Shimane Aquarium

Shimane Aquarium
Exterior Map
Map
34°28′54″N 136°50′45″E / 34.48167°N 136.84583°E / 34.48167; 136.84583
Date openedApril 2000[2]
LocationHamada City and Gotsu City, Shimane Prefecture, Japan
Land area14,000 m2 (150,000 sq ft)[1]
No. of animals10,000[1]
No. of species400[1]
Total volume of tanks4,280,000 litres (1,131,000 US gal)[1]
MembershipsJAZA
Websiteaquas.or.jp/en/

Shimane Aquarium or Shimane AQUAS Aquarium (島根県立しまね海洋館, Shimane kenritsu Shimane kaiyokan) is a prefectural public aquarium located in Hamada City and Gotsu City, Shimane Prefecture, Japan. It is managed and operated by the Shimane Aquarium Foundation.[1] It is a member of the Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums (JAZA),[3] and the aquarium is accredited as a designated facilities by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.[4]

History

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The aquarium is hung with carp streamers in the shape of penguins, beluga whales, and flying fish.

It opened on April 15, 2000.[2] It is one of the largest aquariums in the Chugoku and Shikoku regions, and its concept is "From the Sea of Shimane to the Sea of Japan and the World".[5][6]

On November 13, 2008, the "Penguin Pavilion" opened on the west side of the main building, and in April 2008, during the construction of the Penguin Pavilion, an accident occurred in which the acrylic panels used for the aquarium tanks were damaged. The acrylic panels were custom-made, which delayed the construction schedule, and the opening was postponed from July 2008 to mid-November 2008.

The Penguin Pavilion's water tank uses an inverted L-shaped acrylic panel, a rarity in Japan, so that visitors can see penguins swimming in front of and above their heads. There are four kinds of king penguins, gentoo penguins, rockhopper penguins, and Humboldt penguins.[7]

Beluga Whale and Bubble Ring

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bubble ring

The aquarium has captivity beluga whales since its opening. In 2009, two beluga whales became pregnant and gave birth.[8] two more beluga whales gave birth in 2014 and are confirmed to be pregnant in 2023.[9][10]

The aquarium was the first to initiate the beluga whale bubble ring performance.[11] Arya (female) began playing in the bubble ring in the summer of 2005. In May 2007, the three beluga whales, Nascha (female) and Kailya (male), who are currently living together, planned to bubble ring at the same time, and as a result of repeated training, they have been available for public viewing since July 2007 and have been widely introduced overseas.[11]

In October 2007, one of the beluga whales, "Kailya," appeared in a Softbank commercial as a bubbling dolphin. This bubbling performance was also featured in a Softbank commercial in October 2007. The bubbling performance was suspended for about two years after April 2009 due to the birth of a female beluga whale.

Instead, it was possible to see the parent and child beluga whales swimming in the new beluga whale pool that opened in April 2011. Performances resumed on December 16, 2011, and the following year, the young beluga whales also made their show debut.

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "アクアスについて". 島根県立しまね海洋館 アクアス.
  2. ^ a b "平成12年度～平成13年度完成又は開設". 浜田市 公式ウェブサイト (in Japanese). 浜田市.
  3. ^ JAZA. "正会員名簿【水族館】" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-02-27.
  4. ^ "法律上の位置付けがある登録博物館・指定施設". 文化庁. 2024-02-27.
  5. ^ "AQUAS 10th". 島根県 公式ウェブサイト. 島根県.（2010年6月発行の『シマネスク』No.76より）
  6. ^ "島根県立しまね海洋館 アクアス". はまナビ 浜田市観光協会公式サイト. 一般社団法人 浜田市観光協会.
  7. ^ ペンギン館整備工事と開館時期について（ご報告） 島根県立しまね海洋館 プレスリリース
  8. ^ "アーリャ出産の記録". 島根県立しまね海洋館 アクアス.
  9. ^ "いわみアカデミア（７） シロイルカの出産 海獣展示課・三島有紀課長（しまね海洋館アクアス） 母親の精神面 成否に影響". 山陰中央新報. 24 April 2021.
  10. ^ "シロイルカのアンナ・アーリャ妊娠のお知らせ". 島根県立しまね海洋館 アクアス.
  11. ^ a b "しあわせのバブルリング®ができるまで". 島根県立しまね海洋館 アクアス.
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