koala pair coming to roost at Ocean Park
11 February 2010
SCMP

Ocean Park will receive two new additions to its animal kingdom - a pair of young koalas from South Australia.

The Australian icons will be flown to Hong Kong within the next two years, as a gift by the South Australian state government. But the arrival dates have not been fixed yet.

The male and female koalas will be housed and taken care of in a new habitat at Ocean Park. The theme park has never kept a koala.

The present was announced yesterday by South Australian Premier Mike Rann at a Lunar New Year reception in Adelaide hosted by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office.

Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah said the gift signified the friendship between Hong Kong and South Australia.

"I wish to express my sincere thanks to the people and government of South Australia for presenting two koalas to us and entrusting Ocean Park to take care of these animals, which are the national icon of Australia," Tsang said.

He said with its extensive experience and expertise in handling marine and land animals, Ocean Park would be able to provide the koalas a healthy habitat and care.

Ocean Park also thanked the South Australia government, saying the koalas would become permanent residents of the park and serve as important conservation ambassadors.

It said South Australian government representatives paid a visit to the park in November and were impressed with its excellent facilities, education programme and conservation efforts.

"We are absolutely thrilled and grateful for this precious gift from the South Australian government," Ocean Park chairman Allan Zeman said.

"We will strive to leverage on Ocean Park's strong local connection and window to the world to tell the story of the koalas and their conservation messages to the local and international communities in vision of connecting people with nature."

'Let me entertain you'
3 March 2010
China Daily - Hong Kong Edition

Allan Zeman is an extraordinary businessman, responsible for developing Hong Kong's tourism industry and about to tap into the mainland's potential. Guo Jiaxue reports

When evening falls during the week Allan Zeman usually leaves his office in Hong Kong's Central district and walks to Lan Kwai Fong to have a drink.

Seeing so many foreigners and locals drinking together and enjoying themselves makes Zeman proud because he developed the area about 20 years ago from being a street for hawkers into the heart of entertainment in Hong Kong, full of bars and restaurants.

Now, his mind is focused elsewhere: "My first mainland Lan Kwai Fong is going to open in Chengdu, in April."

Zeman was born in Germany, but raised in Canada. He used to import textiles from Hong Kong to the North American country, but his switch to tourism has made him a Hong Kong icon, where he is known as "Father of Lan Kwai Fong".

He is also known as "Mouse Killer", for saving Ocean Park, the oceanarium, from the threat of being overrun by Disneyland.

Zeman, who has been dealing with China for about 35 years, renounced his Canadian citizenship in 2008 and became a naturalized Chinese citizen.

Though he's a businessman, Zeman is emotional when he talks about his first trip to the country.

"It was like the moon," he says, of taking a train to Changsha, Hunan province. The grand scenery deeply impressed him.

"Every place I saw through the train window was like a picture, green, simple, not many cars," he says.

"Things we took for granted did not exist there, we had to book phone calls three days in advance, we played ping pong by candlelight.

"I could write a book about the changes that have occurred (in China)."

He also saw opportunities and believes that if you want to do business in a city, you should spend time there to understand its people and culture, then invest and hire local people for guidance.

After all these years, Zeman is acquainted with many mainland cities.

"Beijing is architecturally very beautiful, Shanghai is charming with both old and new," he says, but it was Chengdu that really impressed him.

He says a young government officer from Chengdu government had been very insistent that he should visit the city and it took some persuading before he finally agreed to go.

"But, when I got there, I was like, `Wow!'" Zeman says, adding he was bowled over by the easygoing nature of Chengdu people and their optimistic lifestyles.

"People go out every night, drinking and eating hotpot, enjoying life. I just love the city," he says.

He quickly decided it was the best place to open another Lan Kwai Fong, the first on the mainland, even though many others have tried to copy this idea.

"I take it as compliment," he laughs. "It has proved to be a successful brand."

Zeman is also planning to introduce a new Ocean Park in a mainland city, and a large shopping mall in Guangzhou.

He says he is focusing on the great potential of China's second-tier cities.

"The market (in these cities) is much less competitive, but is actually bigger," he says.

He says the advantage of an entertaining and dining district, like Lan Kwai Fong, has more benefits than just tourism. It brings people together.

"Hong Kong has Lan Kwai Fong, Soho, those places are growing on their own. Tourists like to go there, they want to meet the locals, hang out with them," he says.

He believes tourism on the mainland was not promoted appropriately in the past

"(Local) governments are getting better, more young people are involved now," he says, adding they are on the right track to do "world tourism".

As for Hong Kong tourism, there are additional pressures.

"Hong Kong needs to be careful. Around us, tourism is starting to boom. Everybody is pushing for tourism dollars," Zeman says.

Macao is growing rapidly on the back of its casino business, Shanghai is building a new Disneyland, Hainan has ambitious to become an international tourism island, Taiwan is considering opening up to gambling, Singapore has casinos and a movie theme park, while South Korea has the largest theme park in the world.

Zeman says Hong Kong is "surrounded". Even so, he is confident.

"I don't worry about Hong Kong's tourism. It's very lucky to be part of the mainland, it is like having an insurance policy," he says.

Mainland tourists are the guarantee of a bright future for Hong Kong for the next 15 years, he estimates.

"The history of Hong Kong, as a colony, gives the city a kind of romantic edge," he says, calling the place one of the must-see metropolises in the world, like New York or Paris.

Currently, running businesses in Hong Kong and on the mainland, Zeman is busy as a bee and he had to decline the offer of becoming the next chairman of the Hong Kong Tourism Board

Instead, his "outside of the box" thinking will be applied to creating tourism destinations to be proud of on the mainland.

Lessons for HK park in killer whale horror
28 February 2010
South China Morning Post

So long as wild animals are kept in captivity, humans will debate whether the educational, research and commercial value justifies removing them from their natural environment to confined spaces. Death and disease among captive animals stirs the discussion. When they kill one of their captors, it comes to the boil.

The horrific killing of a trainer by a killer whale at a Florida marine theme park is a case in point. There is much controversy over the park's decision to keep Tilikum, the six-metre killer whale that seized trainer Dawn Brancheau while she was feeding him from a poolside platform and thrashed her to death under water. It has ruled out calls from the Humane Society and animal rights activists that he be released into a controlled area of ocean to exercise properly and relieve the stress of captivity - which has likely deprived him of the ability to survive in the wild - or even that he be destroyed. Instead, SeaWorld will tighten its safety regime so the animal can remain part of its breeding programme and a companion to seven others.

The conflict resonates in Hong Kong, where Ocean Park's HK$5.5 billion redevelopment includes the introduction of many more species. Not long ago there was concern among conservationists after a giant panda attacked and injured a trainer and another trainer was bitten by a sea lion. Experts also said death rates for cetaceans such as killer whales, dolphins and porpoises were high compared with parks in the US and Europe, although Ocean Park said they were no worse than in the wild. The attacks were, thankfully, minor and there was no suggestion of a systemic problem. Wild animals in captivity can behave unpredictably. The park's redevelopment has led to many improvements that should enhance safety and the care of its animals.

That said, the Florida tragedy is a reminder of the dangers to man and animals alike of keeping them in artificial environments. For the sake of public confidence in a successful tourist and educational attraction, Ocean Park and the government should consider calls by critics for independent oversight of its treatment of animals, and to be transparent about animal deaths and the causes.

Ocean Park eyes deal to import dolphins
17 April 2010
South China Morning Post

In a move that is angering conservationists, Ocean Park will fund research by the government of the Solomon Islands into dolphin numbers as part of an arrangement that may lead to up to 30 bottlenose dolphins being imported to the theme park.

Representatives from Ocean Park have been in talks with the government of the country, east of Papua New Guinea, to pay for a survey seen as critical to allowing the controversial trade in dolphins to continue.

In return, the theme park is expected to get an option to buy dolphins to bring to Hong Kong.

A Solomon Islands government adviser told the South China Morning Post yesterday the representatives met two government ministers and are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding under which "between 24 and 30" dolphins would be sent to Hong Kong.

Ocean Park chairman Allan Zeman insisted last night the talks were at a "very preliminary stage" and no dolphins would be imported to Hong Kong unless it was clear that the marine mammals' population in the Solomon Islands was not at risk.

"If the dolphins there are not sustainable, we would go somewhere else," he said. "There are a lot of dolphins around, of different species."

Zeman said no decision had been taken as to how many dolphins Ocean Park should import. The park currently has 16.

The theme park keeps a stock of bottlenose dolphins for performances as well as interactive programmes that allow limited touching of the animals by visitors.

The park used to buy fresh stocks of dolphins as needed. The last time it did so is believed to have been in 1998, when some were bought from Indonesia.

In 2001, it became the world's first aquarium to breed the dolphins by artificial insemination, and more than half its present stock came from captive-breeding programmes and artificial insemination, thus reducing the need for capture in the wild.

To improve genetic diversity and avoid inbreeding that might result in genetic weaknesses in the marine mammals, the park has also exchanged dolphin semen with overseas aquariums.

A spokeswoman for the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department said it had not received any applications from Ocean Park for dolphin imports.

As dolphins are a listed species under the protection of endangered-species provisions in the Animals and Plants Ordinance, imports require both an export permit issued by the country of origin and a licence issued by the department in advance.

Any arrangement with the Solomon Islands is likely to stir controversy, with some conservationists claiming the country's dolphin stocks may not be sustainable and arguing that all dolphin exports from it should be halted.

Dr Suzanne Gendron and Grant Abel from Ocean Park visited the country late last month.

Dr Baddley Anita, an adviser to the minister of fisheries in the Solomon Islands, said the pair met the fisheries and environment ministers.

Ocean Park had agreed to fund an "abundance survey" of dolphins - which Anita described as a way of getting overseas parties interested in importing dolphins to give something to the Solomon Islands in return.

"I have heard that Hong Kong wants between 24 and 30 animals to improve their genetic stocks {hellip}" Anita said.

"They are in the stages of having an MOU done between Ocean Park and scientific and management authorities here in the Solomon Islands.

"The Solomon Islands does not have the money to carry out scientific research, so we have asked people who want to import to put their money where their mouth is."

The research would "give us an idea of the dolphin stocks and abundance in this area", he said, pointing out that the sea area around the Solomon Islands was about the size of Europe, with the case study area alone covering 20,000 to 30,000 square kilometres.

Arguing in favour of a continuation of the overseas trade in dolphins, Anita said it would help stop the killing of the animals by dolphin harvesting communities in the Solomon Islands for food and to meet school fees and buy fishing gear.

"You can sell 50 animals and have the quota divided between the dolphin harvesting communities rather than have them kill a total of 2,000 to 3,000 animals a year," he said.

A report last year by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) raised concerns over the dolphin population in the Solomon Islands, which is currently able to sell 50 of the animals a year overseas, and said the trade should be halted pending a detailed survey.

