Sharks are amazing. But there's more to it than just sharks. Aqua World Oarai's "New World Ocean"
Aqua World Oarai Tagline: "Come on, New World Sea!"
Aqua World Ibaraki Oarai Aquarium (Aqua World Oarai) has the tagline "Come on, New World Ocean!" and is pursuing new possibilities for aquariums, including raising and researching sharks, offering a variety of programs and exhibits in an effort to create a space where the charm of living creatures can shine even more.
Super Shark New World Ocean: Sharks are amazing. The number one species of sharks kept in captivity in Japan.
Aqua World Oarai is the "number one shark species in Japan." It keeps about 60 different kinds of sharks and is dedicated to researching the ecology and breeding of a wide variety of sharks on a daily basis.
Currently, we are raising about 60 species of sharks, including not only streamlined and gracefully swimming predators such as the great nurse shark, but also many other sharks with unique personalities that you would not realize were sharks just by looking at them. In December 2023, we will be exhibiting the great nurse shark for the first time at our aquarium.
A first in Japan and the fifth zoo in the world to successfully breed grey nurse sharks
Since opening in 2002, our aquarium has been working on breeding the "viviparous" sand tiger shark. On June 2021, 6, a baby sand tiger shark was born. Sand tiger sharks are an endangered species of shark, and this was the first time in Japan that they have been successfully bred in an aquarium, which at the time only four aquariums overseas had done so. The baby was a female, and at birth it was 17 meters long and weighed 4 kilograms. It has now grown to over 0.9 meters and can be observed swimming leisurely in the "Shark Sea 4.3" aquarium. On May 2, 1, the second successful breeding in Japan by the same parent was achieved (died on June 2023 of the same year).
| Grey Shark Exhibition Location | 3rd floor: Eternal Sea Zone: Shark Sea 1 |
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Japan's first baby striped shark born
In addition to the sand tiger shark, 27 other species of shark have been successfully bred in an aquarium, with 12 of these species being bred for the first time in Japan. On March 2024, 3, a baby striped shark successfully hatched. Striped sharks are bottom-dwelling sharks, and were named after the clear black and white stripes they have on their bodies for a while after they are born. These stripes become lighter when the fish reach a total length of over 1 cm, and adult fish have a pale brown body color. There have been no examples of aquarium breeding in Japan to date, making this a first.
| Juvenile striped shark exhibit location | 5th floor Samekko Room (behind the Canadian otter tank) |
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Enjoy the "Super Shark New World Ocean" that can only be experienced at Aqua World Oarai.
It's not just sharks. Aqua World Oarai has a variety of "New World Seas" to offer.
Beautiful New World Ocean: Jellyfish 365
The large jellyfish tank "Jellyfish 365" features projection mapping on the walls around the tank, lighting on the floor, and seasonal scents, as well as moon jellyfish floating leisurely in the water. Enjoy the changing of the seasons and the life cycle of moon jellyfish.
Visual production using lighting and graphics
The graphic images were created based on the themes of "the fluttering of cherry blossom petals" in spring, "fireworks exploding in the night sky" in summer, "the beautiful moon and autumn leaves" in autumn, and "the sparkling aurora and snowflakes" in winter. Jellyfish appear at various stages of development in the images, and you can follow their growth process along with fantastical background music.
The exhibition corner will also feature a new "fragrant space design" that changes with each visit, with scents reminiscent of "cherry blossoms" in spring (March to May), "fresh greenery" in summer (June to August), "autumn leaves" in autumn (September to November), and "snow" in winter (December to February). You can enjoy different scents depending on the time of year you visit the tank, creating a soothing space that is immersive and makes you feel as if you have entered the world of jellyfish.
| place | 2nd floor Mysterious Sea Zone Large jellyfish tank "Jellyfish XNUMX" |
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New Ocean of Life: IWASHI LIFE
IWASHI LIFE is a powerful performance in which approximately 20,000 sardines move in a school of powerful fish in time with the background music. It is a powerful performance that expresses the sardines' tough daily survival in the harsh natural world. The sight of the sardines moving dynamically in a school and changing into various shapes as if they were one living organism gives a strong sense of the toughness of life.
