So long and thanks for all the fish: Underwater World Singapore to close

UNDERWATER World Singapore (UWS) will shutter its doors with its last day being June 26, after 25 years of operation, it said on Monday.

UWS is a wholly owned subsidiary of Haw Par Corporation. In a filing to the Singapore Exchange, Haw Par said that UWS's closure is not expected to be material to the group's earnings or net asset per share for the financial year ending Dec 31, 2016.

"With the expiry of the lease at Sentosa in less than two years, UWS will have to vacate the facility and cease operations," UWS said.

Its pink dolphins, fur seals and otters will find a new home at Chimelong Ocean Kingdom (COK) in Zhuhai, China.

"Although UWS' lease is not ending yet, ensuring that our Cites animals have a good home to relocate to is our responsibility and we decided to facilitate their transfer to COK and to cease operations earlier," it said.

Cites stands for "Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora".

"The transfer of the UWS Cites animals to COK was approved by the authorities in Singapore and China and the animals were relocated last week," UWS added.

The oceanarium will mark its final month by providing free admission to beneficiaries from charity partners it had worked with in the past, it said.

For members of the public, tickets will also be priced at a retro S$9 per adult and S$5 per child - the admission prices from when it first opened in 1991 - starting from Tuesday at UWS's ticketing counter. The usual admission rates had been S$29.90 per adult and S$20.60 per child.