Okinawa-Churaumi-Aquarium

Main entrance of the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium

The Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium (Japanese沖縄 美ら海 水族館, Okinawa Churaumi suizokukan; Churaumi means " Beautiful Sea ") is the second largest aquarium in the world (after the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta ) and a part of the Ocean Expo Park Motobu ( Okinawa Prefecture ) in Japan. The name of the aquarium is based on an old okinawaischen dialect and was announced in a nationwide survey. The Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium was opened after 4 years of construction on 1 November 2002. Every year it is visited by about 2 million visitors.

The plant

The Okinawa Churaumi aquarium has 77 tanks, which are flooded with a total of 10,000 cubic meters ( 10 million liters ), which produces the main basin - has a volume of 7.500 m³ ( 7,500,000 liters ) - the Kuroshio Sea.

The coral basin is home to over 70 different species of coral. The water temperature is heated to 20-25 ° C, so that the corals reproduce now outstanding.

The water temperature in the ocean basins is only 5 ° C. The resultant heat produced during cooling of the deep-sea basin, is to heat eg coral tank used so that a kind of heat recycling takes place.

The main pool is the main attraction of Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium dar. It includes in addition to many smaller fish, several manta rays and whale sharks. Currently, there is worldwide in only three aquariums to admire whale sharks and manta rays are kept in captivity worldwide in just four zoo aquariums. The first whale shark ever could be visited in Japan in 1994. However, the attitude of whale sharks is also very difficult, nevertheless, the oldest whale shark in Okinawa Churaumi aquarium is over 12 years old, the oldest shark even 28 years. Whale sharks eat per week about 8 % of their own body mass - these are the heaviest specimen 1/4 t. Because whale sharks mostly eat in addition to the vertical, and the longest whale shark in Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium is 7.5 meters long ( with a further growth of about ½ m per year) - 10 m high main basin.

The main pool is yet another record: the visitors are from the fish through the largest pane of glass in the world (which is actually made ​​of plastic - acrylic - is ) separately, it is available in the Guinness Book of World Records. The construction of the 22 meter long and 8.2 meter high glass pane claimed 1 ½ years. Since the giant panoramic window completely without support struts, it is 60 inches thick. These are made up of 15 glass packages - each 40 mm thick - together, which in turn may vary from 7 discs - a total of 105 disc layers - made ​​. But keeps you from not only the pressure of 6 tons per square foot ( 60,000 Pascal ), but is also earthquake-proof. The resulting weight of 134 tonnes, it was delivered and assembled in a number of individual segments. A disadvantage of the disc is its soft consistency. For example, if a shark with a fin clips the disc cause scratches which affect the transparency of the glass.

In addition to the pool inside there are outdoor facilities, a restaurant and a museum shop.

Water circulation in the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium

Most pools contain salt water, which comes from the nearby sea. 360,000 liters of fresh water per hour can thereby be pumped into the aquarium.

The pools are interconnected via water pipes, so that 3,000 cubic meters ( 3,000,000 liters) of water circulating in the hour. In the coral pool, the water is replaced in the summer of 1 time per hour.

With the help of 102 filter pump can be dispensed with entirely on chemical use in Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium. Even a chlorine use is not necessary.

Energy

To protect the precious fish in the aquarium during a power failure, two on-site power generators are available.

Animal procurement

Instantaneous or close to 70 % of clients in the pool animals homebred. Only 30 % are caught in the wild. After 374 days of gestation, a manta ray born in captivity on June 16, 2007 in the aquarium for the first time. The 1.90 meter tall females, however, was killed a few days after the birth of his father. Some animals are also exposed to back into the sea. If the coral spawn, namely, a large proportion of eggs is transported back into the sea, due to the water circulation.

Dolphin Lady " Fuji"

The dolphin lady born in 1970, Fuji 2002, suffered an accident caused by necrosis and could only be saved by its tail amputated because of this remained only 25 % due to their illness. Due to the lack of movement following she was overweight. Therefore, the tire manufacturer Bridgestone has offered to build an artificial tail for Fuji. In 2004, she received the first of its kind, a new, artificial, made ​​of silicone rubber tail fin, which is 2,2 kg, 70 cm wide and 25 cm long and about ten million yen ( 80,000 euros as at January 2003) is expensive. The dolphin lady quickly got on it and moves again today so much. It is even so active that she once broke her artificial tail fin. Now she already carries the seventh version, since the artificial fins replacement is constantly being improved.