The Hong Kong Dolphin Conservation Society criticised Ocean Park for funding a government survey that it argued would not be impartial and would seek to continue the lucrative trade in dolphins.

In 2003, 28 live dolphins were sold to Mexico by the island country for HK$585,000 each, according to the IUCN report, which said such exports should be stopped unless the population was properly assessed and shown to be sustainable.

It said that if the international standard, under which only 1-2 per cent of a population of a species should be removed, was applied to the Solomon Islands, the population of bottlenose dolphins would need to be at least 5,000.

"Ocean Park has a population of resident dolphins, and they claim they breed them quite well and maintain the population, so why do they need to capture more wild dolphins?" Dolphin Conservation Society chairman Samuel Hung Ka-yiu said.

"To go to the Solomon Islands is quite controversial. The Solomon Islands have exported dolphins to facilities all over the world, including Dubai, Mexico and Singapore.

"The conclusion of the IUCN report was that the bottlenose population in the Solomon Island wasquite small and that this catch was unsustainable. Basically, it recommended no further catch until a proper population assessment."

Hung said funding research by the Solomon Islands government was just "buying by another name and in a way that makes Ocean Park look good. If Ocean Park wants to fund a study on dolphins, it should be giving the money to independent scientists, not the government of the Solomon Islands. Any report by the Solomon Islands government is bound to come out in a way that is favourable to the government's view."

But Zeman said he did not believe the survey findings would be biased.

"I find it hard to believe they would slant something like that," he said. Ocean Park would accept nothing other than a fair, impartial study.

According to the IUCN report, each dolphin exported earns the Solomon Islands government about US$7,500, or 10 per cent of the selling price, in taxes.

No statistics exist on the current population, but conservation groups say populations of bottlenose dolphins tend to be small, often only in the hundreds, except in areas off the western coast of Australia and the Arabian Gulf.

Animal groups urge HK to reject dolphin imports
23 April 2010
SCMP

Eight international animal conservation groups are pressing Hong Kong to reject and even confiscate any live dolphin imports from the Solomon Islands for Ocean Park, warning that allowing such imports will damage the city's international reputation.

A petition letter jointly signed by the groups has been written to Alan Wong Chi-kong, director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation, which implements international rules of wildlife trade. The letter has been copied to the Chief Executive's Office.

The groups are the Animal Welfare Institute, Cetacean Society, Earth Island Institutes Pacific Islands and US, Humane Society International, Marine Connection, the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, World Society for the Protection of Animals, and the Hong Kong Dolphin Conservation Society.

They have also written to the secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites) and asked it to reject any export permits issued by the Solomons Islands.

The call comes after it was disclosed last week that Ocean Park was assisting the Solomon Islands in assessing the population of bottlenose dolphins and in return might be given an option to source dolphins from the islands.

Some dolphin conservationists said park employees had been to the Solomons and were involved in dolphin capture operations, a claim denied by the park.

The groups are stepping up pressure, lobbying against any capture and import of the bottlenose dolphin. Cites says dolphin trade must come with an official export permit issued by the country of origin.

The groups said Hong Kong should learn from the experience of Mexico, where a senior congressman had expressed regret over the imports of 28 dolphins from the Solomons in 2003 for an aquarium in Cancun. Twelve of them have died.

"Given Hong Kong's ongoing commitment to Cites, any failure to intervene in this case may damage its reputation internationally and raise serious concerns over its implementation of the convention," the groups said in the letter.

Apart from an export permit, there should also be proof of a "non-detriment finding" showing the capture will not harm the survival of the species. But such proof is still absent so far, the groups say.

"If any attempt is made to import Solomon Islands dolphins to Hong Kong we trust you will review the documentation provided and consider this evidence with regard to Hong Kong's Cites obligations ... If the dolphins arrive in Hong Kong, we ask that you, in co-operation with appropriate law enforcement authorities, confiscate the animals and return them to the Solomon Islands because it has failed to comply with Cites," the groups said.

The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department said it noted the groups' concern. It would follow the rules of Cites, but had so far not received an import application.

Park entrance to close
19 April 2010
South China Morning Post

Ocean Park will soon have only one entrance when it closes the Tai Shue Wan entrance, which is little used.

Chief executive Tom Mehrmann was coy about the future of the Tai Shue Wan entrance but said it might house a new attraction or only be used for special events, such as the annual Halloween festivities. Between 5 per cent and 20 per cent of visitors use the entrance, he said.

About 4.8 million people visited Ocean Park in the year to June 30, 2009. The park expects 5.8 million visitors by 2012-13.

It is vastly expanding its main entrance as part of an ambitious HK$5.5 billion redevelopment plan that will more than double the number of attractions to about 70 by 2012.

So far, a new Amazing Asian Animals exhibit has opened, and a tunnel train system, Ocean Express, has started shuttling visitors between the park's lowland and headland areas.

Mehrmann said the new main entrance would be more than capable of handling the visitor flow.

Ocean Park backs down on dolphin study
Charity fund will not pay for research
10 May 2010
South China Morning Post

After objections from conservationists and scientists, Ocean Park has decided not to use its charitable foundation to fund a Solomons Islands study that could lead to wild dolphins being imported into Hong Kong.

It will directly fund the US$100,000 study - on whether the dolphin population in the Pacific country is sufficient to allow for exports - rather than through its Ocean Park Conservation Foundation (OPCF).

The study, expected to begin before the end of the year, will take two to three years, and the park promised not to consider imports of wild dolphin pending results of the study.

The decision followed fierce criticism from conservationists and scientists, including former OPCF co-director Dr Thomas Jefferson, who wrote to Ocean Park executive director Suzanne Gendron to object, describing the use of the foundation as "totally inappropriate and unethical".

Jefferson, co-director of the foundation from 1998 to 2001, said the idea of involving it in the project was "counter to the original aims and goals of the foundation as an organisation dedicated to preserving wild populations of marine mammals".

The idea of funding the study through the OPCF was also criticised by Professor John Wang, a member of the cetacean specialist group of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, a recipient of OPCF funds.

Wang, who works with Trent University in Canada and the National Museum of Marine Biology in Taiwan and receives funding for several projects a year, said he might not have been able to have any further dealings with the foundation if it was involved in the Solomon Islands study.

"I would have a difficult time being associated with an organisation that funds such work," he said. "The perception that scientists may be getting funding from OPCF for an assessment that may lead to more captures [of dolphins] doesn't look good for any of the scientists who have received funding in the past."

Gendron, the theme park's executive director for zoological operations, told the Post the decision not to fund the project through the OPCF had been under discussion internally and a decision was made "in the past week".

She stressed, however, that even if the foundation had handled the funding, the money would have come directly from Ocean Park Corporation through a "restricted donation" - meaning it would not have affected the funds available or other projects supported by the foundation.

In a letter to Jefferson and other scientists sent on Friday, Gendron said the decision had been taken in part "to avert any misperception that funds donated to the foundation for conservation efforts were somehow used to further Ocean Park's business purposes". In addition, the study would be overseen by an independent scientific advisory group to monitor the research and "provide the necessary oversight by an objective third party", she said.

Responding to the decision, Jefferson said yesterday: "I am pleased to learn the Solomon Islands project will not be paid for with OPCF funds, but I am still concerned about the bottlenose dolphin population in the Solomon Islands. I have expressed my desire to see Ocean Park Corporation do the right thing. By this I mean that, hopefully, a capture operation will not be conducted.

"Many people will be watching to make sure that Ocean Park does not put its business interests above concern for wildlife and sound management of wildlife."

Hong Kong Dolphin Conservation Society chairman Samuel Hung Ka-yiu said: "Now that Ocean Park Corporation will conduct the study, with an independent scientist, the question of who will conduct the study is a very important issue. Whoever it is should be impartial and his or her research should be credible and under the review of international scientists."

Gendron said no wild dolphin imports would be considered until the study, to take two to three years, was completed.

HK Ocean Park showcases Chinese Sturgeons

http://orientaldaily.on.cc/cnt/news/20100618/photo/0618-00176-012b3.jpg

HONG KONG, June 17 (Xinhua) -- The Hong Kong Ocean Park's new attraction -- "Chinese Sturgeon Aquarium -- Yangtze Exploration" opened here Thursday, showcasing Chinese Sturgeons and a series of aquatic wildlife species.

The new spot, a freshwater exhibit converted from the park's existing "Chinese Sturgeon Aquarium", features 10 Chinese Sturgeons and aquatic wildlife species of the Yangtze River including Chinese Sucker, Largemouth Bronze Gudgeon, Chinese Spined Barb and some other ones.

The 10 sturgeons, coming from the Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Fisheries Sciences in Xiamen, Fujian Province, aged from two to 10 years old and measured 0.8 to two meters long. Three of them had been showcased in Hong Kong two years ago.

The park had successively presented a total of 10 Chinese Sturgeons by the mainland in 2008. The species were placed in the "Chinese Sturgeon Aquarium" and was open to the public in August, 2008.

Three sturgeons died later on and the remaining ones were sent to institute in Xiamen. One died from being attacked by other species, while two were suspected to be unable to adapt to the saltwater habitat in the old aquarium.

The park said the Chinese Sturgeons, which have been sent to the new home for more than a month, are at good conditions and should be able to fit the new environment which was specially designed to imitate Yangtze River's habitat.

Park urged to come clean on belugas study
12 July 2010
The Standard

A conservation society is urging Ocean Park to release findings of a study that could lead to white whales being imported from Russian waters to Hong Kong.

Hong Kong Dolphin Conservation Society chairman Samuel Hung Ka-yiu cited a source as saying that the study has been concluded.

Hung said, despite repeated requests for the findings, Ocean Park told him the study has not yet been completed or no details are available yet. ``The study findings may be unfavorable to the park, or why is it loath to tell me?'' he said.

The study, Hung said, involves population assessments of white whales, also called belugas, in Russian waters.

Hung said he believes it was carried out to assess the possibility of importing the marine mammals from the area.

Ocean Park said last night no population assessments for belugas outside the White Sea, Russia, Canada and Alaska had been completed by independent scientists. When they were, the results should be available via scientific journals. It was not funding any studies.

The society, along with other conservationists, has pushed the park not to capture more marine creatures, including belugas, from the wild since the park announced plans to import Arctic mammals in 2005.

The park's Polar Adventure feature is due to open in 2012.

The park earlier said there are many other ways to import marine creatures and that capturing them from the wild is always a last alternative. It said that according to its animal acquisition policy, the park is committed to first seeking to acquire animals from other animal facilities through rescue, breeding loans, animal exchanges or purchases. But Hung pointed out that it is hardly possible to acquire white whales from other marine parks.

``Artificial breeding of white whales has so far not been very successful, so the parks breeding them could hardly have a surplus to give other parks,'' he said.

Belugas live in Arctic waters and are unsuitable for breeding in captivity, especially in tropical and sub-tropical areas like Hong Kong, he said.