| place | 2nd and XNUMXrd floor Encounter Sea Zone "Large aquarium in the sea of encounters" |
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| Time | ①10:00／②12:00／③14:00 (about 5 minutes each) |
Amazing New World Ocean: Ocean Terrace
In March 2023, the outdoor facility will be renovated into an open-air Ocean Terrace with the concept of "Get closer and be amazed." The tanks for Humboldt penguins, California sea lions, and South American fur seals in the area are designed to allow visitors to observe the animals from various angles, creating new connections between people and the creatures.
At Ocean Terrace, there are daily programs such as "Sea Lion Walking Time," where the sea lions perform as they walk around the viewing area, and "Mogu Mogu Time," where you can learn about the ecology and charm of the animals while watching them eat.
| place | Surprising sea zone “Ocean Terrace” |
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| Program | schedule calendar for more information. |
Tiny Sparkles in the Neogene Ocean: Sparkling Coral Reef Fish
The "Shining Coral Reef Fish" aquarium is home to 40 colorful fish of about 3,000 species, mainly damselfish and butterflyfish. Two full-color LED lights have been newly installed for the purpose of creating a dramatic effect, making it possible to display 2 million colors of light in the water. Please enjoy the gorgeous world of the sea, where colorful fish are captivating, in an aquarium with a lusher, clearer look than ever before.
In order to recreate an exhibit that is as close as possible to the natural environment, the exhibit includes the grouper, a predator of the grouper family (which can grow to a maximum of 2m and is currently about 40cm), as well as the dynamic swimming of damselfish in schools within the tank and hiding amongst the branching coral.
| place | 3rd floor: Eternal Sea Zone "Sparkling Coral Reef Fish" |
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Night Aquaworld: Night Aquaworld
In an atmosphere different from daytime, the fantastical space created by the world of creatures and the sea will take visitors to a new "Night New World Ocean."
| Date | Every Saturday *This event will not be held on September 9th and 14st as daytime business hours will be extended until 21pm. |
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| Time | 18: 00-20: 00 (Last entry 19:00) |
Shark exhibit that boasts the largest number of species kept in Japan ~Moonlight Shark~
In "NIGHT AQUAWORLD," you can enjoy the mysterious shadows and powerful appearance of the sharks, which are different from the daytime exhibits, thanks to spot lighting that resembles moonlight. Please come and see the aquarium filled with new shark charms that can only be expressed by our aquarium, which has been breeding and exhibiting a wide variety of sharks for many years and has been researching and studying them for many years.
"Large Aquarium of Encounters in the Sea" ~Sea Life Healing~
The "Large Encounter Sea Tank" recreates the rich sea off the coast of Ibaraki where the Oyashio and Kuroshio currents meet, and displays around 20,000 different kinds of creatures, centered around around 80 sardines. In "NIGHT AQUAWORLD," the entire tank is lit up with shades of blue, evoking the image of a quiet nighttime sea. At night, the sardines gather together in the tank to protect themselves, making the shape of the school clearer and their movements reminiscent of the Milky Way in the night sky.
Ocean Night Live ~MEETS the BEATS~
``Ocean Night Live,'' which is only available at night, is a program in which dolphins and sea lions create a fantastic space with lights, music, and images.
Ocean Night Live ~MEETS the BEATS~The theme of the show is "Encounters with animals, music, and customers," and with animation playing upbeat music in the background, the dolphins will perform their signature jumps and the sea lions will thrill the audience with their rhythmic performance. The audience will clap along to the show, bringing the whole venue together, and you can enjoy a special, heart-pounding time with the animals.
| Venue | 4th Floor Ocean Theater |
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| Time | May to August (5:8), September to April (19:15) Approximately 9 minutes |
