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Posted: October 18, 2006
WATER will be central to the large-scale attractions at Genting International's Sentosa integrated resort (IR).
It will play dual roles to entertain visitors through wet-and-wild water rides and chances to dive with the fish; and also educate them on marine conservation and Asian maritime history.
Genting, a front runner for the Sentosa IR bid, yesterday unveiled its $5.2 billion proposal: Its Resorts World at Sentosa will feature the world's largest oceanarium, a maritime museum and a water theme park where getting drenched on fun rides will be the norm.
Half the entire resort will be taken up by Universal Studios, which offers movie-themed rides.
The 8ha oceanarium, called Quest Marine Life Park, will house a staggering 700,000 marine creatures, including bat rays and dolphins.
Visitors will get to snorkel with whale sharks, the world's largest fish, in a 6.6 million-gallon lagoon. Each day, dolphins will frolic in the water canals connecting the resort's attractions.
The oceanarium will be operated by Dolphin Quest, a leading marine-encounter company. Mr Jeffrey Jouett, its chief executive officer, sees the attraction becoming a regional centre for marine education and conservation.
To this end, it will host field trips for students and build careers in marine biology through internships and guest lectures.
Mr Jouett also pledged to give a portion of the attraction's proceeds to fund research into the region's marine wildlife.
The Maritime Xperiential Museum, dedicated to celebrating Asia's maritime heritage, will give visitors a multimedia insight into what it feels like to be a seaman caught in a typhoon while sailing for Arabia.
The 'deck' of the vessel will roll and pitch; the vessel will eventually be submerged, so that visitors can catch a view of a shipwrecked vessel.
And at the Equarius Water Park, expect thrills and spills at a 450m-long 'water coaster' ride, which is a giant water slide. Another ride features 'upward flowing water' which carries riders upstream and lets them choose the nature of their descent.
The project's architect, Mr Michael Graves, who talked about his work in a recorded statement yesterday, said he set out to make it 'a warm and friendly place that makes people comfortable'.
The result: A resort which has been designed to blend in with the surroundings, with the attractions linked by canals and covered walkways.
The resort is divided into seven zones. Besides the water theme park, oceanarium, maritime museum and Universal Studios, it will also have a central retail and restaurant area, six hotels, a luxury spa and a carpark with 4,100 lots.
The hotels, with a total of 1,800 rooms, are each designed with a specific market in mind. They include the exclusive six-star ESPA Villas, the Hotel Michael which showcases Mr Graves' designs and the Hard Rock Hotel for families.
Luxury spa brand ESPA is also proposing the region's first fully integrated wellness spa with rehabilitative facilities for people recovering from surgery and injuries. It will work with Dolphin Quest to run a programme for people to interact with dolphins as a form of therapy.
Among the retailers will be Hamleys, a popular British toy store, for which this would be its first outlet outside Europe.
The open public area will also feature street performances and a waterfront light show featuring 48m-tall mechanical cranes.
Asked why Genting had chosen a water theme for its resort, its chairman, Mr Lim Kok Thay, said it is because Sentosa is an island.
The question remains, however, as to how Sentosa's existing attractions such as the Underwater World and Dolphin Lagoon can survive with the IR's offerings.
Sources say that Underwater World was approached by bidders to be a partner but no announcements have been made. Its management could not be reached for comment.
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