Hung said beluga whales normally have a life span of 40 to 50 years, while those bred in captivity may only live around 10 to 20 years, partly because they may not be able to adapt well to the environment in oceanariums.

He estimated that more than 30,000 belugas live in Alaskan and Canadian waters but no figure on the number of white whales in Russian waters is available yet.

Green Sense senior project officer Hys Sun Ho-yan expressed worries that a lot of energy will be consumed to keep a low water temperature for Arctic creatures in Ocean Park's oceanarium.

Ocean Park catering programme gives graduates a new direction
8 June 2010
South China Morning Post

Graduates of a theme park's catering trainee programme said they used to be clueless about their future, but have found direction from the scheme. They were speaking as the second class of graduates took part in a ceremony yesterday at Ocean Park's Panda Cafe.

The park's food and beverage services trainee programme is a collaboration between the park, the Labour Department's Youth Work Experience and Training Scheme, the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups, and the Hospitality Industry Training and Development Centre.

Launched two years ago, it invites people aged 15 to 24 to undergo nine months of on-the-job training with the park's food services department.

At yesterday's graduation ceremony, 21 out of the original 25 trainees were present. Among them, nine will work full-time for the park, and the rest will work elsewhere or continue to study. The park spent HK$1.4 million on this term's trainees, and HK$1.3 million on the last batch.

Kit Wan Fung-ling, 20, joined the programme with three years' work experience and completion of Form Five studies. She refused the park's job offer and decided to take a bar-tending course to follow her ultimate ambition of being a barmaid.

"The programme has helped me find my professional bearings because nine months before I was clueless as to where I was going," she said.

Throughout the nine-month programme, the trainees worked for the park's restaurant four days a week and went to school two days a week. They received HK$4,000 a month from the park and HK$2,000 from the Labour Department.

Hong Kong is a beautiful city, I've always wanted to go to, look at the picture of the scene is beautiful, I quickly unbearable! I will go to see! Thank you!

Baby hopes as Ying Ying and Le Le turn five
9 August 2010
South China Morning Post

A new home is being built for Ocean Park's giant pandas Ying Ying and Le Le, and researchers from Hong Kong and the mainland are anticipating the pair, who have just turned five, will mate.

They have held such a hope on the pair's past three birthdays.

The theme park threw a birthday party for the two Sichuan-born pandas yesterday, treating each to an "ice cake" topped with apples, carrots and bamboo shoots.

The pandas were given to Hong Kong three years ago to mark the 10th anniversary of the handover.

Le Le, the male, wolfed down some fruit before toppling an ice statue and pushing the presents away, while Ying Ying ate a few apples before wandering away.

Turning five means they are now ready to take up the solitary lifestyle natural to the species and, more importantly, to breed, park chairman Allan Zeman said.

"I wish I could tell you that they were having a baby," he said yesterday.

"We stay in contact with researchers from Wolong in Sichuan on a daily basis about the possibility. We're doing what we can to prepare for Ying Ying to deliver."

A year ago, Zhang Xiwu, director general of the Department of Wildlife Conservation and Nature Reserve Management under the mainland's State Forestry Administration, said they were "eagerly anticipating the arrival of the baby of Ying Ying and Le Le".

Female pandas normally become sexually mature at 41/2, with the male following about one year later. Now that they have turned five, there is only a very narrow window when Ying Ying is on heat and Le Le is at least half a year from being sexually active.

The park's chief executive, Tom Mehrmann, said in April that artificial insemination appeared likely.

He said experts from Ocean Park and the Wolong giant panda research facility were exploring the possibility of artificially inseminating Ying Ying with semen from a suitable male.

Ocean Park holds wild card on belugas
6 September 2010
The Standard

Ocean Park revealed yesterday it is funding an assessment of the beluga whale population that conservationists say may lead to imports of the marine mammal from Russian waters.

The research, being conducted in the Okhotsk Sea near Russia, began in 2007.

The news came as the park announced that Polar Adventure _ a new facility to showcase penguins, walruses, seals and belugas _ is slated to open in mid-2012.

United States-based Naomi Rose, a senior scientist for Humane Society International, a worldwide animal-protection group, said she fears the park may decide to capture belugas based on the findings of the study.

Rose said it should take years for the study to produce the data needed to properly fulfill the requirements of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

The general animal acquisition policy of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, to which the Ocean Park belongs, states that marine parks should first try for a transfer between facilities and that conducting a responsible capture from the wild is always the last resort.

However, she said, there are hardly any surplus belugas in aquariums worldwide, with the exception of Marineland, a theme park in Canada.

But Rose believes the Niagara Falls park will probably not give away any of its wild belugas brought in from Russia, although it might sell a couple of those born in captivity.

``My guess is [Ocean Park officials] are going to acquire them from Russia, and if they sponsor this research ... it would take five years minimum, more like 10, before they would have sufficient information to determine any kind of safe removal level,'' she said. ``They are not going to wait five to 10 years. They are going to do a couple of years of research and say: `Oh, we know now' and this is how many that would be safe.''

Ocean Park said the beluga research it has been funding is conducted by a Russian expert, and is monitored by an independent third-party observer _ GREMM Institute of Canada _ to ensure scientific rigor of the process and results.

But Rose said one of the main difficulties of studying belugas is that ``they live in cold water, in remote areas that are difficult for researchers to reach, and they are not very easily observed or identified in the field.''

Dining with fish to net dollars for park
The Standard
Monday, September 20, 2010

An underwater restaurant at Ocean Park is expected to hook the public and help boost food sales by 50 percent.

Neptune's will be among several new food and beverage outlets when one of the world's largest aquariums opens at the end of the year.

Grand Aquarium is the flagship attraction of Aqua City, under the HK$5.5 billion master redevelopment plan unveiled four years ago.

Joseph Leung Kai-shing, the park's executive director of revenue, said Neptune's "will be an experience like no other in Asia for guests to dine beside such a giant tank with more than 400 fish species."

Leung expects the 250-seat restaurant to produce significant revenue for the park as it targets high-spending customers with deluxe Japanese cuisine using sustainable seafood.

Staff strength has been increased from 30 in 2005 to 183 to keep pace with rapid expansion.

Stephen Chow Wai-ming, operations manager for food and beverage, said with the opening of Neptune's and the Lagoon kiosk in the 20,000 square-meter Aqua City, there will be 29 kiosks and six restaurants by the end of the year.

Expansion is expected to be completed within two years with the number of large entertainment activities doubling to about 70.

Upcoming projects include the Rain Forest, Thrill Mountain and Polar Adventure.

Meanwhile, Leung said the number of retail souvenir stores will increase from the existing 14 to 24, offering a selection of more than 10,000 marine-themed souvenir items.

Marine conservation remains the key message the theme park is seeking to spread through merchandise.

"To educate our guests, we are attaching more interesting messages to our souvenirs," Leung said.

The 33-year-old park attracted more than five million visitors based on annual attendance in 2008, ranking it 15th in the world, according to a report by the Themed Entertainment Association.

Expansion of the attraction is going hand in hand with the construction of three high-end Ocean Park hotels, which are due for completion from 2013 to 2015.

Park's polar exhibition will have important educational role
13 September 2010
South China Morning Post

I refer to the letter by Suzanne Miao ("Taxpayers' money misused", September 8), expressing concern that taxpayers' money might have been used for beluga research, animal acquisition or the construction of the Polar Adventure at Ocean Park.

Since the funding of the HK$5.5 billion is all in loans, it will be paid back in full by Ocean Park.

In response to Ms Miao's concern on our beluga research and the Polar Adventure exhibit, we believe the exhibit serves an important purpose in providing engaging educational information about the animals at the frozen poles and the conservation issues that challenge the survival of these animals and the fragile places where they live.

Framed in the context of human actions that accelerate climate change and global warming, the Polar Adventure is a timely reminder to empower individual actions that can help the fight against global climate change.

Regarding acquisitions of these unique animals for the Polar Adventure, it is the park's commitment to first seek to acquire them from other facilities through rescue, breeding loans, animal exchanges or purchases. Acquisition of animals from the wild is always the last option, and is pursued only when independent scientific research can prove that the removal of a limited number of animals from a population in a particular area is sustainable.

Any acquisition undertaken by Ocean Park, if needed for any of the species mentioned, would also be done in accordance with guidance from the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the by-laws of the international zoological associations, to which the park belongs.

The park will comply with the international conventions, agreements and relevant local and overseas legislation when dealing with any animal-related matters.

The park has always and will continue to put the highest priority on safeguarding the welfare of all the animals within its care, while advocating conservation principles for the protection of wildlife and the environment.

We look forward to seeing our animal ambassadors and educational exhibits continuing to inspire action towards supporting the survival of our planet.

Una Lau, public affairs director, Ocean Park Corporation

Saving a clown fish's sight is a challenge Nimal loves
29 October 2010
The Standard

Nimal Fernando, a veterinarian at Ocean Park, is a happy man as he works on the creatures he loves most - fish. And he feels especially good when he saves one of them.

Among his challenges, the Australian is currently involved in procedures to try to save a four- centimeter clown fish from going blind in one eye, which could be a matter of life and death.

Fernando has for 20 years been administering not only to small fish but also sharks as well as birds.

``I value the life of every single fish, and I love my job since I can help keep them alive,'' Fernando said. ``You can buy a small fish for just HK$10 in Mong Kok, but to me its life is valuable. I have around 20 fish at home.''

As he prepared to operate on the two-year-old clown fish, Fernando - who began working at Ocean Park six years ago after arriving in Hong Kong three years earlier - talked about his life.

``When I was small my father bought a fish tank and I loved to watch the fish swimming about,'' he recalled. ``I'm particularly in love with the sea and fish. I love to dive and swim too.''

Then he turned to the clown fish, which weighs just 10 grams.

``The right eye of this clown fish is swollen - I need to closely examine it and see what is wrong.'' The small size of the fish, of course, made the surgery difficult.

Fernando put the fish inside an anesthetic machine, which he invented two years ago. He waited for three minutes before moving the now-motionless creature from the narcotic- laced water on to foam sponges.

``Fish should be treated carefully,'' he said, connecting a soft tube into the fish's mouth to supply it with water and sedatives.

He then took a small piece of the tumor from its eye. This would go to the laboratory to examine whether it was benign or malignant.

``We may have to remove the fish's eye or let it die naturally in a worst-case scenario,'' said Fernando, who has conducted more than 100 operations on fish. ``But I wish to keep it alive and save its sight.''

Healthy training for park animals
6 November 2010
South China Morning Post

It was Yuet the otter's turn for an ultrasound scan. At the call of the trainer, it swiftly climbed onto the examination table without a fuss, stationed itself in the right position - head through the trap, paws on the knobs, nose touching the target in front (see picture right) - and allowed the trainer to scan its belly.

