So the aquarium was entirely AWESOME!!! It took us about an hour and a half to get there which is completely horrific if you consider we only went like 70km, but in Oki, that's great time considering we were traveling down a super tiny and very busy Rt. 11-type road. We drove to one of the northerwestern-most parts of the isnalnd to a little town call Motobu. In the middle of nowhere on the coast of the beautiful east asian sea, there is was in all it's glory. Actually, the aquarium is pretty tiny but packed with some very coolio things.
The picture showing what looks like a huge courtyard is exactly that. It's what the entrance to the aquarium looks like. It overlooks the east asian sea, and straight out is Ie Island, pronounced "ee-yay." I'll be going there in a couple week for the lily festival, so more pics about that later. But anyway, the aquarium is literally a stone's throw away from the water's edge and it's GORGEOUS!
The pic with the shark and all the fishies is one of the many tanks they have to exhibit all the coolio fishies, complete with Dori, Nemo and all their friends! Honestly, amongst all the Japanese garble I was trying to tone out, the only thing I could really understand the locals saying was "Nemo!!" and, "Dori!!" True story. But, they do have a ton of observation areas to look at all the very cool tanks with tropical fish and sharks and lobsters, oh my!
The pic with the HUGE tank and all the people standing by it is Okinawa's claim to fame. I can't remember exactly which is it, but they either have the biggest tank in the world, or the biggest piece of plexi glass... which is 60cm thick in case you were wondering... very thick! Anywho, the tank holds fish, sting rays, 5 HUGE manta rays, sharks, AND whale sharks!! Its amazing!
The last pic I threw up is form the dolphin show we went that they put on a few times a day. It was short but they play this very catchy song which is stuck in your head for easily a week. Before you know it, you're singing along all damn week to it mumbling the words because it's all in japanese, and then you very proudly burst out in song at the top of your lungs alone in the car to the few english words that are in it, haha! Regardless, the show was very entertaining and they had 3 huge dolphin-type creatures, 2 spotted, a bottlenose, and one other little guy. I have some video and way more pics to post, but it's late and i'm tired.
They have a couple more interesting exhibits too. They have a sea turtle and a manatee pool with underwater viewing areas which are super cool too. I enjoyed the turtles the most i think. They look like they just fly under the water... very very cool!
We went to the aquarium last saturday, and actually went again today since it's so super cute. I have some video and more pics I promise to post, but we're wiped from the day... so more to come!!
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