Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium
Encyclopedia
The , located within the Ocean Expo Commemorative National Government Park in Okinawa, Japan. It welcomed its 20 millionth visitor on 30 March 2010 and is a member of the Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums
(JAZA).
or World's Fair was held in Okinawa, Japan at the Ocean Expo Park. Afterward, the park began to lose tourism and it was believed that a new aquarium would help revive the area and celebrate Okinawa's Marine tradition. The aquarium was designed by Yukifusa Kokuba and was opened on 1 November 2002.
"Churaumi" was selected as the name of the aquarium by public vote amongst Japanese people. "Chura" means "beautiful" or "graceful" in the Okinawan dialect, and "umi" means "ocean".
The aquarium
is a part of the Ocean Expo Commemorative National Government Park located in Motobu, Okinawa
. The aquarium is made up of four floors, with tanks containing deep sea creatures, sharks, coral and tropical fish. The aquarium is set on 19,000 m² of land, with a total of 77 tanks containing 10,000 m³ of water. Water for the saltwater
exhibits is pumped into the aquarium from a source 350m offshore, 24 hours a day.
The main tank, called the Kuroshio Sea, holds 7500 cubic metre of water and features an acrylic glass
panel measuring 8.2 by with a thickness of 60 centimetres (24 in), the largest such panel in the world when the aquarium was opened. Whale shark
s and manta ray
s are kept alongside many other fish species in the main tank. The first manta ray
birth at the aquarium was in 2007. As of July 2010, there have been a total of four manta rays born in the aquarium.
The aquarium holds 80 species of coral
. It is one of only a few aquariums that keeps whale shark
s in captivity, and is currently trying to breed them.
shows in which you can touch them and watch them perform in a show. There is also a manatee
exhibit featuring manatees presented to the aquarium by the Mexican government. A recently closed exhibit featured assorted shark
s. There is also Emerald Beach which is accessible by the 200 Yen Tram.
Ocean Expo Park which holds the aquarium also has a selection of other activities. A native Okinawan Museum, Oceanic Culture Museum, Tropical Dream Center, Shurijo Castle Park, and a Tropical & Subtropical Arboretum
to a historic village.
Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums
The Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums is an organisation for the Japanese zoo and aquarium community. Currently, JAZA has about 90 member zoos and 70 member aquariums in Japan. JAZA seeks to protect nature and animals through educational and conservation outreach.-History:JAZA was...
(JAZA).
History
In 1975, the World's ExpositionExpo '75
Expo '75 was a World's Fair held on the island of Okinawa in Japan from July 20, 1975 to January 18, 1976.-History :...
or World's Fair was held in Okinawa, Japan at the Ocean Expo Park. Afterward, the park began to lose tourism and it was believed that a new aquarium would help revive the area and celebrate Okinawa's Marine tradition. The aquarium was designed by Yukifusa Kokuba and was opened on 1 November 2002.
"Churaumi" was selected as the name of the aquarium by public vote amongst Japanese people. "Chura" means "beautiful" or "graceful" in the Okinawan dialect, and "umi" means "ocean".
Aquarium
Aquarium
An aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants...
is a part of the Ocean Expo Commemorative National Government Park located in Motobu, Okinawa
Motobu, Okinawa
is a town located in Kunigami District, Okinawa, Japan.As of 2003, the town has an estimated population of 14,481 and a density of 266.69 persons per km²...
. The aquarium is made up of four floors, with tanks containing deep sea creatures, sharks, coral and tropical fish. The aquarium is set on 19,000 m² of land, with a total of 77 tanks containing 10,000 m³ of water. Water for the saltwater
Seawater
Seawater is water from a sea or ocean. On average, seawater in the world's oceans has a salinity of about 3.5% . This means that every kilogram of seawater has approximately of dissolved salts . The average density of seawater at the ocean surface is 1.025 g/ml...
exhibits is pumped into the aquarium from a source 350m offshore, 24 hours a day.
The main tank, called the Kuroshio Sea, holds 7500 cubic metre of water and features an acrylic glass
Acrylic glass
Poly is a transparent thermoplastic, often used as a light or shatter-resistant alternative to glass. It is sometimes called acrylic glass. Chemically, it is the synthetic polymer of methyl methacrylate...
panel measuring 8.2 by with a thickness of 60 centimetres (24 in), the largest such panel in the world when the aquarium was opened. Whale shark
Whale shark
The whale shark, Rhincodon typus, is a slow-moving filter feeding shark, the largest extant fish species. The largest confirmed individual had a length of and a weight of more than , but unconfirmed claims report considerably larger whale sharks...
s and manta ray
Manta ray
The manta ray is the largest species of the rays. The largest known specimen was more than across, with a weight of about . It ranges throughout waters of the world, typically around coral reefs...
s are kept alongside many other fish species in the main tank. The first manta ray
Manta ray
The manta ray is the largest species of the rays. The largest known specimen was more than across, with a weight of about . It ranges throughout waters of the world, typically around coral reefs...
birth at the aquarium was in 2007. As of July 2010, there have been a total of four manta rays born in the aquarium.
The aquarium holds 80 species of coral
Coral
Corals are marine animals in class Anthozoa of phylum Cnidaria typically living in compact colonies of many identical individual "polyps". The group includes the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton.A coral "head" is a colony of...
. It is one of only a few aquariums that keeps whale shark
Whale shark
The whale shark, Rhincodon typus, is a slow-moving filter feeding shark, the largest extant fish species. The largest confirmed individual had a length of and a weight of more than , but unconfirmed claims report considerably larger whale sharks...
s in captivity, and is currently trying to breed them.
Other activities
Close to the Aquarium there are two different dolphinDolphin
Dolphins are marine mammals that are closely related to whales and porpoises. There are almost forty species of dolphin in 17 genera. They vary in size from and , up to and . They are found worldwide, mostly in the shallower seas of the continental shelves, and are carnivores, mostly eating...
shows in which you can touch them and watch them perform in a show. There is also a manatee
Manatee
Manatees are large, fully aquatic, mostly herbivorous marine mammals sometimes known as sea cows...
exhibit featuring manatees presented to the aquarium by the Mexican government. A recently closed exhibit featured assorted shark
Shark
Sharks are a type of fish with a full cartilaginous skeleton and a highly streamlined body. The earliest known sharks date from more than 420 million years ago....
s. There is also Emerald Beach which is accessible by the 200 Yen Tram.
Ocean Expo Park which holds the aquarium also has a selection of other activities. A native Okinawan Museum, Oceanic Culture Museum, Tropical Dream Center, Shurijo Castle Park, and a Tropical & Subtropical Arboretum
Tropical & Subtropical Arboretum
The is a arboretum and botanical garden located in the southern tip of the Okinawa Commemorative National Government Park at Ishikawa 424, Motobu-cho, Kunigami-gun, Okinawa, Japan...
to a historic village.