The creature's co-operation is down to the training these animals at Ocean Park receive to make them more receptive to a range of procedures designed to keep them in good health, from daily grooming to medical check-ups.

"We won't force animals to do tasks, we co-operate with them," said the park's Terrestrial Life Sciences senior curator Howard Chuk Hau-ching. "Training can replace anaesthesia in some medical procedures."

Chuk said imposing care routines on animals can have a negative impact on their health, both physically and mentally, and make it harder for trainers to understand them.

He cited the example of a parrot having a blood test. A trained parrot will lie still and spread its wings for the trainer to draw blood. Performing the test on birds who are untrained requires an anaesthetic, and there is a risk the parrot will not wake up afterwards. Only two out of the 80 or so parrots in the park are trained to deal with blood tests, Chuk said.

Trained animals have body check-ups on a monthly or even weekly basis, as opposed to those requiring an anaesthetic, which can only be administered once a year. The extra monitoring enables trainers to collect data and build a greater understanding of the animals.

The park's red pandas, which arrived last year, are capable of voluntarily allowing trainers to brush their fur and feel their muscles in a simple health check. They can also get on a weighing scale by themselves as part of their daily routine.

"Animals can get hurt when we have to catch them. They may feel pressured when we forcefully perform procedures on them. Some may even lose their appetite. Husbandry training can avoid all these adverse effects," said Chuk.

Zoo operations and education general curator Grant Abel said: "We focus on developing a relationship of trust between the trainer and the animal, instead of controlling them with food or punishment. We want animals to be involved in the process and enjoy it." The park began such training with dolphins and sea lions in the early 1990s.

Ocean Park safety call after accident
7 December 2010
The Standard

Ocean Park has been told to review safety measures in the wake of an accident that left seven visitors injured.

Passengers on an uphill train at the park's funicular railway were thrown to the floor on Sunday after the carriage coming down suddenly braked.

The driver, who mistakenly flicked the brake switch, was suspended from duty and the Ocean Express service remained closed yesterday.

Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Rita Lau Ng Wai-lan said: ``We have asked Ocean Park to ensure that such incidents never happen again and review what safety measures should be strengthened.''

Lau said the attraction needs to look at whether more handrails should be added to improve passenger safety. The government is highly concerned about the incident and will ``definitely follow it up.''

As to whether it will deal a blow to the tourism industry, Lau said she believes it is an isolated accident and, from investigations so far, no mechanical or design faults were found in the system.

``I sincerely hope that every visitor and citizen is satisfied with Ocean Park services and facilities. We will strengthen our work on all fronts.''

Of the seven injured, aged from 25 to 71, a couple were last night still being treated at Queen Mary Hospital.

The condition of a 70-year-old man surnamed Lee, who was critically injured, was upgraded to serious. His wife, 67, surnamed Chow, remained in stable condition.

Train services will remain suspended until a cover is installed to prevent drivers from mistakenly turning the brake switches.

As for compensation for victims, Ocean Park has referred the matter to an insurance company.

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Ocean Park fish set for aquarium move
3 January 2011
SCMP

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Ocean Park is moving the inhabitants of its Atoll Reef to the new Grand Aquarium over the next few weeks, but not all of the marine life will stay in the park after the relocation.

More than 2,000 marine animals will be transported down the hill to the new Aqua City facility on the park's waterfront, which is due to open at the end of the month.

However, the resident giant trevally would not be on show after the temporary closure of Atoll Reef for renovation yesterday, said the park's curator of aquariums, David Lai Yiu-nam. He explained that since it is a bigger, more aggressive fish, it could pose a danger to other species in the new aquarium. "We may consider exchanging it for other fish with another aquarium," he said.

Staff were also considering whether to keep green sea turtles in the new aquarium, because they may eat the artificial reef.

While some are leaving, around 150 new species, including bluefin tuna and a manta ray, will be joining.

"The manta ray is the largest ray species in the world. We are introducing a young one to our park, but it can grow up to five to six metres long," Lai said.

The 250 species of fish and the water in the old aquarium will be transported to the new one using fish bags, special containers and cranes.

"It's a very challenging operation... Some of the small fish will have to be partially anaesthetised," Lai said.

After the renovation of Atoll Reef, which opened in 1977, the park will have two major aquariums.

The Grand Aquarium, which will hold more than 5,000 fish of more than 400 species, will open on January 27. "We expect a 15 per cent increase in visitors after the opening," the park's chief executive, Tom Mehrmann, said.

Ocean Park trumps Disneyland
25 January 2011
South China Morning Post

Ocean Park has claimed victory over rival Hong Kong Disneyland in terms of attendance figures and earnings.

The Aberdeen-based theme park welcomed a record 5.4 million visitors last year, beating Disneyland's 5.2 million, its chairman Allan Zeman said.

Zeman also said it was hopeful that net surplus for this financial year could hit the HK$100 million mark, from HK$82 million in the 2009-10 financial year. This contrasted sharply with Disneyland's report of a net loss of HK$720 million for its last fiscal year, ended October 2.

A new aquarium is set to open on Thursday, among a series of attractions Ocean Park will offer under a HK$5.5 billion facelift announced in 2005 to boost competitiveness, as the city's Disneyland opened its doors that year. Both theme parks are keen to take advantage of the rise in mainland arrivals as wealth generated in the world's fastest-growing major economy spurs outbound tourism.

This month, Ocean Park unveiled a plan to sell milk powder, a favourite commodity among mainland tourists because of the low quality of baby formula sold back home. The idea was dropped upon criticism that it would go against the park's education and conservation role. Zeman yesterday said the impact might have been overstated because the plan was only to sell milk powder at one store, and it would be only one of many products on display.

Ocean Park chief executive Tom Mehrmann said its real competitor was not HK Disneyland, but in Zhuhai , referring to reports that a 20 billion yuan (HK$23.7 billion) mega theme park cum resort was coming up on the island of Hengqin . That theme park was estimated to draw 20 million visitors a year.

Visitor numbers at Hong Kong Disneyland have fallen short of the government's estimates, made in 1999. Managing director Andrew Kam Min-ho told a Legislative Council panel the Lantau-based theme park was hopeful of turning a profit after its expansion project was completed in about three years.

Aqua City deaths make splash
27 January 2011
The Standard

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Aqua City, part of the HK$5.55 billion expansion plan of Ocean Park that took five years to build, was inaugurated in a grand ceremony last night.

Its egg-shaped Grand Aquarium, one of the world's largest tanks, has about 5,000 fish representing 400 species and covers an area twice the size of the original display.

However, the attraction will open today amid accusations by conservationists that a lot of its newly acquired fish have died.

Many hammerhead sharks and Pacific bluefin tuna, described by the park as ``new animal ambassadors'' to greet guests over the Lunar New Year, died before the aquarium opened owing to mistreatment, an Ocean Park source revealed.

Green Sense and Hong Kong Dolphin Conservation Society quoted the source as saying that the park imported 40 hammerhead sharks from Japan but more than two-thirds died after they were crowded in a quarantine pool.

And 10 of the 80 bluefin tuna, also imported from Japan, died after being placed in a pool with a water filtration system and quality control system that were not yet ready.

``The park ignored the well-being of the animals and concealed the death toll from the public,'' dolphin conservation group chairman Samuel Hung Ka- yiu said.

Some bluefin tuna died several weeks ago due to ``inadaptability in the new pool,'' a park spokeswoman said, quoting autopsy reports.

Both species imported for the park are not on the endangered list and were acquired in ``rescue operations'' in Japan.

Chairman Allan Zeman said:``It wasn't because of mistreatment. It's not because of the way they were brought in. We have the highest standard.

``It's like human beings. Some people die and babies are born every second...We have many, many fish born in Ocean Park.''

Management expect the opening to help boost visitor numbers by 15 percent this year.

A nighttime water and fire special effects extravaganza, Symbio is featured in the The Lagoon, with colorful dragons dancing on the world's only 360-degree water screen.

There are also more than 1,600 square meters of retail space and three new food outlets in the flagship theme zone. But a new plan to sell milk powder to tourists, mainly from the mainland, was shelved following public controversy.

Ocean Park Offers Brand New Retail and Dining Options to Complement Opening of Aqua City 15,000 Sq-ft Themed Retail Space, Exclusive Merchandise Collections and Aquarium-side Dining Complete New Ocean Park Experience
13-01-2011
Press Release

(Hong Kong – 13 January 2011) Ocean Park today unveiled a series of brand new retail and dining offerings specially launched to complement the widely-anticipated 27 January opening of its new flagship theme zone Aqua City. Guests can choose from over 20,000 merchandise items, in the comfort of 15,000 square feet of shopper-friendly, themed retail environment. To appeal to wider customer segments, Ocean Park has developed new exclusive product lines, including jewellery and items bearing conservation messages, and created with Chocolate Rain a unique collection available only at Ocean Park. Aqua City will also feature Ocean Park’s first personal health and beauty store to meet guests’ needs. Catering for the diverse dining needs and tastes of guests, Aqua City will have three distinctive outlets, including Hong Kong’s first and only fine dining location within an aquarium. With the opening of Aqua City, a day at Ocean Park promises to offer fresh experiences in all aspects of theme park enjoyment.

Integral to the iconic and whimsical design of Aqua City are two buildings positioned like a pair of stretched arms to greet all guests when they enter and leave the Park. On one side is the East Retail Building, home to four shopping outlets including Waterfront Gifts (apparels and accessories), Celebrity Store (decorative gifts , hard goods, plush toys and kids’ corner), Ocean’s Charms (jewellery) and Aqua City Crafts (premium gifts). The seven product categories are presented in distinctive theme zones that guests can conveniently traverse without leaving the building.

The West Retail Building, on the other side of the main entrance, houses two unique retail outlets. Ocean Potions is Ocean Park’s very first personal health and beauty product store, offering guests a variety of products for their daily needs. For guests who want to create beautiful images of their wonderful time at the Park, there is Shutters, Ocean Park’s first dedicated photography studio.

Shirley Louie, Senior Retail Manager of Ocean Park, said, “Ocean Park has greatly expanded its retail offerings to satisfy the diverse needs and tastes of our guests. For instance, we have introduced a line of premium goods that ranges from neckties, home decorations to jewellery accessories. There are also beautiful new items for weddings, baby showers and more. To further enhance product variety and enable guests from the Mainland to shop for daily necessities, we have created our first-ever personal health and beauty store. Guests visiting the new flagship theme zone Aqua City will not only come away with wonderful memories, they will also be able to take home fantastic new gifts and souvenirs for themselves or for families and friends.”

Education and conservation are two important elements of Ocean Park. The Park therefore also offers retail items like games, books and puzzles that nurture the mind, and donates a percentage of proceeds from panda related products to Ocean Park Conservation Foundation, Hong Kong, to support panda habitat rebuilding efforts and conservation.

