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Ocean Park expected to fold
Visitors to Ocean Park enjoying the sight of freshwater fish in this pond.
Published on: 8/13/2009.
OCEAN PARK has run out of money, and needs an injection of funds if it is to have a future.
August 30 has already been identified as the final day of operations for the park, pending the results of meetings between shareholders, loan entities, and local and international investors.
Thirty employees are likely to be affected by the closure, while 12 sharks and stingrays will be shipped to the National Maritime Aquarium in Plymouth, England.
These animals will be placed in special containers and transported via a rented plane to their new home next month.
General manager Tracy Johnson said yesterday the remaining animals, which included freshwater fish, birds and iguanas, would be cared for until a decision was made about where they would be kept.
The closure may also have an impact on the location of next year's staging of De Big Show, which was held at Ocean Park for the last two seasons. When contacted earlier this week, De Big Show management did not elaborate on the situation, but promised to be back next year.
In an interview with the DAILY NATION, Johnson explained that the park just did not have the money to continue operating and stressed that a speedy decision on its future was needed.
"Once the hurdles have been overcome, the future will look different," she said. However, she noted that if the facility was placed for sale, then anything could happen.
She explained that there were plans on the table to move away from keeping saltwater fish and include more freshwater fish and other animals.
In an effort to vastly reduce operating costs, Johnson said other animals, such as birds, were introduced to the park.
But, she added: "We have run out of funds needed to push forward to a sustainable position."
She explained that operating the park was very expensive, with varying electricity charges, and operating costs that could range from $200 000 to $300 000 per month.
Those operating costs would cover a variety of areas, including purchase of food for animals, maintenance of marine life and staff wages.
Johnson said the situation was a very difficult one for those at the park.
"We are so close, yet so far," she said.
The Ocean Park Marine Aquarium opened in June 2005. (JRB)
42 comment found!
Great for children and adults alike! : 11/7/2009
My daughter was amazed and dazzled at the beautiful aquariums and fish...what a perfect idea for a beautiful island like Barbados...to keep families coming! Relocate Ocean Park and plan properly for its bright future...This will enhance Barbados Tourism big time! Canadian Travel Agent, LM
Ocean Park!! : 8/20/2009
You cannot expect Ocean Park to remain open if non-Bajans do not know about it, and it is unattractive for locals. We know Bim is a tourist oriented place, so it must make sure tourist are aware of its attractions/facilities, which it failed to do in terms of OP. OP was always a half-hearted attempted at a marine attraction – out of the way, nothing really new, poor facilities etc. As well as being attractive to tourist, it needs to be somewhere locals want to continue to go. It should be proper water park (i.e. Kool Runnings in JA) with pools & slides, as well as having a marine life enclosure / zoo environment – a place to go with the family on weekends, for birthdays, school outings etc, big and attractive to tourist and locals alike. Not some out of the way place that is not sure what it is, or who it’s really for. Now it just looks like another attempted at a tourist attraction, failed by poor / inappropriate management.
Ocean Park : 8/20/2009
Well having been to Ocean Park for the few years it was opened it actually does not surprise me in the least. The idea is great but truly wishful thinking for something like that here in Barbados. First the service is next to NON-EXISTANT, and to get one entrance fee you have to pay extra for this and that and oh don't forget the other as well. You are told ONE price but by the time you arrive .. the price is something totally different! I think the overall managing of the place definately needs a complete "overhaul".
Boom Box OP : 8/20/2009
Maybe myself and the thousands of people around this area can enjoy a bit of peace,as of lately this Ocean Park has been the location of many a fete with extremely loud music, than is deafening up to 2 miles away in the leeward direction. A call to a couple of police stations recently at 3 am in the morning, got me a reply from the PC on duty,"I suppose that we will have to send some one around there." The loud music and banter carried on until minutes to 6 am. Excessive noise is a form of terrorism.
