Exotic animals on view at Ocean Park

A dolphin show, fun rides and more are to be had

at Ocean Park Hong Kong!

Four of the park's biggest attractions are giant pandas

Red pandas also are to be found at Ocean Park! :)

Earlier today, I visited Hong Kong's Ocean Park for only the third time ever.  The first time I did so, I was decades away from becoming a Hong Kong resident.  The second time I did so was more than seven years ago now.  Like with both those other occasions, I didn't go alone and wasn't the person who suggested that we go for a visit.  But I ended up having quite a bit of fun at the theme park all the same; this even though it poured with rain for a good part of the time that we were there today! 

Contrary to what might be assumed based on its name, Ocean Park has much more than just marine attractions.  And while it's true that we did end up taking in a dolphin show not once but twice, the three friends I was with today and I spent the majority of our visit not checking out anything related to the ocean!  Instead, we focused more on doing such as going on the rollercoasters and a few other amusement park rides -- and also spent time gawking in wonder at some of the more exotic animals on display in the facility.  

The first time that I visited Ocean Park, there weren't any pandas in residence there yet.  On my second visit, the friend I had gone there with and I had tried to see the giant pandas but when we got to their habitat, they weren't on view (having gone to sections of the habitat that were out of public sight)!  So the main aim of my visit today was to finally catch a glimpse of this endangered species of bear-like animals -- and I'm happy to report that I was indeed successful in doing so!

As it turned out, however, the giant pandas weren't my favorite of the animals that I got to see on this visit to Ocean Park.  Rather, that "honor" goes to the red pandas which are quite a bit smaller and more fox-like -- as well as redder -- than the giant pandas.  Resident at Ocean Park only since 2009 (one year after my most recent previous visit!), they came across as shyer as the giant pandas, cleverer about knowing where to go to avoid their faces being seen by people, or both.  But even while they were less cooperative with regards to posing for the camera, I found them considerably more appealing-looking and way cuter than the more well known type of panda!

Other animals I saw at Ocean Park today included those on display at the Adventures in Australia showcase  Before going into that space where kangaroos and kookaburas were on view, visitors were asked to keep their voices down (in Cantonese, English and Mandarin) in there because the koala bears are super sensitive to sound.  Amazingly, and admirably, pretty much everyone complied -- so this area wasn't just the quietest by far at Ocean Park but may well be one of the quietest sections in all of Hong Kong! ;b