As Hong Kong’s People’s Park, Ocean Park has always been supportive of local creative talents. On the occasion of the opening of Aqua City, Ocean Park is unveiling a new collection of products developed in collaboration of Chocolate Rain, the internationally renowned homegrown design brand, whose works have been exhibited at some of the most prestigious museums in Europe and the United States. Exclusively available at Aqua City, this new collection includes tote bags, coin purses, key holders and tee shirts.

Prudence Mak, one of the founders and designers of Chocolate Rain, said, “We are thrilled to work with Ocean Park as Chocolate Rain is inspired by childhood dreams and wonderland adventure, two themes that the people of Hong Kong have been associating with Ocean Park. The collaboration will not only increase our brand exposure to the millions of tourists that visit Ocean Park, it will also encourage local design talents in their creative work.”

The opening of Aqua City will also mark a new chapter in culinary experience at Ocean Park as the new Grand Aquarium will feature the 210-seat Neptune’s Restaurant, Hong Kong’s first and only aquarium exhibit-side restaurant. Guests will be able to savour the finest gastronomic offerings while enjoying panoramic views of a majestic underwater world. Among the Chinese, Japanese and Western delectable items on the menu are a series of Healthy Stone Cook items such as Australian Wagyu Sirloin, Kagoshima Pork Loin and New Zealand Lamb Rack, as well as Japanese Bento Boxes. To support and promote the conservation of endangered marine species, Ocean Park not only made available a number of sustainable seafood dishes as menu options for diners, items red-listed in WWF’s sustainable seafood guide have also been removed from all menus.

Aqua City will also feature Ocean Park’s first-ever bakery. Aqua City Bakery, located at the West Retail Building, offers guests a relaxing moment of rest and reflection during a day of festive fun to enjoy a wide variety of homemade baked goods, such as cookies and quiches, as well as Hong Kong’s world-famous egg tart and sago pudding. Visitors to Hong Kong thus will not have to leave Ocean Park in order to sample truly authentic local foods. Those who take delight in alfresco dining would be glad to know that they can take in spectacular fountain shows while seated under the marquee of the Lagoon Lakeside Snacks Kiosk.

Stephen Chow, Food & Beverage Operations Manager of Ocean Park, said, “The opening of Neptune’s Restaurant marks a new chapter in the culinary landscape of Hong Kong as guests will certainly be carried away by the stunning view of our underwater marine world, just as the launch of Aqua City will take marine-based theme park experiences to new heights. Local guests and overseas visitors celebrating special occasions will soon have one more great reason to visit Ocean Park!”

Bumper catch of tourists at Aqua City opening
28 January 2011
The Standard

Lions, celebrities and thousands of excited tourists were on hand to celebrate the opening of Aqua City.

The latest Ocean Park attraction features a massive three-story aquarium containing rare fish such as Pacific bluefin tuna and the endangered Napoleon fish.

The dome-shaped viewing area is the largest in the world, with a 5.5-meter high and 13m wide viewing panel.

Ocean Park chairman Allan Zeman, along with Cantopop stars Gigi Leung Wing-kei and Leo Ku Kui-kei, welcomed the first family to enter the park.

That honor went to Annie Sidley and her family, who had been at the gates since 8.30am. Sidley was accompanied by her three-year-old daughter Maia, as well as her parents.

But following Wednesday's revelation that some hammerhead sharks and Pacific bluefin tuna have died, environmental activists Green Sense tried to stage a protest at the main gates.

But, within minutes, they were told to leave by police.

As guests filed in to view the more than 5,000 fish in the main tank, it seemed like environmental issues were the last thing on their minds.

``It's very natural-looking and impressive,'' said Surinder Sethi, a tourist from India. ``I especially like the manta ray because it is very rare that you get to see such a fine specimen up close.''

Watch fish swim by as you snack on seafood
27 January 2011
South China Morning Post

It's the newest attraction at Ocean Park - sit watching fish and then point out to the waiter what you'd like for your seafood dinner.

Don't worry, says chief executive Tom Mehrmann, green groups helped design the menu of Neptune's Restaurant - where marine life circles the diners behind a 13-metre-wide viewing panel - and the food comes from sustainable species (not the aquarium).

Park chairman Allan Zeman is proud of the restaurant, part of its new Aqua City zone. "It's the first one in the world that I see. You can watch the fish while dining. You don't have to go deep sea diving."

The Grand Aquarium, one of the highlights of the new Aqua City zone that was officially launched yesterday, features milk fish manta rays and endangered species such as scalloped hammerhead sharks and bluefin tuna. They are among the 5,000 fish of more than 400 species in the aquarium containing 5.2 million litres of water.

The park admits 10 of the 80 endangered bluefin tuna died en route from Japan. The Hong Kong Dolphin Conservation Society accuses the park of lacking in transparency in revealing information about the deaths of some animals.

Society chairman Dr Samuel Hung Ka-yiu, who said he was quoting a park employee, said more than 10 of 40 hammerhead sharks had died too due to overcrowding in a quarantine pool.

But Una Lau, the park's public affairs director, said only just over 10 hammerhead sharks were imported.

Zeman, who denied that hammerhead sharks had died, said the deaths of the bluefin tuna were natural. "It's quite normal {hellip} people die and babies are born every day," he said. "Fish die and are born.

"The aquarium in Japan told us the tuna we got, which were caught by a reputable fisherman, were meant to be sushi. We actually saved them as they would have wound up being sushi in a restaurant."

Hung said importing such fish created demand and led to unnecessary catching of the gravely endangered species. "Why couldn't they import other species of tuna which are not endangered. The public can't differentiate between the species. The park is no longer the Ocean Park we knew from childhood.

"Driven by a business mentality, they aim for the rarest species for gimmicky effect. Bluefin tuna swim very fast and long distances. They can only make circles inside the aquarium. Their policy on animal acquisition, which states that acquisition of animals from the wild is pursued only if the wild population is sustainable, is a joke."

Zeman said green groups always protested at the opening of aquariums. "It's a good time to protest. It's good that green groups keep us on our toes, but we can't always do what they want. Some animal conservationists say we should not have animals in captivity {hellip} [Ocean] pollution is serious [in Hong Kong]. People need to know about conservation. Criticising us is always easy {hellip} if we are just about rides, we will just be Disney."

The aquarium is double the size of the old one named Atoll Reef, which was closed last month for renovation and will house sharks in future.

At the entrance to the aquarium is a man-made blowhole, where ocean waves are simulated, and a touch pool containing starfish. An artificial lagoon in front of the aquarium is another highlight, where a show featuring pyrotechnics, water jets and laser lights will be put on every night.

Zeman points out another benefit of the new aquarium.

"People can get married in the tank if they have diving licence."

It's not just the acquisition of hammerheads and bluefin tuna for Aqua City that greens are criticising. They don't like the park bringing in beluga whales for Polar Adventure, an attraction to open next year.

Hung said: "Due to the big demand for the whales from the mainland, there are fewer numbers of the species in Russian waters. Russia doesn't know much about conservation. You can buy a permit for acquisition easily. The park is soon to be open, but they have yet to make public the research findings."

The theme park earlier confirmed it had been funding Russian research on beluga whales in the Okhotsk Sea since 2007.

Sun Ho-yan, senior project officer with Green Sense, accused the park of causing more global warming by building a simulated polar area that will consume a lot of power to maintain the freezing conditions required.

Zeman said he expected a 15 per cent increase in visitor numbers once the new attraction opened. "The Rainforest will open in May. This is a big year for Ocean Park."

Ocean Park's polar exhibit will contribute to global warming
1 February 2011
South China Morning Post

Recently, there has been a massive promotion campaign by Ocean Park for its new aquarium, Aqua City.

The park has also talked about increasing its shopping areas, which will be suitable for mainland visitors. These zones clearly have no educational or conservation purposes.

In expanding these zones, the management at the park seems to have forgotten that it is supposed to be about education. It is important to go behind the facade and recognise some inconvenient truths.

It is now preparing for another attraction, the Polar Adventure, and will import many polar species. These animals are either purchased from various zoos or will be captured in the wild.

Take penguins and beluga whales for example. Being kept in zoos or aquariums has nothing to do with conservation of the species. It actually decreases their sustainability because their numbers are decreasing in the wild and so there is less chance of reproduction. Worse still, given the fact that Hong Kong is sub-tropical, the artificial polar habitat will require a huge amount of energy in order to simulate the cold environment.

The carbon dioxide emitted through the generation of so much electricity will aggravate global warming, destroying the wild habitat of all polar species. It seems ironic this is the case when presumably there is an educational purpose to the polar exhibition. Putting wild animals into an enclosed artificial habitat does not amount to conservation. In fact, it is a form of imprisonment.

Conservation requires the protection of the species' natural habitat and the improvement of their living environment. The best form of conservation involves observing them but leaving them alone. There should be no human disturbance.

When these animals are transported, the journey can range from a few days to a couple of weeks. Many of them die during or immediately after the transportation process. One of the species of blue-fin tuna was imported to Aqua City. During transportation, 10 died.

According to the Ocean Park Corporation Ordinance (Cap 388), it is a recreational and educational public park. It should recognise the importance of corporate social responsibility and avoid ecological damage and harming wildlife that is under threat. It should not regard threatened animals as good for an eye-catching advert, nor should it sacrifice the well-being of animals so they can become a tourist attraction.

The park rarely reveals how many newly imported animals have died. The conservation message it sends is confusing to the public. It blurs the line between environmental education and animal entertainment. Wildlife should not be owned like property by anybody. All lives, whether they be humans or animals, should be respected.

The next time people visit zoos or aquariums, they should ask themselves what these animals have done that they have to endure life imprisonment.

Roy Tam Hoi-pong, president, Green Sense

Aqua City Commercial
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Penguin in park first takes media plunge
The Standard
Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Ichiko, the first penguin to be born at Ocean Park, stepped confidently into the media spotlight yesterday.

The Gentoo penguin entered the world just in time to welcome 2011 thanks to the efforts of parents Nobita and Shizuka, who were recruited from Japan.

Ichiko, which means "first" in Japanese, was born late on December 31. However its sex is still undetermined, as DNA testing can only be carried out after a year.

Senior curator Howard Chuk Hau-chung said the two- month-old chick has been gradually exploring its enclosure under the watchful eyes of its proud parents.

"We are very pleased that Ichiko is being raised by its parents, as sometimes penguins tend to either lose interest in their offspring, or not know how to raise them," Chuk said.

Gentoo chicks generally leave the nest after about four months, and can grow up to 90 centimeters, making them the third largest species of penguins.

Chuk said another two penguins have since hatched, although one died shortly after birth.

In the wild, penguins have only a 50 percent chance of surviving infancy.

The other chick is being hand- raised as it was abandoned at birth. It is still in the nesting stage and will be introduced to the other penguins in the next few months.