OCEAN PARK : 8/19/2009
I sorry to see this happen to Ocean park but why would a celebrity or wealthy person put money in a business that's taking on so much debt? These people are smart that's why most of them managed to accumulate wealth. we need a good solution in order to save this place if not 'One Voice' maybe right on this one. Sad but true. PB
: 8/19/2009
Harrison's Cave is closed for repairs which is a prominent tourist attraction, now this is going to be closed Aug 30th. what are you going to do when you visit Barbados? as suggested by one writer can't a celebrity not put some money into it along with a few rich folks that live there instead of investing in all luxury homes. make it accessible by having group tours, bus transportation from the north and west of the island....have some street signs erected and a billboard advertising/promoting the park...don't tell me there is no money for this. Where are the marketing people in Bim who should have been jumping at the opportunity? all said, bajans need to visit and appreciate what they have at home instead of reading or hearing about it in the newspapers or from a visitor. bajan in TO
In Response to Baje in US : 8/18/2009
Baje in US, based on your reply I take it you don't get out much! Here are the facts; if you are going to invest money to erect such a facility you don't place it out of reach of the very people that will patronize it. Although Bajans will do their part and visit Ocean Park they alone cannot sustain it. A facility such as this has to be out in plain sight of visitors, billed as another great attraction in Barbados not the inconspicuous establishment it currently is hidden between cane fields. I am fully aware that the cost of coastal land in Barbados and every where else for that matter is expensive but it does not stop hoteliers from continuously purchasing and building does it? If you are going to invest in any business first rule is to do the necessary research which was not done in this case hence the situation Ocean Park now finds itself. And what great solution would you propose to bail them out? Government intervention?!! They have no money!!!The harsh reality is that Barbados is falling behind in the competition for tourism dollars and it's in part because of systemic backward thinking like yours! If you wish to remain competitive you must be fully aware of what you are competing against. Ocean Park was an expensive sub-par enterprise from the start. I recommend that if you cannot visit in person then go online and visit Coral World in the USVI and Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas just to get an idea of what's out there. This is the reality of what we are competing against and what made these facilities successful for years now is the fact that they were strategically placed ADJACENT TO THE SEA and near hotels WHERE THEY BELONG! As I stated before Ocean Park was a good idea with poor planning! Let it fail and hopefully an entrepreneur with foresight will establish a better, more accessible attraction that Barbados can be proud of!
: 8/18/2009
SAVE THE OCEAN PARK.... UWI (cavehill) student
In response to 'One Voice" : 8/18/2009
In case you have not noticed, coastal land in Barbados is scarce and very expensive. I am pretty sure there is no stretch of land on or adjacent to the coast that one could locate an ocean park.
Poor Planning : 8/17/2009
I enjoyed my visit to ocean park. To me it was a great effort. I would be sadden to see it close after only being around for less than five years. For an attraction to fold in under five years of exisitence due to high electricity charges makes me wonder if they had done their home work before opening the park. Yes we know that things are slow but they are complaining about the high electricity cost at a time when the fuel cost is lower. Granted, even with the reduce fuel cost we did not see much of a reduction in the elecrictiy bills. What if Ocean park was conceptualized to be an eco-friendly park. Instead of relying heavily of electricity from Bl&P maybe it could have considered solar and wind energy. This would considerably reduce the operating expenses. It would also be another marketing strategy. One would argue that setting up these renewable energy sources are expensive. However, I can't see it being much of a burden since they pumped $20M into the business. For the company to cloase in less than five years they obviously pumped it down a drain. I also agree with the other writer, a facility such as Ocean Park should be close to the Ocean. Another venture which they can consider as a spin off to Ocean Park is fish farming. Government has made provision for this in the budget of 2008 or 2009. Maybe the management of Ocean Park should consider this as an additional source of revenue. Why is it that they always look to close and never to sell the business or find new partners. Maybe what Ocean Park really needs is proper management.
Ocean Park : 8/16/2009
I am a Bajan living in Unitd States and I saw the park for the first time last year. My children and I enjoyed our vist to the there. I am sad to see it go but I agree the location was not ideal. Unless you have heard about the park, you would not know it existed because there is little or no street signs referring to it.
If nobody comes forward you know what happens? : 8/16/2009
No doubt it'll become condos and expensive housing.
Ocean Park: Good Idea Poor Planning : 8/15/2009
As a tourist destination Barbados has once again missed the mark! Ocean Park was a good idea with shortsighted planning. Location is everything! So why would government go along with a plan to place Ocean Park at its current inland location surrounded by sugarcane fields? Did they really expect tourists to commute to the middle of nowhere just to get a glimpse of marine life? The setting, access and ambiance is all wrong. OCEAN PARK SHOULD BE ADJACENT TO THE BEACH AND OCEAN. How do you get simple logistics like this so wrong? Has anyone from the Barbados Tourism Authority ever visited other Caribbean destinations (like the Bahamas and U.S. Virgin Islands) to observe how they run similar facilities? Perhaps they should and perhaps its time they hire outside planning and tourism experts to guide Barbados in improving its overall tourism product.
