Visiting Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium: From Coral Reefs to Whale Sharks
Located on the tropical island of Okinawa on the Motobu Peninsula is Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium. Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium is the most well known aquarium in Japan and is considered to be one of the largest aquariums in the world. With its stunning exhibits, this aquarium is home to the Kuroshio Tank which houses a massive whale shark, manta rays, and several large fish species. When visiting Okinawa, visitors flock to the Churaumi Aquarium to see the giant whale shark peacefully swimming around their giant tank. From various shark species to local coral from the Okinawan Islands and countless species of fish, every exhibit here offers spectacular views of the beautiful marine wildlife that surrounds Okinawa and our expansive oceans.
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Hours
The Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium opens daily from 8:30 to 18:30 (October – February) and 8:30 to 20:00 (March – September).
Entrance Fee
Adults – ¥2,180
High School Students – ¥1,440
Elementary and Junior High School Students – ¥710
Children 6 and Under – Free
For more information regarding times and prices, I recommend visiting the Churaumi Aquarium’s website.
Parking at Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium is free at the aquarium.
There is a massive parking garage and open parking lots around Kaiyohaku Park.
The aquarium is scattered throughout 4 floors and was the biggest aquarium in the world until it was surpassed by the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, GA. I did read that the Chimelong Ocean Kingdom Theme Park in China is bigger as is the S.E.A. Aquarium in Singapore.
Tanks and Exhibits Throughout the Aquarium
The Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium stood out to me because many of the tanks were exhibits of local marine wildlife off the shores of Okinawa.
The first display at the aquarium was a hands on aquarium, where people can touch the star fish and other critters. I am sure the starfish love getting grabbed by thousands of people each day.
After passing the tidal pool there are several large tanks showcasing coral and fish species. Some of the larger tanks up front had decent sized groupers and fugu which is the Japanese name for blowfish.
Like most aquariums, there were hallways full of smaller tanks with unique species and jellyfish. We kind of winded our way through the crowded halls until we reached the Kuroshio Sea Tank.
Kuroshio Sea Tank
The main tank at the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, is home to two Whale Sharks (Sadly, one passed away since I wrote this) and a large number of Manta Rays.
Whale Sharks are the largest fish species on the planet. Male whale sharks average about 8 to 10 meters in length and can weigh around 15 tons. Although these sharks are massive in size, they are relatively slow swimmers and are pretty harmless. The whale shark is a filter feeder, feeding primarily on plankton and other tiny organisms floating in the water.
There is a café/restaurant here where you can dine and watch the sharks swim by you, pretty cool!
Jill and I were both wondering how thick the glass was between us and the whale sharks. Turns out there was a display there showing us the thickness and it’s around 60 centimeters or 2 feet thick. By the way, the tank is 7,500,000 liters, so pretty big. But I guess it has to be if it is home to the largest fish in the world.
Shark Research Lab
Right by the Kuroshio Sea Tank, there was a room and tank dedicated to sharks. This area was the Shark Research Lab. This room had a large tank with several different species of sharks. The sharks were on the smaller side. A few years ago they tried introducing a Great White Shark at the aquarium but unfortunately it died a few days later, people were not happy about this!
Now they have smaller shark species that are capable of adapting to the aquarium lifestyle! Apart from the shark tank, there are several TV’s with videos on sharks and many descriptions around the room regarding sharks to include detailed information about the Whale Sharks.
Main Rest House (Churaumi Plaza)
After starring at Whale Sharks for an hour at the Kuroshio Sea Tank, we meandered through the aquarium viewing fish from the bottom depths of the ocean. Afterwards we then ended up in a gigantic room called the Churaumi Plaza, showcasing displays of odd and unique species from the area. Unique species included a preserved body of the basking shark, great white shark, and megamouth shark.
To me, this area felt more like a museum then aquarium. But you go to the aquarium to obviously look at fish but also to learn about marine wildlife and their habitats. So I enjoyed combing through displays full of information here and learning about all the marine life in the Okinawa area.
Outside Aquariums at Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium
After browsing the Churaumi Plaza we found ourselves leaving the aquarium and heading outside. From here they have more aquatic tanks with animals to include manatees, sea turtles, and dolphins.
I felt the manatee tanks were pretty sad and boring. I hope they had more to their tanks then what were shown.
Regarding the dolphins, they have two types here the common bottlenose dolphin and one I never heard of called the False Killer Whale (according to Wikipedia). Dolphins are extremely intelligent. In fact, they had a dolphin brain on display at the aquarium and it looked like a human brain. Apparently the false killer whales adapt nicely to being in captivity but I am still not a fan of seeing them in captivity. Yeah, it is neat to see how smart they are and how acrobatic they can be, but I feel they would be much happier swimming in the ocean with their friends. But I guess you can say that for all animals both in aquariums and in zoos.
I do feel sorry for animals in captivity, I can’t help but think that obviously most animals would be happier in the wild. I know in the wild, whale sharks travel thousands of miles every year and yet the ones here swim in circles year after year. I can’t help but feel sorry for them but at the same time I do think it is important for us to research various species to better understand them to hopefully protect them. As long as they are cared for and fed, I hope they are happy.
I know that the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium does a lot of scientific research to better understand all these amazing creatures.
Conclusion
A visit to Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium offers an incredible experience to get up close and personal to the beautiful marine wildlife found around Okinawa and our oceans. From viewing the massive whale shark and manta rays in the Kuroshio Sea Tank to seeing the vibrantly beautiful coral reef collections at the coral reef gallery this aquarium is well suited to all visitors of all ages. Whether you are into marine wildlife or looking for an indoor place to spend the day, Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium is a must when visiting Okinawa.
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