Members of the public wanting to see the chicks will have to wait, since they will not be unveiled until next year as part of the Polar Adventure zone - along with two other species, the King penguin and the Rockhopper penguin.

Ocean Park chairman Allan Zeman said the park hopes to double the penguin population before showing them to the public.

It currently has three species totaling 69 penguins.

Zeman described ticket sell-outs over Lunar New Year as encouraging, with 330,000 visitors since February 4.

Ticket tap turned off in Aqua rush
The Standard
Monday, February 07, 2011

Ocean Park's admission tickets were sold out early yesterday for a second consecutive day in a vote of confidence for its latest attraction, Aqua City.

The crowd was so solid that people had to wait for up to 90 minutes for cable cars, for about an hour outside Aqua City, and for some 30 to 40 minutes for mechanical rides, a spokeswoman noted.

Ticket counters at the Citybus terminal near Admiralty MTR shut at 10am yesterday while the entire same-day admission ticket sales system was closed at 11am - 90 minutes after opening.

"The decision was made according to our normal practice," the spokeswoman said. "That is, we close the ticket counters when the in-park attendance reaches 32,000 - or 90 percent of the maximum in-park capacity 36,000."

That avoids overcrowding and is meant to ensure people already inside the park can enjoy their experiences, she added.

It was a similar story on Saturday, when the ticket facility at the Citybus terminal closed at 11am and all sales stopped at 1pm.

The last time the park closed its ticket counters early was at Lunar New Year 2006.

Attendance levels have increased by at least 15-20 percent since the opening of the giant aquarium complex on January 27.

"The opening of three retail outlets and also Neptune's Restaurant and Aqua City Bakery have also drawn in more visitors," the spokeswoman said.

But the closure of ticket counters does not affect group packages and those who have booked in advance, she noted.

"We anticipate attendance will continue to be high over the next few days," she added. "Visitors who have not booked tickets in advance are advised to check on the park's website for updated news and are also encouraged to select another day to visit Ocean Park."

Attendances on the first three days of the Lunar New Year increased by 30 to 50 percent compared to the corresponding period last year.

The increase also boosted overall retail sales from Thursday to Saturday by 50 percent on last year, while food and beverage sales were up more than 80 percent.

Construction is almost complete on their new roller coaster, "Hair Raiser."
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(Image courtesy of www.screamscape.com)

It will be a sit-down "floorless" coaster with five loops.

Been seeing a lotta facebook updates on the new aquarium.. maybe it's more impressive in person

Ocean Park treat for 100 millionth visitor
19 February 2011
South China Morning Post

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A trip to Ocean Park as a treat for visiting relatives brought an extra surprise for a Hong Kong family yesterday afternoon. One of them was the 100 millionth visitor to the park since it opened in 1977.

The lucky one was Leung Wai-man, 35, who brought his wife Fok Wing-yi, 26, their two sons Tin-man, three, and Hoi-man, nine months, as well as Leung's cousin, her husband and son from Hangzhou to the park to see the new aquarium.

His family was given a lifetime pass to the park and the children received stuffed toys from staff.

The seven visitors were also treated to a meal at the park's new restaurant in the aquarium and received a pass to the aquarium's behind-the-scenes tour.

Park chairman Allan Zeman described yesterday as a milestone and "a really great day for Ocean Park".

He said inflation was putting pressure on the park, but it had no intention of increasing the admission fee at present, as restaurants and retail outlets were doing well. The last time the park raised its entrance fee was two years ago.

Zeman expected an increase of 10 to 15 per cent in admission numbers this year and the 200 millionth visitor in 15 years. He was confident new rides and expansion of the park would help boost attendance.

Leung, who works in an insurance company, said he was surprised and overwhelmed when he learned of his luck.

"Ocean Park is a part of my childhood, and I like the marine life here very much," he said.

The last time the family went to the park was a year ago.

The park received more than five million visitors last year, and 60 per cent of the visitors were from outside Hong Kong. It is estimated there will be 36 million visitors from the mainland this year and 40 million in 2012.

By CSK from a Hong Kong discussion forum (http://www.discuss.com.hk/viewthread.php?tid=13898401&extra=page%3D1) :

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Another 100 million in 15 years sounds very aggressive, given it took Ocean Park 30+ years to achieve the first 100 million.

Hong Kong rare whales plan riles activists
14 February 2011
Agence France Presse

Beluga whales are majestic, sociable creatures that live in small pods mostly in the icy waters around the Arctic circle.

They chat loudly with each other in elaborate clicks, clangs and whistles, have a big seemingly friendly smile and are, for a whale, relatively small -- meaning they can be easily kept in a large tank.

And that's exactly what's planned for up to a dozen of the rare mammals at a new attraction at an aquarium in Hong Kong.

"We want to use these iconic animals to deliver a message of conservation and education to our guests," Tom Mehrmann, chief executive of Ocean Park, told AFP.

"And we want to make sure that the pod is large enough for proper social dynamics to take place."

But outraged conservationists say the park's plans have highlighted the issue of aquariums "robbing the world's oceans" of already threatened species just to have a gimmick to sell to the paying public.

Ocean Park says it will try to source already captive belugas from other aquariums around the world but, if they can't find a pod that way, they admit they will look at getting them from the wild.

Yet the beluga, or white whale, is on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) "red list" of near endangered species and the US and Canada have effectively banned their capture and export from their waters.

Not so with the other big Arctic power.

"Capture of wild belugas still occurs in Russia, so that would be the likely source for this aquarium," says Brendan Cummings, a lawyer at the US Center for Biological Biodiversity that campaigns for Arctic environmental issues.

"Whales and dolphins have regularly been injured or killed in the act of capturing them, usually with nets. They panic, mothers may get separated from their young, and some may drown.

"So the capture of the animal often results in harm not just to the animal brought into captivity but also other animals in its group.

"Moreover, once in captivity, mortality is often quite high -- belugas have died in even the most modern facilities.

"Given these ice-associated animals will likely decline as global warming transforms the Arctic, we really should not be removing any of them from the wild, even from the healthier populations."

Ocean Park, which is a not for profit organisation owned by the Hong Kong government, has ambitious plans for the aquarium -- largely driven by the increasing number of tourists from mainland China.

The aquarium is making major additions. As well as the new Polar Adventure attraction, which is scheduled to open next year and will be home to the belugas, the park is also opening a new zone in May called The Rainforest.

Over five million people visited the aquarium last year, around 60 percent from mainland China. The park wants to increase the numbers through the gate to eight million by 2017.

"China is helping drive demand for rare marine mammals for aquariums," Dr Samuel Hung, chairman of the Hong Kong Dolphin Conservation Society, told AFP.

"There are at least 17 mainland aquariums with over 60 beluga whales imported -- so far.

"People do not need to gawp at these beautiful creatures going round and round in a big fish tank to know they're endangered. Robbing the world's oceans of rare species just reduces their numbers further. It makes no sense.

"Russian waters have never been studied sufficiently to really understand beluga numbers. And they don't breed well in captivity, so the chances of Ocean Park getting a pod from another aquarium are very, very slim."

The aquarium was also in hot water recently with local conservationists after it brought dozens of rare Pacific blue fin tuna to the park, around ten of which died on the way from Japan.

It was also criticised for opening an exclusive restaurant with a seafood menu beside a huge glass tank full of 4,000 sea creatures from 400 species -- some of them extremely rare.

"None of the fish in the tank are on the menu," Mehrmann told AFP over the sound of clinking knives and forks of diners as the school of tuna swam behind his head.

"Most of our guests are from big cities and they would never otherwise get the chance to get so close to these animals. We can create a bond between people and the ocean. It's the greatest connection to nature they can possibly get."

Ocean Park insists it has a strict animal acquisition policy which complies with all international regulations and any animals taken from the wild are from sustainable sources.

The park also plans an Asian research institute to study belugas, says Mehrmann, adding that it donates around $1.6 million a year to conservation projects. He admits Russia is "an option" for finding a pod of whales.

"We want to put the spotlight on these animals -- we may have a different approach but we actually have the same objective as campaigners," he said.

"But some people are simply philosophically opposed to aquariums, and always will be. We'll have to agree to disagree on that."

The status of the whole beluga species is cause for concern, according to the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS), as they are threatened across their Arctic range by oil and gas development, over-hunting, vessel traffic, pollution and climate change.

"We are particularly concerned about the proposed import of belugas to Ocean Park," Cathy Williamson, the WDCS' captivity programme manager, told AFP.

"I guess aquariums, as money-making businesses, aim to have something unique that other similar facilities don't have, in order to attract crowds.

"But this only works in conservation terms if the species breeds well in captivity and they are releasing animals back into the wild, something that almost never happens with animals like belugas."

I miss the killer whale in Ocean Park, but another one? I ain't sure I will support it.

I really would love to see a killer whale in HK but it would be too cruel...

By LewisLee from a Hong Kong discussion forum (http://www.discuss.com.hk/viewthread.php?tid=13946339&extra=page%3D1) :

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To help the red pandas adapt to different types of sounds, trainers have tried raising their voices and clapping their hands to check the reaction of the animals.

Ocean Park chairman Allan Zeman said the park hopes to double the penguin population before showing them to the public.

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The Ocean Park redevelopment master plan also includes a proposal for the development of three hotels to neighbour the park.

The Ocean Park redevelopment master plan also includes a proposal for the development of three hotels to neighbour the park.

Again, copying phrases out of Ocean Park's March 2005 press release?? Seriously, if you are quoting, please do say where you are copying that from!

http://www.oceanpark.com.hk/html/en/footer/corporate-information/press/press.php?id=108

Theme parks act to ease the queues for visitors
5 April 2011

For theme park visitors as much as their owners, the queue is the enemy. Long waits reduce the fun for customers, and they may not come back for more.

But with combined visitor numbers exceeding 10 million for the first time last year, Disneyland and Ocean Park are fighting an uphill battle.

To tackle the problem, Ocean Park launched a multimillion-dollar hi-tech command and control room, the nerve centre from which every corner of the park is monitored through a network of more than a thousand closed-circuit cameras.

The centre's operators work to spot queues and take steps to ease the waiting. But anticipating queues before they formed was a better approach, said Todd Hougland, the park's operations and entertainment executive director.

"We decided to invest in something more robust," he said, comparing it with an older control room. "You never want to make guests wait to park, pay or pee. These are the three Ps of theme parks," he said. "When they are standing in lines they're not spending money or enjoying themselves."

The control centre, located in an office building with a commanding view of the attractions, went live in January and was part of the redevelopment project which saw the opening of Aqua City, billed as Asia's largest aquarium.

If gridlock begins to form at the Abyss Turbo Drop - a vertical rapid descent thrill ride - technicians in the control room will respond by alerting managers who will ensure the ride runs quicker, so long as safety allows. Meanwhile, managers will use the time to entertain people waiting in the line, for example, by playing live music, sending musicians, magicians, clowns and/or mascots there to hold people's attention.