: 8/15/2009
In all seriousness, while I do like ocean park, I actually don't like it for the marine park side of things. Sharks and those animals I can see by taking a boat ride. I must admit some of the newer fish such as the piranha are more of the things I would go to see but most of them are things I can see otherwise. It's certainly not like the aquariums that tourists can see in their own countries(I've been to them) and compared to them, the one in barbados is poor by comparison. There isn't the space to expand to those levels and there is only so much animals you can bring up and still run a viable attraction. I bet the main revenue they get is from the minigolf course. Its a great family venue for that one reason. It's good for dates for those who don't go clubbing;good for church socials, events etc. I have never really figured out why ocean park was created in teh first place. For those who don't know it used to be minigolf and a driving range. I think creating a marine park in some place that does not have the space for expansion, has a high cost of living and thus cost of running along with many other obstacles, is/was a trifle ambitious. I thought that they would have expanded on the gaming theme and perhaps introduce bowling, rollerskate rink etc etc. I think that may have been more viable in a place like Barbados. There are so many young people out there who are looking for alternatives to clubbing, simply eating out or the same old pool and darts. Look at Kendal Sporting and their paintball venture. That pulls a fair amount of young people. Ocean Park was cool while it lasted, but that is the nature of the game. Not all businesses succeed, and while it was a tourist attraction, it also was a business. I do admit it is sad that this type of attraction should close so soon after the Bird Sanctuary. But as I said before you lose some you win some in business. That is just the nature of the game.
Re: Ego-Ottawa. : 8/15/2009
I too thought briefly about the Government taking it over. The problem is, I'm not even aware of them providing financial statements on the costs associated with the Gems of Barbados ( http://www.gemsbarbados.com/ ) which was in red-ink for a number of years. The other situation is the Barbados Government is taking on debt a bit way too fast. The budget want balancing so they can take some of the pressure from off the small man and women down the line. In some of the other islands politicians were taking pay cuts. Like Jamaica.... http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20090406/lead/lead1.html You think anybody about here so could hear something like that from those in-charge here?
Ocean Park : 8/15/2009
It is really sad to see it close. However, the truth is that they had a bad business plan from the start. For years they have been trying to keep the doors open by puting money and trying things that just did not work. It is hard for the workers, but the Government can't be expected the just dish out money...there is no "money tree" at the PM office,we will have to pay for that in the end.... and then we ask why are we paying so much taxes.
Save Ocean Park : 8/14/2009
A year long Save Ocean Park campaign please.
Ocean Park : 8/14/2009
This breaks my heart, I was on the Island and had lunch at the park on Sunday. This is something tat the Govt. should try to take over or subsidize. I reallt enjoyed my vist. Hurry up and do somrthing. Ego-Ottawa.
Save De Park!! : 8/14/2009
I visited the park last year and booked my wedding reception for April 2010. I couldnt wait to get on that Plane from England and see the park again - Im Devestated!! Its an amazing place I hope someone will rescue this wonderful Venue. It has so much to offer but I echo previous sentiments - the Residents must also use this facility to ensure that it stays open. I really hope that some one will save this Park and I still hope to visit it in April when I come over to get married.
Close down Ocean Park : 8/14/2009
We have some wonderful and natual tourist attractions all over Barbados. Did we really need Ocean Park? It doesn't even cater to persons in the north.. simply too far. What about the tourists on the West coast. Ocean Park was not appealing to most of its target market.
hope something is done 2 save this : 8/14/2009
I hope that someone somewhere will see the need to save this site and fast
Ocean Park : 8/14/2009
Over the past 10 years i hve visited barbados from the Uk 9 times. My daughter had her wedding reception booked at Ocean Park for April 2010 and now this is cancelled. As tourists, on every vist to Barbados we have used all the attractions including Tiami catamarans (Many Times), bajan helicopters, Submarine, and always do at elast 2 attractions during each visit, and normally there are either 6 or 8 of us travel. It cannot be relied upon the tourists only using these attractions, the locals must visit them year round to keep them viable. This should be advertised in the UK that they are looking for a buyer, im sure there is a business person or celebrity out there who has bought houses on the island that may want to support Ocean park
: 8/13/2009
Thats unfortunate, i havent even been to it as yet althought i used to go and play golf when it was officially a golf course. I guess i'll have to make that effort now within these next two weeks!
