Feeling all at sea at the Nagoya Aquarium

Dec 19, 2017

Feeling all at sea at the Nagoya Aquarium

Whether you are a fan of fishes, and admirer of the aquatic, a fan of fins, or feel deeply for the deep blue, there is a lot to enjoy at the Nagoya Aquarium. Right now is a perfect time to get acquainted with some of the most marvelous animal life in the world.

One of Japan’s biggest and best aquariums, Nagoya Aquarium at Nagoya Port covers all manner of sea life that lives in the waters between Japan and the antarctic. While it is particularly exciting for kids, it still makes a pretty good day out for friends, couples, or even just exploring on your own.

Mammals of the seas

The theme of Nagoya Aquarium’s North building is “A journey spanning 3.5 billion years: Animals that have returned to the seas,” and there is a variety of media displays to teach you all about cetaceans, aquatic mammals. But most excitingly, it is here that you get to meet the aquarium’s star attractions: the dolphins. These graceful and amazingly trained creatures put on three daily shows in an outdoor tank that, at 60 by 30 meters and 12 meters deep, is the largest outdoor tank in the world. While you may want to get into the front rows that afford the best views, don’t forget to put on your waterproof poncho, as things are likely to get a little splashy.

As well as the dolphins you can find awesome killer whales and adorable beluga whales, and you can sit and watch them glide around and play in the deep waters as they come to greet spectators through the thick glass. Of all the aquarium’s attractions, the cetaceans are perhaps the most thrilling, particularly for children.

Crossing the ocean

The south building’s theme is “A Journey to the Antarctic” and is a breeding exhibition that takes you from Nagoya through to the Antarctic, cutting across the seas around Japan, the deep sea gallery, the equatorial ocean, the Australian waterfront, and the Antarctic ocean.

In the huge Kuroshio tank you can marvel at the vast sea life that lives around Japan’s shores, watching as huge shoals of fish sweep around the waters. From there it’s on to the Deep Sea Gallery where the strange creatures of the oceans’ depths roam, before heading to the large corral reef tank in which you can see the vivid fish that make their homes in the, sadly dying, Great Barrier Reef.

One of the most interesting attractions at Nagoya Aquarium meeting one of the ocean’s many endangered species at the sea turtle migration tank, where you can see these stately creatures in their many periods of growth as the aquarium helps to keep this enigmatic species surviving.

Finally, after stopping by the Australian Freshwater Life Zone, make your way to the Antarctic marine life-penguin encounter, where you can see these adorable, fun-loving flightless birds as they dive and play in the water. You can either get right up close to their glass, or sit back on the terraces and watch them frolic.

Nagoya Aquarium Details

• Where: 1-3 Minatomachi, Minato-Ward (map)
• Admission: Adults and high school students 2,000 JPY;
  Children 1,000 JPY;
  Toddlers (ages 4 or older) 500 JPY
• Website: www.nagoyaaqua.com

 

By Mark Guthrie

Image by Cris Anderson (Own work) [CC BY-SA 2.0], via flickr.com (modified)

Image by Everton Yamamoto (Own work) [CC BY-SA 2.0], via flickr.com (modified)

Image by きうこ (Own work) [CC BY-SA 2.0], via flickr.com (modified)