One of the control room's most important tasks is to ease queues most likely to form at Aqua City, Hougland said. It is highly popular as it is new and also very close to the park's entrance.

Individual visitors usually arrive early in the day and tourists in groups in the afternoon. That means the park has the most people from 3pm to 4pm. The Waterfront - the lowland part where Aqua City is located - is usually more crowded than the Summit - the higher area - because most individual visitors finish touring the Summit and return to the Waterfront as group tourists flock in.

"This is a challenge we face," Hougland said. "I'd love to be able to assign different people to different places so we can have a perfect distribution of guests. But we never have a perfect distribution."

Hougland says the new facility enables park visitors to enjoy at least two rides or attractions in an hour.

Park management has been studying visitors' movements to prepare for more attractions in coming years. A fast-queuing system, similar to Disneyland's Fastpass, is being looked at.

Disneyland does not have a control centre like Ocean Park. This is ironic, given that it was Disney's famed theme parks, among them Walt Disney World in Orlando, that pioneered a top-down, hi-tech control and command centre. At Hong Kong Disneyland, managers and staff on the ground call and send text messages to each other when they see an influx of visitors. To keep people entertained, they send performers.

Disneyland parades, which can draw up to 16,000 people, are a way to help crowd control. Held twice a day at times when the park has its most people, they divert visitors' attention so queues at attractions are eased, says Noble Coker, vice-president for park operations.

"We observe how people behave and figure out how to improve their experience. What we don't try to do is to change their behaviour," he said.

Most people, after going along Main Street, turn right to Tomorrowland "because they see this big thing spinning", he said. From there they go left to Fantasyland and Adventureland, and back to Main Street.

This makes attractions in Tomorrowland, such as the Space Mountain and Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, prone to long queues. "We can't fight behaviour. But people, especially those who are educated, will opt out if they see a long queue. And they will get a Fastpass," he said.

Autopia, where people drive cars on enclosed tracks, has been more popular than expected. "When we built it, we assumed that most people would want to go on to Buzz than Autopia," he said.

But it takes about 45 minutes for a ride at Autopia. "We've asked ourselves many times, 'What is it that draws people to Autopia?' What I'm guessing is that it is because driving is not as common in Hong Kong as the US or Canada," he said.

An expansion due to be completed in 2014, is designed to entice people in the direction of Adventureland to balance crowd distribution.

Coker said his team was continually studying ways to ease queues, including installing Fastpass systems. "If you can put one more person in each ride or show, then that person is a little bit happier. If you get to go on six rides, rather than five, then it's a better day."

Good staff common theme at parks
The Standard
Tuesday, May 03, 2011

With a combined 10.6 million visitors coming through their turnstiles last year, it practically takes an army to run the territory's two theme parks.

Which is why at both Disneyland and Ocean Park, staff are only allowed to work on the frontline after having undergone intensive training.

Andy Law Ho-tim, a veteran performer at Ocean Park, said he was put through a series of lessons and preparations for at least three months before he was allowed to entertain guests.

Meanwhile, Carmen Wong Ka-man, a trainer at Disney University, said the theme park mainly gives on-the-job training so staff may learn how to deal with various situations.

"No one comes into a theme park wanting to be angry. Most of them are just excited about seeing their favorite characters, and might just get slightly agitated but they have good intentions," Wong said.

Vice president for human resources Christine Wong Siu-ping said the training Disney provides creates enthusiastic staff, which definitely helps in managing guests.

"We have an excellent basic training program in issues such as Disney's traditions and our way of serving customers," she said.

Disney had a turnover rate of 16 percent in the last year, compared to 12 percent at Ocean Park. The parks have 4,500 and 1,518 employees respectively.

Ocean Park director of human resources Brian Ho Min-yee said: "When you have good staff welfare and staff who are enthusiastic about their work, everyone would be willing to put in that extra effort."

LCQ9: Keeping of animals in Ocean Park
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Government Press Release

Following is a written reply by the Acting Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Gregory So, to a question by the Hon Chan Hak-kan in the Legislative Council meeting today (May 25):

Question:

In the past few years, the Ocean Park has continued to develop new attractions and introduce animals from different places for husbandry in the Park, but incidents of death of those animals, including Chinese sturgeon, bluefin tuna, coral reel fish and penguins, etc. occurred one after another. Concerns have been raised by animal and conservation groups about issues such as the standard of the husbandry staff of the Ocean Park and adequacy of supporting facilities. Some groups have also pointed out that the weather in Hong Kong is hot and queried whether it is suitable to introduce animals which live in cold places. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(a) whether it knows the number of deaths and death rates of animals kept in the Ocean Park in the past five years and the animal species involved;

(b) whether it knows the respective numbers, average length of service and turnover rates of the husbandry staff and veterinarians of the Ocean Park in the past five years;

(c) whether the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) and other government departments have taken the initiative to find out more about and investigate the aforesaid cases of deaths of animals; if they have, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(d) whether, according to the existing practice, the Ocean Park needs to notify AFCD and other government departments of the deaths of animals in the Park; if so, of the details; whether the Park needs to report the causes of death of animals and whether AFCD may conduct reviews in this respect; if not, of the reasons for that;

(e) whether it knows if the new animal species introduced by the Ocean Park in the past five years are wild or artificially bred; whether the Ocean Park will consult AFCD or other government departments before it decides to keep animals of new species; if it will, of the consultation procedure; if not, the reasons for that; and

(f) how the authorities assess the impact on the environment when the Ocean Park develops new attractions and introduces new animal species, including the impact during transportation, implementation of works and various stages of operation; whether it knows if the Ocean Park has implemented mitigation measures; if it has, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

We have collated information from the Food and Health Bureau, Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD), Environmental Protection Department (EPD) and the Ocean Park Corporation (OPC) with regard to the keeping of animals in the Ocean Park. My reply to the question is as follows:

(a) The number of deaths and death rates of animals kept in the Ocean Park in the past five years are tabulated in Annex I (http://gia.info.gov.hk/general/201105/25/P201105250212_0212_79395.pdf).

There are over 6 700 animals in the Ocean Park, with up to 394 species. Owing to the relatively short life span of most animals, the majority of animal death cases within the Park are natural. There were other causes of deaths, such as illness, accidents, and attack between animals etc. However, these only account for about 10% to 20% of the overall death cases.

(b) The respective numbers, average length of service and turnover rates of the husbandry staff and veterinarian/technician of the Ocean Park in the past five years are tabulated in Annex II (http://gia.info.gov.hk/general/201105/25/P201105250212_0212_79396.pdf).

The veterinary team of the Ocean Park has extensive experience working in zoos or aquaria. Their experience includes working with existing animal species in the Park, as well as species newly introduced under the Master Redevelopment Plan (MRP), such as the primates in the Amazon Rainforest, and the penguins, walruses and seals to be introduced to the Polar Adventure.

(c) and (d) AFCD inspects the Ocean Park at least once a month to ensure that the animals' health and welfare are properly taken care of. The scope of the inspections includes whether the temperature and humidity of the accommodation are suitable for the relevant species of animals, whether the feed materials are properly stored and whether other facilities, such as transportation vehicles, meet animal welfare requirement, etc.

According to the licensing conditions imposed by AFCD, the Ocean Park should report to AFCD cases of death of animal(s) (mammal and reptile) and bird(s), and investigate the cause of animal death. The death certificate or post-mortem report issued by a registered veterinary surgeon should be submitted to AFCD as soon as practicable. Should abnormal animal deaths occur (e.g. massive numbers of deaths), AFCD will proactively carry out investigation, with a view to determining the cause and working out preventive measures. No such abnormal cases of death of animals in the Ocean Park were discovered by AFCD.

(e) In order to prevent infectious diseases being brought into Hong Kong through imported animals, AFCD inspects the quarantine facilities of the Ocean Park to ensure that the requirements are met prior to the introduction of new animals. AFCD will also specify the conditions under the relevant health certificates according to the species to be imported. The Ocean Park has to comply with the relevant conditions when the animals are introduced. As stated above, AFCD will also conduct inspections to determine if the accommodation and other facilities are suitable for that particular species to protect animal health and welfare. According to the information kept in AFCD, the Ocean Park introduced 24 species of animals in the past five years (with a total number of 84), 23 of which were of captive bred origin, and only one was from the wild (one in number).

If the animals introduced are listed in the Appendices of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the Ocean Park will report the latest development on the introduction of new animals to the Endangered Species Advisory Committee periodically.

(f) The Ocean Park's MRP involves reconstruction/modification of existing facilities and expansion of the Park. As it is a Designated Project subject to statutory control under the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance (EIAO), the potential environmental impacts arising from the construction and reconstruction of various new and existing attractions/venues, and the operation of installed amusement rides and new open-air laser/night show venue have been assessed in an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Report before the commencement of the project. The EIA Report concluded that, with mitigation measures in place, the Ocean Park's MRP could comply with relevant EIAO Technical Memorandum environmental standards and criteria. The EIA Report was approved by the Director of Environmental Protection on July 12, 2006, and the Environmental Permit (EP) for the construction and operation of the MRP was issued to OPC on July 28, 2006.

In accordance with the EP, the OPC is required to implement various mitigation measures as recommended in the EIA Report, including the use of silt removal facilities for the treatment of construction wastewater, dust suppression measures, quiet construction plant and movable noise barriers and compensation of lost shrubland, etc. during the construction stage. During the operation of the redeveloped Park, the OPC is also required to implement specific control measures on noise and air quality impacts arising from the new open-air laser/night show venue, such as adhering to the restrictions on the sound power levels of loud speakers and carrying out air quality monitoring. Furthermore, the OPC is required to comply with other relevant pollution control legislation.

The Ocean Park has also considered whether the weather of Hong Kong is suitable for introducing polar animals. For example, there will be real snow, icebergs and aurora borealis in the new attraction Polar Adventure which help create an environment suitable for polar animals. The attraction will help the public learn about global warming, actions at home affecting the polar region, and the plight of polar species and their habitats, etc. In order to minimise the environmental impact of Polar Adventure, OPC has designed the exhibit as a fully enclosed insulated space to minimise heat exchange and energy loss. An energy efficient water-cooled chiller system, which consumes 30% less power than a conventional air-cooled system, will be used. LED lighting will also be used throughout the facility to lower energy consumption and minimise heat production.

Fun parks go for same theme - price hikes
21 June 2011
The Standard

Visitors to Hong Kong's two theme parks face ticket price hikes of about 10 percent after the summer holidays.

The increases have been approved by the boards of Ocean Park and Hong Kong Disneyland almost simultaneously.

Ocean Park said ticket prices will rise from September 1 but will come with sweeteners. Disneyland said it has no plan to announce fee increases for now but a source said a price hike is coming in two months.

