Animal Spotlight: Manta Rays at Singapore Oceanarium – Go Behind the Scenes and Get up Close

Singapore Oceanarium is inviting you behind the scenes to learn all about Manta Rays, in the all-new Animal Spotlight: Manta Rays immersive programme.

Animal Spotlight immersive programmes at Singapore Oceanarium

Held in conjunction with World Manta Day on 17 September, Singapore Oceanarium is offering a unique behind-the-scenes experience that lets you gain a deeper understanding of Manta Rays.

Available only from 6 to 20 September 2025, the Animal Spotlight: Manta Rays programme will let you rediscover the iconic Open Ocean habitat in a new way and learn what it takes to care for these marine creatures. This includes exclusive access to a few support areas backstage, where you can see how the Singapore Oceanarium’s team prepares specialised diets for manta rays and other marine animals.

How to get tickets to Animal Spotlight immersive programmes at Singapore Oceanarium

Animal Spotlight immersive programme tickets are available separately as Add-ons that can be purchased together online with your Singapore Oceanarium admission ticket. You can also buy them upon arrival at the Oceanarium, via the ticketing machines or at the guest services counter. As there are limited slots, you are recommended to buy them prior to arrival.

Animal Spotlight: Manta Rays programme offers 3 tour slots daily, with each tour accommodating up to 12 guests: 11:30AM, 2:00PM, 4:30PM. At this time, this programme is only offered in English.

Guests will need to be 4 years old and above to attend this programme.

For a complete tour of the Singapore Oceanarium, check out my review and photo/ video tour.

Animal Spotlight: Manta Rays Photo Tour

Your experience begins at the Open Ocean Habitat, the largest panel in the Oceanarium. Here, you will meet your marine educator who will guide you around the 45-minute tour.

As you walk closer to the panel, you’ll learn about the three manta rays at Singapore Oceanarium, as well as their names – Mika, Mako, and Manja.

Within minutes, you’ll gain the ability to tell them apart, as well as learning some fun facts on their movements in the tank – such as somersaulting in water – it’s actually a “lazy” but highly effective way for manta rays to eat! Despite their size, manta rays are filter-feeders, meaning they swim through currents with open mouths, capturing plankton along the way that gets filtered in.

So they’re really “inhaling their food” underwater.

Manta Rays can eat 4-5kg of krill a day, and their diet includes Krill pacifica and Antarctic krill. The aquarists also supplement the mantas’ diet with vitamin C tablets to boost immunity.

The tour continued to the Aquarist Lab, where the marine educator explained how Singapore Oceanarium prepares different kinds of feed for all the marine animals under their care.

(This immersive programme doesn’t include a walkthrough inside the Aquarist Lab. That’s part of the Animal Spotlight: Sea Jellies tour.)

Some of these are phytoplankton cultivated in-house for creatures such as sea jellies, while the manta rays feed mainly on krill (tiny, shrimp-like zooplankton). The tour brought us down to another support area where we saw how food is actually prepared. The Oceanarium’s aquarists basically operate a wet market-like meal prep kitchen every morning, going through about 1,600kg of seafood weekly. The prepared feed is sorted in metal containers, and then distributed to the various habitats.

Unfortunately no photos are allowed in these facilities, but you’ll get to see some other cool things along the way.

You’ll also learn about the various feeding methods required for different kinds of marine animals. That’s why sometimes you see divers around the Oceanarium.

Another highlight during the tour is visiting another special area – the Open Ocean Habitat from the top!

This brings you even closer to the manta rays, which sometimes swim very close to the surface.

The tour group will return to the Open Ocean Habitat’s viewing gallery for the conclusion. Against the backdrop of Mural Lingo’s “Between Wonder and Waste”, an artwork made from waste materials, our marine educator shared a sobering truth: manta rays are facing a high risk of extinction in the wild. But it isn’t just all bad news, as we can play a part in protecting manta rays. It could be as simple as avoiding products with microplastics (such as facial cleansers with scrub beads), and manta ray products such as gill plates.

Considering the hours you can already spend in the Oceanarium, this program is a good complement. Its well-paced duration allows you to dive into exclusive, behind-the-scenes areas and gain fascinating knowledge, ensuring an enjoyable add-on experience.

You will receive the exclusive Animal Spotlight lanyard set and a manta ray plush keychain as souvenirs for participating in this immersive programme.

Animal Spotlight: Manta Rays

Limited spots available for this seasonal programme. Find out more details and book your tickets early here.

Celebrating World Manta Day at Singapore Oceanarium

Apart from this limited-run Animal Spotlight: Manta Rays programme, you can also enjoy Meet and Greet with the Oceanarium’s Manta Ray Mascots at the Open Ocean Habitat (3PM daily).

You can also grab some adorable treats at the Tide Deli and Explorer’s Nook cafe, such as Ice Cream with Manta Ray cookies!

For more information about Singapore Oceanarium, check out my full photo tour and review.