http://oki-churaumi.jp/en/guide/haisai.html The Impressive Experience of Churaumi The Mysteries of Okinawa in Living Color Okinawa's wealth of nature, history and culture can be experienced at Ocean Expo Park, a place where you can even play with dolphins. Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium is one of many popular attractions at Ocean Expo Park.

At the Aquarium, an intriguing world of marine life found in Okinawa is spread out before you. A sea of coral dazzled with sunlight exhibits over 800 different coral colonies. With its enormous capacity, a gigantic tank called The Kuroshio Sea Tank the largest fish in the world, the whale shark, and the world's first successfully bred-in-captivity manta can also be seen. Moreover, you can experience the sea of Okinawa when you journey into the deep sea attraction, which recreates Okinawa's mystery-enshrouded deep sea.

We hope to see you soon at Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, where new encounters and discoveries await each time you visit! Overview of Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium PictureThe marine life of Kuroshio is displayed through the large acrylic window A kaleidoscopic variety of fish swim in a large tank, including the 8.5 meter whale shark and a manta ray with the world's record for longevity in captivity. The large acrylic window through which this impressive scene is displayed measures 8.2m in height, 22.5m in width, and is 60cm thick. Picture World's first! Multiple whale sharks in captivity Up until now, captive reproduction of whale sharks has been fraught with difficulties. However, at Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, multiple captivity will be undertaken in the world class aquarium tank, aimed at captive reproduction of the whale shark species. The whale shark is a species that still poses us many questions. Here at Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium we have taken up the challenge to be the first to unravel these mysteries. * Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium has endeavored to raise multiple whale sharks since 1985, when it was then known as Okinawa Commemorative National Government Park Aquarium (first opened in 1975). Picture One of the largest ray! We are the first to breed multiple manta rays in captivity! Manta rays swim with ease in the beautiful seas of Okinawa. Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium was the first to succeed in keeping multiple individual of manta rays and increasing their numbers after the successful reproductions in the tank. After a manta ray is born, it is immediately moved to a Seapen (net cage) where it is raised and then later returned to the Kuroshio Tank where it can be seen swimming with its parents. Our record for longest time preserved in captivity still stands. Currently, six manta rays can be seen circling around in our Aquarium. The large tank and system for supplying continuous fresh sea water. Picture A recreation of the Sea of Okinawa through large-scale reproduction coral The Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium introduces an open system in which sea water that is scooped from the ocean enters the aquarium tanks and then is returned to the ocean once again. The Coral Sea exhibit showcases the beauty of the seas of Okinawa with 800 different coral colonies representing 70 different species of coral. The large 300m³ tank has no roof, allowing natural sunlight to flood inside. Most of the coral has been cultivated for over eight years. Fish that naturally inhabit coral reef swim excitedly in and out of our coral reef, playing an important role in controlling seaweed and zoanthids which inhibit the growth of coral. Picture We've recreated unknown species from the deep sea of Okinawa! The deep sea contains mysteries as deep as the Universe. Did you know that there are many mysterious forms of life living on the beautiful ocean floor that surrounds Okinawa? In this corner, we introduce the marine life that inhabits the deep sea 100-700 meters below the ocean's surface. In addition to rare marine life that is difficult to breed in captivity, such as the Ruby Snapper, Blacksail Snake Mackerel, and luminous shrimp, you can also enjoy an explanation through images and panels of the deep sea environment and the marine life. About this Exhibit Picture Three factors contribute to the rich natural habit for marine life here in our Okinawa seas: (1) the enormous warm Kuroshio lack Current, (2) living coral reefs; and 3) the two deep sea areas located on each side of the Ryukyu Island. A variety of the world's most rare creatures can be found in our mystical seas. At Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, we have been recreated these seas in all their natural beauty down to a depth around of 1,000 meters, paying close attention to factors such as light as well as the quality and clarity of the water. The exhibits here at our Aquarium have been designed to allow visitors to start at the beach and gradually voyage down into the deep sea world, as if taking a dive themseleves. Through these exhibits, we hope to show visitors the beauty of the sea and it's precious value. The aquarium's exhibits can be experienced in many different ways, and your experience will go far beyond simply viewing exhibits in tanks. In addition to the various lecture programs we provide, we also put on a number of special exhibitions every year so that our guests can experience a fresh and fascinating encounter with the aquarium upon every visit. What's in a Name? - The Meaning of 'Churaumi' Picture Do you know the meaning of "Chura" in Churaumi Aquarium? In the Okinawan dialect, "chura" means "beautiful". The name "Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium" was chosen from 13,897 