Ocean Park chairman Allan Zeman last week said the park would not raise ticket prices for now _ but he changed his tone yesterday. ``We don't want to raise the price, but if we open new attractions and take loans from the bank, we have to pay back the loans,'' he said.

``If we don't raise the price and we lose money, the government will have to put in more money. The taxpayers will have to pay for it.''

The park will raise ticket prices by 12 percent, from HK$250 to HK$280 for adults, and from HK$125 to HK$140 for children aged three to 11. Annual passes will rise by between 11.3 and 13 percent. At HK$305, the SmartFun Silver Pass for children _ which sells for HK$270 now _ will see the highest percentage increase. The park last raised admission fees in 2009. It borrowed HK$5.55 billion of loans for redevelopment.

Since 2006, Hong Kong residents have been able to visit Ocean Park for free on their birthdays. From September 1 to August 31 next year, one friend will enjoy half price. Other special offers launched include night tickets for locals from 6pm to 10pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday throughout July, August and the first two weekends of September at HK$150 for adults and HK$75 for children.

Meanwhile, a source said Disneyland's one-day adult tickets will cost 8.6 to 12.9 percent more _ from HK$350 to around HK$380 to HK$395 _ in two months, partly due to its expansion project.

The Lantau park last increased prices of annual passes - by up to 40 percent - in March.

Lawmaker Ronny Tong Ka-wah said: ``I hope the park will offer concessions to locals.''

Ocean Park saw its surplus drop 17 percent to HK$82 million despite increases in both attendance and revenue for the fiscal year ending last June. Disneyland's net loss fell 45 percent year-on-year to HK$718 million for the 12 months to October 2.

August 15, 2011, 6:00 am
Hong Kong’s Ocean Park Adds New Attractions
http://intransit.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/08/15/hong-kongs-ocean-park-adds-new-attractions/

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Aqua Park, one of the newest attractions at Ocean Park in Hong Kong.
Alex Frew McMillan

A scalloped hammerhead cruises the reef above a leopard shark and a huge grouper. A school of yellow-fin tuna rush through their daily circular rounds. The faces of visitors glow with the reflections of digital screens, as they snap photos of each other standing in front of a floor-to-ceiling wall of water.

Welcome to Aqua City, home to one of the newest attractions at Ocean Park. Hong Kong’s homegrown theme park has embarked on a sprawling expansion, costing 5.55 billion Hong Kong dollars (about $710 million), in part to fend off competition from Hong Kong Disneyland, as well as new theme parks on the mainland. Faded portions of Ocean Park, which opened in 1977, have been given a major face lift, and the park now functions as an amusement park and aquarium wrapped into one.

The park has added two new zones this year: Aqua City opened at the end of January and an Amazon-themed Rainforest section opened in June.

At Aqua City, guests arrive via a new entrance, and, at the end of each day, can view a laser and fire show around its fountain park. In the Rainforest section, there’s a water ride, called the Rapids, that wends its way through the heart of the walk-through exhibit overhead. (“You will get wet. You may get soaked!” warns a sign before you board.) When done with that, children can visit a green anaconda, which recently gave birth to 30 young.

There are two phases of the expansion still to come. Thrill Mountain, a roller-coaster ride, is due this December and Polar Adventure is scheduled to open in mid-2012.

Crash closes train ride at Ocean Park
The Standard
Monday, September 12, 2011

A popular ride at Ocean Park has been suspended indefinitely following a collision between two trains.

None of the 23 passengers was hurt. Police said they received no calls for assistance and no ambulances were dispatched.

According to reports, 23 people enjoying the Mine Train ride were approaching the landing platform at 12.25pm yesterday when their train ran into an empty one that was about to be loaded.

As the platform is two stories high, staff had to use ladders to evacuate passengers.

"It took about six minutes to evacuate everyone," an Ocean Park spokesman said.

The park has launched an investigation into the collision, and notified the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department.

"The ride has been in operation for 11 years, and this is the first time this has happened," the spokesman said.

He said while staff are present at the ride, the trains are run by an automatic electronic system with various safety measures.

Ocean Park said it is "very concerned" about the incident, even though there were no casualties.

It said the ride will remain closed until the investigation is complete.

Most visitors were unaware of what happened as the park only displayed signs saying the Mine Train service was suspended for "regular maintenance."

The spokesman said the ride is thoroughly checked and tested each day, and received clearance to operate yesterday.

But some visitors expressed disappointment at the suspension of the attraction. A father from Hubei said his family had been looking forward to the ride.

He said there were no signs at the entrance relating to the suspension and they only got to know about it when they arrived at the ride. Nevertheless, he said Ocean Park is worth visiting.

The spokesman said the Mine Train is manufactured in Italy and there are no other facilities in the park from the same company.

All mechanical rides are examined routinely to ensure maximum comfort and safety for guests, he said.

Jolly tug-of-war heats up at parks
The Standard
Wednesday, November 23, 2011

The game's on between Hong Kong's two theme parks to lure Christmas visitors.

After Disney launched Toy Story Land, it's now Ocean Park's turn to lay out its treats.

It has opened the Thrill Mountain zone that features five rides and - addressing a concern shared by guests at both parks - promises to bring in many types of food, including Indian spicy roast chicken with naan bread and wasabi pork cutlet ciabatta.

Other attractions include a do-it- yourself cake workshop, a light show and a spectacle at the lagoon.

New merchandise will, of course, also be sold.

ill be going here... one of these days.. im so excited

Seals the deal at park polar attraction
The Standard
Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Ocean Park visitors will soon get closer to nature while learning about global warming and its effects on wildlife in the polar regions.

The park yesterday welcomed into its new Polar Adventure attraction three spotted seals, also known as largha seals, and five Chinese giant salamanders that are listed under the second category of the State Key Protected Wildlife List.

Ocean Park chairman Allan Zeman said as a key ecological theme zone in the park's Master Redevelopment Plan, the new attraction can convey conservation messages about creatures threatened by global warming.

The three seals - two females and a male - are about a year old and weigh 50 to 60 kilograms.

"We are honored to be entrusted by the National Aquatic Wildlife Conservation Association and the Dalian Laohutan Ocean Park to care for these seals," Zeman said.

The seals will be featured in the North Pole Encounter in Polar Adventure, slated to open next year, and guests will be allowed to feed them.

The giant salamanders are a gift by the Beijing Aquarium and will join the existing collection of species at the Amazing Asian Animals.

"Due to various anthropogenic factors, coastal and inland river habitats have experienced drastic changes in recent years, putting rare species under serious threat," said Chen Yi-de, deputy director general of China's Bureau of Fisheries.

The park also unveiled the latest design of the planned Penguin Exhibit and Tuxedo Restaurant at Polar Adventure. The South Polar Spectacular pavilion will be home to three different species of penguins and will feature indoor temperature controls and special sound effects that mimic conditions at the South Pole.

The restaurant features a glass ceiling that will give guests the impression of dining under the ice- covered Arctic region.

Big jump in visitors thrills park
The Standard
Friday, December 09, 2011

Ocean Park is confident of seeing revenue growth of up to 30 percent this Christmas over last year.

Speaking at the launch of Thrill Mountain yesterday, Ocean Park chairman Allan Zeman said there has already been a 30 to 40 percent increase in visitors.

"We expect more tourists to celebrate Christmas with family and friends, while half of all mainlanders will come from the South China region."

Visitor numbers in August hit a 34-year record of 900,000.

"In the past five months, the number of visitors grew by 30 percent," Zeman said.

October earnings from food, beverage and retail sales also soared 80 percent.

Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Gregory So Kam-leung said the park recorded a total of 5.9 million visitors from July 2010 to June.

"Hong Kong's economy has benefited significantly from the Ocean Park redevelopment project, from tourist spending to new employment positions," So said. Zeman ruled out raising ticket prices.

When asked about the competition from rival Disneyland, Zeman replied: "I am an adult and I don't play with toys."

The new Thrill Mountain zone takes heart-pounding entertainment to new heights, offering visitors a panoramic view that stretches from a verdant hilltop to the vast expanse of the South China Sea.

The new zone occupies 222,800 square feet - from the east side of the park all the way to the west.

Thrill Mountain offers six exhilarating rides, eight booth games and specially designed merchandise.

The highlight is the territory's first and only floorless roller coaster, Hair Raiser, which travels at a maximum speed of 88 kilometers per hour.

Riders may also experience 4G acceleration with their feet dangling in the air.

Zeman assured everyone about the safety of various rides.

"Safety is a top priority in a world-class theme park like ours. We upgraded everything by ensuring a clear set of safety guidelines."

emory lane for Ocean Park
The Standard
Wednesday, January 11, 2012

How would you like to step back in time, say 60 years? Ocean Park is making this possible, without the aid of a time machine.

A new 3,298-square-meter theme zone, to be opened in March, will zip you back to the Hong Kong of the 1950s - complete with the old dai pai dongs, tenement houses and rickshaws, not to mention a replica of the famous clock tower of the old Star Ferry pier.

Heritage tram No120 will take visitors around the zone where they may view enlarged photographs of the city as it used to be, and other memorabilia.

Visitors will also be able to enjoy traditional snacks in a dai pai dong filled with stalls offering various foods.

"The near seven million attendance in the calendar year just ended is the culmination of 35 years of commitment," said chairman Allan Zeman, who was dressed as the Chinese Longevity Man to celebrate the park's 35th anniversary yesterday.

Revenues from retail sales and restaurants last year were up 50percent on those of 2010.

Zeman said he is not worried about competition from Hong Kong Disneyland's new theme zone, due to open soon, as he estimates a 5 to 10percent growth in visitors to Ocean Park this year.

He said there are no plans to raise ticket prices this year, and the park will soon renew its calls for tenders to develop two new hotels at the site.

The Old Hong Kong zone is the latest attraction and comes ahead of the July opening of the Polar Adventure, which will feature largha or spotted seals, penguins and Chinese giant salamanders, together with a restaurant offering a panoramic view of penguins in an Antarctic setting.

Meanwhile, from today until April 9 - excluding January 23 to 27 - Hong Kong residents whose ID cards have either the digits "3" or "5" will be given a 10 percent discount on a daytime admission ticket.

If "3" and "5" appear consecutively, the holder may enjoy a 35percent discount.

Ocean Park well satisfied with food sales
The Standard
Friday, January 06, 2012

Ocean Park is not about to rest on its laurels despite a 50 percent growth in its catering and retail business - to HK$475 million - last year.

The park, which launched several new themed zones in 2011 and saw record visitor numbers, is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year.

The Aberdeen theme park already has six restaurants and 26 food kiosks but plans to add another restaurant and 10 more kiosks this year. Various food discounts will be available over the year to celebrate the anniversary.

And with it being the Year of the Dragon, a popular time for weddings and births, new offerings include the Dragon Wedding Banquet, Full Moon Baby's Celebration Menu and the "Lucky as a Dragon CNY Feast."