Located in western Japan’s Shimane Prefecture is the vibrant Aquas Shimane Aquarium. Famous for its beluga whales, this aquarium will entertain young and old alike with its extensive aquatic life and superb performances.
Opened in 2000 in Iwami Seaside Park, the Aquas Shimane Aquarium faces the beautiful Sea of Japan and is home to a diversity of sea life. Consisting of three floors, this fully wheelchair-accessible and family-friendly facility is divided into several aquatic zones where you can view a range of marine habitats such as the Sea of Japan, Iwami Manyo Seashore (featuring local fish and sea creatures which can be found on the beaches of Shimane), coral reefs and the Amazon rainforest.
The aquarium also boasts a range of popular sea animals, such as penguins, sharks, rays and turtles, as well as belugas, seals and California sea lions who also put on daily performances. Visitors with children will also be delighted to find the bright and colorful indoor playground. After seeing everything the aquarium offers, there is also a well-stocked gift shop to buy the perfect souvenir, such as the fan favorite, beluga plush toys.
Performances
Photo by: PIXTA/BlackRabbit3 The aquarium’s main attraction.
Originating from the Arctic Ocean, the beloved beluga whales are this aquarium’s main attraction. The belugas conduct daily performances in their expansive pool which visitors can enjoy while watching them in the theater-like indoor seating area. Along with their scuba-geared trainer, several belugas entertain audiences by spinning, waving, passing balls to one another and producing water rings using their blowholes. The seal and sea lion performance is also not to be missed as the animals display their many talents, like ball balancing, ring toss catching and much more.
Aquatic Biodiversity
Photo by: PIXTA/⭐️JUN⭐️ Two floors of penguin cuteness.
A popular area in the aquarium is the Undersea Tunnel, a 1000-ton, panoramic tank that contains several varieties of sharks, like Hammerheads and Sandbars, as well as rays and sea turtles. Another crowd-pleasing spot is the multi-floor Penguin House, where you can marvel at four species of penguins, the King, Humboldt, Gentoo and Northern Rockhopper. At the Iwami Friendship Seashore area, you can gently touch sea creatures like starfish, sea urchins and hermit crabs.
The Aquas Shimane Aquarium is currently improving the breeding techniques and environments for various species living in the facility. It has been especially successful at breeding beluga whales and even has a separate pool on the third floor reserved for this purpose.