candidate names obtained in a nationwide competition prior to the aquarium's re-opening on November 1, 2002, after the aquarium had gone through a major renovation. With so many good candidate names, the committee in charge of selecting the final name deliberated long and hard before settling on "Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium". What tipped the scales in favor of this name was its ability to evoke the essence of Okinawa, distinguishing the Aquarium from others in different prefectures, and its likeable, easy to remember name. At Churaumi, an Aquarium enveloped by the beautiful seas of Okinawa, we will always do our utmost to provide our guests with an experience to treasure and an Aquarium to fall fond of. Overview of Facilities Built Area Approx 10,000 m² Total Floor Approx 19,000 m² Building Structure Reinforced concrete, four-stories high Aquaria Volume Total water quantity 10,000 m³ The Largest Tank Kuroshio Sea (7,500 m³)(264,860 cubic feet) Number of exhibition tanks 77 Water System From a 20m deep location 300m offshore Maximum Water Intake Rate 3,000 m³/hr Water Intake Method Intake pipe Diameter of Intake Pipe 1.8m Power Supply The Aquarium complex generates its own power (2000 kW) and also uses commercially available electricity (500 kW). Filtration System Closed high-pressure filtration system Intake Water filters Eight filter units of 3.2m diameter Filter Material Polyester fiber Circulating Water Filters Sixty-two filter units of 2.8m - 3m diameter Filter Material Silicate sand Registration of Animal Handling Business Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium Applicant Ocean Exposition Commemorative Park Management Foundation / Administrative Director Place of Business Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium Location 424 Ishikawa, Motobu-cho, Kunigami-gun, Okinawa 905-0206, Japan Classification of Animal Handling Business Exhibition Registry number ????353? Registration Date May 16, 2007 Expiration Date May 15th, 2017 Person Responsible for Animal Handling Masanori Nonaka, Miyuki Nakazato, Atsushi Kaneko, Hideaki Toma, Makoto Tsukahara Ocen Expo Park Applicant Okinawa Commemorative National Government Park Office, Okinawa General Bureau, Cabinet Office / Manager Place of Business Okinawa Commemorative National Government Park (Ocean Exposition District) Location 424 Ishikawa, Motobu-cho, Kunigami-gun, Okinawa 905-0206, Japan Classification of Animal Handling Bussiness Exhibition Registry number ????643? Registration Date September 14, 2010 Expiration Date September 13, 2015 Person Responsible for Animal Handling Hideshi Teruya, Kouji Tokutake ===================== http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Churaumi_Aquarium =============== http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e7109.html Churaumi Aquarium # 7 of 21 most visited sights in Okinawa Island access - admission - ratings - tours - links Kuroshio Tank The Churaumi Aquarium is widely considered Japan's best aquarium. It is the main attraction of the Ocean Expo Park on the former grounds of the 1975 International Ocean Expo in northern Okinawa Honto. The aquarium was completely redesigned and reopened in 2002. The highlight of a visit to the Churaumi Aquarium is the massive Kuroshio Tank, one of the largest in the world. The tank takes its name from the warm Kuroshio current which plays a large part in the variety of Okinawa's of marine life. The tank contains a wide variety of species, the most striking of which are the giant whale sharks and manta rays. The world's first large scale exhibit of living coral The aquarium is spread out over three floors with the entrance on the third floor and the exit on the first floor. Directly after the entrance there is a pool where visitors can touch living starfish and seashells with their own hands. Next there is a tank with the world's first large scale exhibit of living coral. The route through the aquarium then leads past the Kuroshio Tank, where visitors will likely want to spend quite a bit of time. Feeding shows are held twice daily. Located just beside the tank is a high definition movie theater about Okinawa's marine life. An interactive area near the entrance to the aquarium Past the Kuroshio Tank there are a few more interesting tanks and displays including an area dedicated to sharks with live tiger sharks and bull sharks. Another area is dedicated to marine life in the extremely deeps waters of Okinawa and includes displays of various bioluminescent fish. In addition to the main aquarium building, there are a few outdoor pools near the waterfront where animal shows of dolphins, sea turtles and manatees can be viewed free of charge. There are only a few shows per day, so visitors might want to check show times before entering the aquarium. The Kuroshio Tank seen from below Any Questions? Ask them in our question forum. How to get there The Churaumi Aquarium is part of the Ocean Expo Park on the Motobu Peninsula in northern Okinawa Honto, about 90 kilometers from Naha. ----------------- http://okinawa-information.com/churaumi-aquarium-okinawa-japan ---------------- http://www.flixxy.com/okinawa-churaumi-aquarium.htm (video) ============== http://www.damncoolpictures.com/2007/02/okinawa-churaumi-aquarium-in-japan.html (LOTS of pictures) The Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium is the world's second largest aquarium and part of the Ocean Expo Park located in Okinawa, Japan. The main tank holds 7,500-cubic meters of water and features the world's largest acrylic glass panel, measuring 8.2 meters by 22.5 meters with a thickness of 60 centimeters. Whale sharks and manta rays are kept amongst many other fish and plant species in the main tank. The aquarium is currently trying to breed Whale Sharks. ------------------