Churaumi Aquarium
We wanted to get to the Churaumi Aquarium early which meant we had an early start. We mapped out a route which would have taken about 2 hours to get there. However, due to some navigation challenges again, we found ourselves on the toll expressway which shaved a half hour off our trip. In the end it got us there faster and was worth the toll.
Charumi Aquarium is a place that was on our “must see” list. This was especially true for FunkyCat who is a huge “fish guy”. This aquarium has one of the largest tanks in the world along with two whale sharks.
Upon entering the aquarium, I was amazed at all the different species of fish they had in their different tanks. We spent a fair amount of time at each one trying to spot each kind. I’m not a big fish person, but am always amazed at how diverse God’s creation is and how there are so many kinds of fish.
About halfway through the aquarium the hallway opened up to a large room. From there we were able to see the big tank the aquarium was known for. Inside were two huge whale sharks along with a large variety of other fish and large manta rays too!
We spent a fair bit of time here admiring the tank and the fish inside, though it was busy and quite difficult to take good photos.
So we decided to move on and explore the area surrounding the aquarium with the aim of returning later in the day when most of the tour groups and class trips had gone home.
Ocean Expo Park
The aquarium is situated in a larger area called Ocean Expo Park. The park is quite large and consists of many other attractions. There’s a ton of things that you could do at the park, and you could realistically spend a day or two here simply exploring.
Manatees
Our first stop was the Manatees pool. This is a free attraction where you get to see these cute animals from above water level and underwater level as well. Its not a very big attraction but we were thrilled to see these creatures “bumble” around.
Sea Turtles
There was also a Sea Turtle pool with a good number of turtles in it. Minding their own business they would swim across the observation glass to the delight of many of us!
Dolphin Show
We made it a point to watch the Dolphin Show. There are a few times that the trainers have the dolphins perform different tricks and jumps for a large audience. While I love watching dolphins, I was a bit saddened to see that many dolphins in what seemed to be a smallish set of pools. These creatures are so agile and probably could use a larger habitat to swim more freely in, so I’m slightly conflicted about this.
Lunch at Latilla
After enjoying the dolphin show we set out looking for some lunch. We stumbled upon this restaurant called Latilla. Aside from the restaurants that are in Ocean Expo park, there weren’t too many places to grab a bite in the area, so when we saw Latilla we went for it.
According to Salmonella, Taco Rice is another dish that is unique to Okinawa. Because of the american military presecne on the island, some of the food culture has mixed over the years and the result is taco ingredients on a bed of rice. Normally I’m not a huge taco guy, but I figured it can’t hurt to give it a try here. While it wasn’t bad, I will say that it wasn’t my favorite meal of the trip.
Dream Center
On our drive into the area we had spotted this middle easter looking spire. We realized after reviewing the map that it was part of the Ocean Expo park and that it was actually the Tropical Dream Center. I wasn’t sure what to expect with a name like this, but when we entered we were amazed. The dream center is this huge garden of tropical plants. There are different types of plants of all different colors. Its a beautiful park with ponds, different structures that add a lot of character to the place (just like the spire we had initially seen). We actually spent a great deal of time here admiring the beauty. Sadly by the time we arrived at the spire it was closed and we couldn’t go to the top.
As a consolation though, on the costal side of the dream center was this large walkway that extends out towards the ocean. From there you can catch an amazing view of the whole Ocean Expo park, the surrounding water and some of the neighbouring islands as well. What a beautiful place.
Back to Aquarium
It was time to go back to the Aquairum. It was late afternoon and we suspected that most of the tour groups would have vacated the area. When we returned to the aquarium, it was nearly empty! It was awesome to be able to re-see all the exhibits we had seen earlier but without anyone really in the way!
Near the end of the day there was also another exhibit that opened up. There was an opportunity for us to take an elevator to see the big tank from above. We were able to see the facility around the pool. We were able to see the huge whales from above and also to see all of the support pools and equipment around the main tank. It was a unique part of the aquairum that I guess most don’t see and only see the big tank from the main viewing area.
By the time we got back to ground level and to the main tank, it was nearly empty. It was close to closing time but we had the perfect opportunity to snap a few photos without the crowds. This was something FunkyCat really wanted to do and I think the results ended up being pretty spectacular!
Sadly, after taking a few photos we were politely prompted to exit the premises as the aquarium was closing. We exited the aquarium and was able to catch a pretty cool sunset over Ocean Expo park.
Dinner at Donanchi
It was a two hour drive home (avoiding the toll this time) and along the way we found a cool Izakaya place for dinner called Donanchi. We weren’t super hungry but we ordered a few unique items. We ordered sea grapes, aso pork and a Japanese soba omlette. Everything was very tasty and it hit the spot after a very long day.
We had an uneventful drive home and we all crashed when we got back. Tomorrow, we’d be taking the ferry to one of the Okinawan islands. We were looking forward to some sun, beach, water and a deserted island!