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Whale Sharks In Okinawa Aquarium
Whale Sharks In Okinawa Aquarium
Okinawa Aquarium is a masterpiece of engineering and it's home for not one but three whale sharks, which are the biggest fish in the world
The other morning I found a fascinating program about the building of Okinawa Aquarium in Japan on the Discovery Channel. The architect had a vision of bringing the sea right to the audience, and so built the aquarium on a coastal slope, a huge undertaking for the world's second biggest aquarium. The result is absolutely breathtaking, even when seen on a small TV screen - the aquarium has the world's largest glass panel, so the aquarium visitors are completely dwarfed by the size of the ocean view they are looking into.
Wikipedia's disappointingly brief entry reads: "The Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium is the world's second largest aquarium and part of the Ocean Expo Park located in Motobu, Okinawa. The main tank holds 7,500-cubic meters (1,981,290 gallons) 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."
However, by complete serendipidity, I subsequently found this amazing collection of photos and videos of Okinawa Aquarium via Reddit. One day, I am going to see this place for myself. Possibly on the way to Yonaguni...
The official site - in English - of the Okinawa Aquarium makes for interesting reading too.
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I have been to the aquarium in Okinawa. It is truly a sight to behold. Most of the aquarium is like any other here in the States, until you get to the big tank holding the whale sharks. I sat for an hour just watching all of the fish swim in the tank. Outside there is even more. A dolphin show, turtles and a Japaneses garden so large I got lost in there. Early summer is the best time, not too hot and it doesn’t rain much during the day. Good luck.
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