Marine Science Quest. Sleep with Sharks

Malaysia has islands, beaches, aquariums, conservation parks—all brilliant access to marine life. When we planned the Marine Science Quest back in October last year, we were ecstatic to the possibilities. The original plan: an East Coast excursion, with snorkeling, diving, and turtle hatching observations. But the price would be exorbitant. The Ramadan month proved tricky too. Thankfully, there are two close and accessible options. First, a beach camp in Port Dickson in Week 2. Second, AquariaKLCC, a world-class aquarium in the middle of the KL city in Week 5. The cool thing about AquariaKLCC is doing a sleepover with the sharks. Yes, literally—Sleep with Sharks. So, we managed to keep this Sprint’s excursion costs reasonable and exciting.

Here’s a dedicated post to the 20-hours in AquariaKLCC. I will first let the pictures, arranged in schedule do the talking. Yes, the program followed the planned schedule. And it was 95% on-time (a rarity for an event with children). Then, I will highlight a few observations about the tour and a note of support. We only promote good things :))

Schedule:

1:00 pm Lunchtime

After distributing bags and goodies, a change of t-shirt (pink for obvious safety reasons), and grouped in teams of 4-5, the Eagles were off to lunch!

A way of ice breaking. Aglio Olio and cakes to start the day.

1:30 pm Meet the Diver

A bit of perspective. But it’s hard to appreciate without trying scuba diving gear yourself.

2:00 pm Exploration Tour

Now, things started to kick off!

Entering the freshwater section
A quick briefing from Shah, one of the many in-house Marine Biologist.
Entering the tunnel of sharks, groupers, rays, and many more.
Shah and Gaia sharing a conversation about scuba diving, marine sciences, identification and more. There was plenty of staff for individual Q&A. 7 staff to 22 participants!

3:00 pm Feeding Session (Aquatheatre)

Green turtle saying hello!
Sleep with Sharks participant always gets the reserved front seats. The public holiday crowd (it’s Wesak day) is huge!
Giant Japanese spider crabs

3:30 pm Animal protection activity

Investigating smaller and bizarre marine animals. More of a breather between the previous, and next feeding sessions.

4:00 pm Red-bellied Piranha feeding session

Vicious. Don’t try this at home. Don’t keep piranhas at home!
At the touchpool, touching baby sharks.
investigating sea cucumbers

4:30 pm Asian small-clawed otter feeding show

Asian small-clawed otters. Smallest otters among the otter family. Eagles were impressed by their intelligence.

5:00 pm Animals workshop & group presentation

teamwork
Studying 5 animals: bullfrog, forest nymph, strawberry hermit crab, millipede, and a Rubia cockroach.
Presenting their learnings.

6:20 pm Dinner time

Food is rather delicious. Many had second helpings. Ironically, they served fish, and played cartoons of fish 😛
Tough Sufyan. Waiting for iftar while other participants had dinner. Few interesting conversations struck between.

7:00 pm Night Feeding: Feed Freshwater Journey

From this moment onwards, it was really a highlight. The entire aquarium is closed only for the Sleep with Sharks participant.

feeding the freshwater fishes
It was a competitive affair. Answering some quiz questions gave more fish food pellets.
Happiness is when fishes eat the pellets 😛

8:00 pm Animal Hunt (Animal Adaptation)

Back to the hall, the Eagles were given clues of marine life. They went looking and researching about them.

Guess what is this?
About piranhas
About corals
Spotting for triggerfish
Presentation of their findings

8:45 pm Experiment Time!

There were four short and simple experiments.

Simulating fat as an insulation. One hand in fat, and another without. “Oh, my left-hand feels so cold!”
Simulating smell detection based on different temperatures. Can you smell the difference between a cold, room temperature and warm cup?
Experiment 3. Investigating the color of spirulina in UV light. It turns maroon.
Experiment 4. Investigating the color of scorpion in UV light. It turns green (from black-brown).

9:30 pm Sea turtle game/ Prize ceremony

During the tour, participants were given questions. The top scorers got prizes!

Award and prizes
Saying goodbyes to the non-overnight group.

10:00 pm Set up sleeping bed @ Light off

Honestly, there was too much excitement vs. sleeping.

Yes, it’s the same green turtle in the photo earlier.

