Toba Aquarium

Toba Aquarium
Toba Aquarium Front Entrance
Date opened	May 1955
Location	Toba, Mie, Japan
No. of animals	20,000
No. of species	850
Memberships	JAZA
Website	http://www.aquarium.co.jp/english/index.html

Toba Aquarium (鳥羽水族館, Toba-suizokukan) is a public aquarium, which is located in Toba, Mie, Japan. The aquarium houses 12 zones which reproduce various natural environments, housing 850 species, and 20,000 animals.

The guests are free to tour the aquarium's grounds in any manner they please, as there is no fixed route. The total length of the aisle is about 1.5 kilometers.

History

Toba Aquarium opened May 1955 and is 26th oldest public aquarium. It was founded by Haruaki Nakamura(中村幸昭), now he is the honorary president. It has received more than 50 million visitors, making it one of the most visited locations in Japan.

The aquarium hosts scholarly investigations as an adult education institution in conjunction with the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology officially specifying the Toba Aquarium as a museum. Toba Aquarium also emphasizes protection and breeding of rare marine creatures which are in danger of extinction. For example, a birth of Finless Porpoise, a birth of the second generation Sea otter for the first time in Japan, and the record of Dugongs breeding is notable.

Facilities

Manatee

• Performance Stadium - featuring a Sea lion show.
• Kingdom of Sea Animals - protection and breeding of marine mammals such as Fur seals, Earless seals, etc.
• Sea of Mermaid - featuring a Dugong exhibit.
• Ancient Sea - an exhibit showcasing living fossils such as Tachypleus tridentatus, Nautilus, Lungfish and so on. There is also image exhibition of Coelacanths.
• Coral Reef Diving - the staff breeds Tropical fish, Sea turtles and Corals.
• Sea of Ise-Shima, Japanese Sea - an exhibit featuring creatures which live in Ise Bay or the Japanese neighboring waters such as Finless Porpoises, Crabs and Morey eels.
• Rivers in Japan - creatures which live in rivers in Japan such as cherry salmon.
• Jungle World - creatures which live in Amazon River and its drainage basin's jungles. For instance, Manatees Arapaimas are included.
• Sea of Polar Regions - Sea otters, Commerson's Dolphins and Baikal Seals.
• Corridor of water - Humboldt Penguins, Oriental Small-clawed Otters, Smooth-coated Otters, Walrus, Pelicans and other animals are exhibited.
• Crayfish Corner - Some species of Crayfish are exhibited.

Others

• In NHK's music program "Minna no Uta," Toba Aquarium's Sea otters make an appearance.

Access

Railway

Near by Kintetsu Shima Line Nakanogo Station

• In advertisements, the most nearest station is announced Toba Station, because Nakanogo Station does not stop Limited Express.

Ferry

Near by Ise-wan Ferry Toba Port.

Car

Pay-as-you-stay type parking "Aqua parking" is next to Toba Aquarium. 400 cars can park there.

External links

• Toba Aquarium(Japanese, English, Chinese, Korean are available.)