The Interesting Amazon Flooded Forest - with Manatees, Piranhas and Giant River Otters @ River Safari [Singapore]

The Amazon rain forest is noted for being the largest of its kind in the world and despite a wide range of available information about it, i wasn't aware of the fact that for six to nine months during the wet season, the forest would be flooded by as high as 10 meters of river water! 

This air-conditioned attraction at river safari seeks to let visitors experience that very underwater scene and i must say it was a pretty neat concept although it does remind me somewhat of the S.E.A aquarium at Sentosa. 

After walking through that underwater tunnel (which didn't appear to have any activity), we walked along the cavern-lookalike path where there were pockets of aquariums. 

There was the electric eel, with powerful electricity capable to stun a horse. Attempts to take pictures of it failed miserably with not one picture good enough for uploading.

I had better luck with the piranhas; don't be deceived their diamond-speckled body and minuscule size, their spiky teeth can bite through "steel fishing hooks"! 

Everyone was crowding in front and i wondered if this would be the place where i can marvel at the chubbiness of the manatees. But strange though; i thought they would likely be housed in the enclosure said to be "the world's largest freshwater aquarium".

Awwwww, the super adorable giant river otters! Deviating from our local otters, this species can grow up to 1.8 meters (yes, taller than me) and prey on piranhas! 

Right opposite the giant river otter aquarium - "the world's largest freshwater aquarium"! Measuring 22 meters by 4 meters, it is a child compared to the humongous exhibit at the S.E.A aquarium.

Key attraction here is the manatees! Now, who can tell me the difference between manatees and dugong? Honestly, i thought they were the same species with varied regional names like spring onion and scallion. 

Physical difference; the tail! A dugong has a split tail like a fish whereas a manatee has a broad shaped tail similar to the beavers! A dugong also lives exclusively in marine waters and can be found even in Singapore. There were quite a few manatees in this exhibit but they were all busy gorging on food! 

Walking up the enclosure; the route actually starts from the bottom and leads to the top by circling the aquarium which allows visitors to have different viewing angles. At least at this point, i am able to spot a manatee swimming past us in that ever slow, graceful movement. 

Top of the exhibit - an overview of the flooded forest from above the water.

The manatees' buffet section. You can't really see them although you can see their moving snouts sucking in the cabbages. 

At this level is also the above view of the giant river otters' exhibit. 

For only three otters, i must say the enclosure is a luxury! If some of you can recollect from the news, one of them is currently still a kid and holds the title of "Asia’s first giant river otter baby"! 

The way they are enjoying the water under the hot sun made me want to jump in together with them! Maybe not as the giant river otters are known to be ferocious and have made attacks on bigger animals like caimans! 

Last picture before i end this post. 

=====

Location 

Within River Safari. 

[Admission ticket to River Safari applies]


To read my condensed post on River Safari, 

please click here!