Few participants slept very late. According to some trusted sources, some still chit-chat until 2:00 am. It’s hard to keep such excitement. Imagine a Star Wars fan watched Star Wars: Episode IX premiere with his best friends on a slumber party. There will be non-stop of Skywalkers and Jedi chat. So, we just let it be.

6:45 am Rise & Shine

Friendly staff helped the participants pack up and get ready. Even the 2:00am sleepers woke up ready to roll!

7:15 am Morning Exercise

Stretching and fresh air are absolutely necessary, after being in the aquarium for 17 hours.
Photo time!

8:00 am Breakfast

Discussions and friendships.

8:45 am Morning tour, say Hello to the Aquarist!

This is another tour, and it’s still private (until 10:00am)!

otters giving high 5s
last view of the sharks

Best view to see the otters
Saying goodbye to the aquarists. They do maintenance work during the mornings.
another goodbye!

9:30 am Group photo and See you again!

Thank you for everything!

Thoughts & Highlights

“I love to see all this creatures in this alien world.”
“So many sharks!”
“The sea cucumber are the best! They are so squishy.”

It was a fun and memorable trip. Participants found the different part of the experience interesting. Many were fascinated with sharks, some admired the intelligent otters, while some love the sea cucumber (for squishy reasons). There was something for every Eagle. But what intrigued me was the Eagles behavior being in the aquarium for such extended time (20 hours).

Let’s take the touch pool for example. During the first encounter, many were afraid, you could tell from their body finger movement. By the evening, Eagles were touching sea cucumber and another sea creatures. By the next morning, they held it like it’s a plastic toy. They could investigate all the features. The engagement level increased as they became familiar.

The activities were intense, and there was hardly any downtime (besides meal times). There was time for reflection and investigation, usually planned between aquarium visits. The team adapted to our mixed-age groups; their usual tour group was often same age/grade. A special thanks to the Education team for putting a well-thought program together.

A Note to the Public

When I met the team from AquariaKLCC, they asked how many adults will join the program. I said: one or if possible, zero. They responded positively. I thought: that’s odd. Most programs want adult supervision. But they were less keen. I asked why. Unfortunately, they had experiences of “caretaker” adults interrupting their programs. The aquarium requires specific background knowledge and experience to navigate around. The safety protocols and what is permissible are unique for the aquarium. They encouraged minimal adult involvement during the Sleep with Sharks program. I decided that there will be no ActonKL staff as chaperones.

Few ActonKL parents did not feel safe. So, I joined the day and observed. They were well-equipped. They had two Marine Scientists, and five chaperones for 22 participants. Six ladies & a gentleman, and all of them stayed overnight. I was impressed at both the level of organization and attention. Every activity proceeded on-time. They were clearly organized. The staff was warm and caring. All the chaperones remembered the participants’ names. They attended to the children’s needs. They helped roll participants’ sleeping bags. They ensured their belongings were in place. One even went to the pharmacy to get specific medicine for an unwell Eagle.

To me, it was too attentive, which contrasted to Acton Academy’s encouragement of independence and self-agency. But I understood why. It is a new environment for all the participants. Moreover, AquariaKLCC had to cater for a diverse, broad market.

It was through the visit that I fully appreciated the staff’s comments on adults interrupting their programs. I could imagine why. Here’s an image of possibilities. He teaches the children from the exhibition boards, without natural curiosity. He projects his own fears. He plays safe and restricts certain permissible activities (based on his judgment). He chats with the staff—they are young, friendly & not married. The staff would be babysitting an adult, rather than doing their primary job—serving the children and the awesome aquarium experience.

So, here’s what I learned: trust AquariaKLCC. Trust that their 10+ years of experience triumph our visitor’s view. Trust that this is a professionally operated organization, with protocols that outstrip any classrooms. Let the children be: discover, learn and experience.

Side Note

You might find the $191 price tag high. Three hot meals, a bag that includes a t-shirt and various goodies, and an engaging program with a high level of attention over 12 hours is value for money. Sleeping and a private tour in the aquarium, with your best friends—that’s priceless.

This program can be overwhelming. A suggestion is to spend a few weeks prior, with some learnings about Marine Biology. I highly recommend The Blue Planet series.

I know, as a parent, it’s nice to sleep in an aquarium as a family. I (a father with a 1.5 yo) want to do the same, and look forward to such possibilities.

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