Ocean Park : 8/13/2009
The government cannot simply do everything that is wanted,needed and required on this island. It is high time that private entities step up and help in some situations, many of whom profit from said tourism.
Bail out : 8/13/2009
What a pity. This place is simply beautiful, even therapeutic. I do hope something happens quickly to save it. I agree with you Balgobin 7. The same way they bail out CLICO,why not assist a tourism drawing entity like this one. Retired CS
Ocean park : 8/13/2009
Times are getting harder each day in Barbados, but to keep closing all of these tourist attractions is not going to be good for the country. The tourist don't only want to see sand, sea and skies. They come looking for other attractions. It broke my heart to hear about the fate of Graeme Hall and now this. Can't the Government advertise these venues abroad to find a wealthy person to run them, etc.
what $$ : 8/13/2009
How can u expect the gov't to inject funds into a private company just to keep it afloat. these are hard times & it is unfortunate, but gov't injection is not favoured. what if a few leisure boats & safaris decided they need $$ too. It's sad, but it's a reality in today's economic climate. We can't use taxpayer's funds to prop up a failing business. I personally am disappointed b/c i wanted to go there in oct. - There is hope, maybe some rich person chillin on de west coast may read de nation and buy it. -Bajan Canadian
Shame! : 8/13/2009
Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary and now Ocean Park. What's next? The Wildlife Reserve?
Dissapointed : 8/13/2009
This is just another Graeme hall situation.... With less politics involved. WHY ON EARTH does the Government of Barbados say that they are trying to push the tourism sector and then allow places like Ocean Park and Graeme Hall Die out??? And would rather build horrible Boardwalks down the beaches (for those of you who didn't know there's one planned for Holetown too) Millions of dollars used to cover up our beaches with concrete, that could be used to keep places like these open. With the sugar industry failing (because all lands are slowly being developed) and gems like these disappearing soon Barbados' Pride and Industry will be no more...
: 8/13/2009
Ocean Park should be kept open, after Grame Hall Swamp close last year.This park was good not only for tourist, but the youth on the Island. It is something different. You can only go to the beach so many times. Home many more places for the people of the island will close. Bajan you need to visit these sight and support the venue.
Ocean Park expected to fold : 8/13/2009
Private investors must come up with good sustainable business plans for business ventures that they seek to develop. Government cannot be held responsible or these projects that fail.Neither can they be a piggy bank for failed projects like the above.
what a mess : 8/13/2009
Tourism is Barbados life line.The Goverment of Barbados need to take a look at what hapenning with all the tourist attractions closing down,soon the Airport will close if this trend continue.
How Sad : 8/13/2009
The goverment need to to partner with all the tourist related features in Barbados in terms of trying to get all the companies in the tourist industry to come up with a long term plan to really revive the ailing industry which is been grind by the high cost to the visitor,low the cost of doing business across the board or you will eventually fail like ocean park and many others.
Ocean Park : 8/13/2009
I am an expatriate Bajan,and have very greatly enjoyed your facility with many of my friends visiting this island.I find it rather disturbing that a facility as important as this is not subsidised by the government.at my age,I was still able to learn from the experience of visiting the park.It has been very educational to old and young,and should be saved.I hope that some compromise can be reached and have this important piece of our environment saved,so that our youth can enjoy this (receding) part of our culture.
: 8/13/2009
I was there in May and I totally enjoyed it there! It would be a pity for it to close. Come on work something out please!
Keep Ocean Park Open : 8/13/2009
It would be a shame for Ocean Park to close. My husband and I visited there with our nieces a few months ago and had a blast. Barbados needs attractions like this. I hope it all works out. Paris
ocean park : 8/13/2009
funds should come from the leisure or cultural organisations as it is a tourist attraction, it would be a shame to lose out after all the hard work up to now.
Tourism not so priceless ! : 8/13/2009
Why should this Government fund the only "ocean marine aquarium" in Barbados? It's not owned by Leroy Parris or CLICO !
Closing of ocean park : 8/13/2009
Smart move,Let an educational and money maker die on the vine due to the lack of vision, fund pork barrel constituency counsels, salaries, offices, and pet projects for those politically connected.sad
water : 8/13/2009
why would Barbados need a water park. just go in the sea. hello?anyone there?
UK : 8/13/2009
I've heard such great things about this place and was looking forward to visiting when I come to 'Bimshire' in September. Such a shame
: 8/13/2009
Why can't these places like Ocean Park and other tourist attractions get funding from the Government. It is a shame to see places like that close. Visitor
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