“More men have walked on the moon than have dived to the deepest part of our oceans.”
– Dr. Cindy Lee Van Dover
Last weekend, we decided to explore the sea. The deep sea to be exact. I've always been very fascinated by the ocean and what's under. I've never dared venture into deep sea diving unlike my other half. So, what better way to find out more than to attend an exhibition of such theme. The Arts Science Museum at Marina Bay Sands is presenting an exhibition entitled THE DEEP from now till 27 October 2015.
The Deep is presented in a unique, pitch–black environment, virtually immersing you onto the realm of the deep sea. It will unfold to reveal the different depths of the sea, such as life in the mid-water and life on the ocean floor through different themed zones.
The specimens presented in The Deep are extremely rare. These fragile creatures are most of the time unrecognizable, as they are often damaged by nets during trawling. Several deep-sea fauna included in the exhibition have been captured in situ by scientific samplers on submersibles or tethered robots. Others have been carefully trawled during oceanographic missions conducted throughout the world. Some of the specimens on displayed are anglerfishes (the most famous deep-sea fish, thanks to Finding Nemo) and whole colonies of deep-sea radiolarians.
Big K and I were completely mesmerised by the specimens. I'm not too sure about Small K though. Ok, more me than them. This exhibition would benefit primary schoolers especially, in my opinion, as several interesting facts on adaptation (a topic in Primary 6 Science) are revealed. You know how the PSLE setters love coming out with weird creatures which you've never heard before right? And a question like why do camels have long lashes is so last millennium. Well, exposure is the key! Read more and see more! Here's sharing stuff which we've gathered on our learning journey:
Pycnogonid or sea spider
Up to 50cm in diameter
These distant cousins of the spider travel along the bottom of the ocean in search of soft, stationary meals that cannot escape, like anemones. They suck the tissues out of their prey with the help of their proboscis. The surface of their body is reduce to such an extent that their digestive tract reaches to the end of their legs. One rare characteristic is that it is the males who look after the eggs.
Some kind of angler fish which name i forgot. It looks pretty angry and cranky honestly. Well, i don't blame it. It lives in the lonely, lightless bottom of the sea. These creatures generally have enormous crescent-shaped mouths, filled withs harp, translucent teeth. Nope, they aren't anything like the one you saw in NEMO. Their mouths are so big and their bodies so pliable, they can actually swallow prey up to twice their own size. In lieu of continually seeking the vast abyss for a female, the male has evolved into a permanent parasitic mate. He latches onto her with his sharp teeth. over time, the male physically fuses with the female, connecting to her skin and bloodstream and losing his eyes and all his internal organs except the testes. A female will carry six of more males on her body! Talk about 癞蛤蟆想吃天鹅肉。吃到了但也被吃了！(translation: A toad wishes to eat swan's meat. Meaning to crave for what one is not worthy of and in this case, the male i.e. "toad" is ultimately eaten)
Fireworks physonect siphonophore
Size: 45cm
The spectacle this siphonophore stages when feeding is like a grand fireworks display, as it deploys thousands of toxic, bioluminescent tentacles to lure prey into its fatal snare. The structure of this gelatinous creature is basically the equivalent of a colony of hundreds of jellies all living along a central cord.
Here are the ticket prices for your reference.
So if you are an ocean lover like me or have a little one who is keen to know more, do check out these amazing creatures at the ArtScience Museum soon!
Daily: 10:00am - 7:00pm
Including public holidays
Last admission at 6:00pm
Including public holidays
Last admission at 6:00pm
Disclaimer: I paid the tickets out of my own pocket. No monetary compensation has been received and I do not stand to gain any commission arising from ticket sales from this review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own and written according to my experience.
