"I want to continue to pursue science. I want to research and learn."
A hawk-finned whale, known as a deep-sea luminous shark, has just been born from an artificial womb device. This artificial birth, a world first, is now one of only a few cases here. They are currently attempting the extremely difficult task of rearing the whale with the aim of exhibiting it. Other words like "world first" and "new species discovered" are also displayed throughout the museum.
Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium is a world-leading aquarium in science. It is a tourist hub and probably the most well-known aquarium in Japan. However, it is also at the forefront of marine life research. It also has an attached research lab, and many researchers work part-time as aquarium staff, including Keiichi Sato, the aquarium's director in charge of the aquarium and surrounding area, who is a shark researcher.
Keiichi Sato talks in the backstage. He has written many books on sharks and research. 
The entire wall at the entrance is lined with displays of new species discoveries and new records. 
Kame no Hama is a beach within the national Ocean Expo Park, located at the tip of the Motobu Peninsula.
"When we moved to our current facility in 2002, it became seven times larger. At the time, it was the aquarium with the world's largest acrylic tank, and attracted attention for its size, including the large whale sharks it housed. Now, the question is what role an aquarium should play."
In Japan, zoos and aquariums are often valued for their glamour and photogenic nature, but the time has come when they are expected to function not only as exhibitors but also as conservation and research facilities. What is exhibited here is the Okinawan sea and its mysteries. You can get a glimpse of the beautiful ocean that spreads out before your eyes, from shallow waters to coral reefs, the dynamic Kuroshio Current, and the deep sea.
"Okinawa is subtropical, but its oceans are tropical. It is said that the center of diversity is in the tropical zone. The ocean around Okinawa has a complex topography where coral develops, and there are deep trenches on both sides. While the waters are highly transparent, plankton does not grow easily and the waters are poor in nutrients, so species tend to diversify."
Most of the creatures were collected by staff who went to the ocean themselves to observe and survey them, with the cooperation of local fishermen.The aquarium even recreates the water flow and topography, and the animals are kept and exhibited in an environment that is similar to that of the actual ocean.
"This is the only aquarium in the world that can house an aquarium of this scale that is solely made up of local species. We have such a diverse environment right in front of us. We don't raise and exhibit species from outside Okinawa just because they're popular or unusual."
Around the aquariums, digital fish name plates provide detailed explanations, and videos of the creatures being collected, as well as spawning and birthing, are shown, and the walls are covered with information about their ecology and research discoveries.
"Explanations about living creatures are the foundation of an aquarium. The more content there is, the better. We actively incorporate what we have learned through research into our explanations, and we want to make as much information as possible about why we are raising and exhibiting these creatures. We want to show even more, so we are always looking for empty walls."
Whale sharks and manta rays are important from a tourism perspective, but the museum also diligently researches and introduces never-before-seen invertebrates. There is no ranking or superiority or inferiority among living creatures. The first step is to arouse interest. Accurate understanding of their ecology will lead to further conservation efforts. There are countless conservation examples in which aquariums excel, but take manta rays for example. This is the only place in the world where manta rays can be bred. The museum boasts world-leading monitoring technology, allowing for ultrasound, blood tests, and even genetic testing to monitor the condition of manta rays.
"No matter what we do, collecting basic data is important. Medical science has advanced, and there are fewer diseases that humans cannot treat. But there is no data on marine life, so even if we take a blood sample, we don't know what the normal values are. It has only been in the last 20 to 30 years that databases have been compiled for both manta rays and whale sharks. This kind of monitoring is difficult to do in the wild, and is often only possible in an aquarium."
A whale shark eating food while treading water. An exciting feeding time. 
A reproduction of Okinawa's coral reefs. Coral spawning has been confirmed for 23 consecutive years. 
The silvertip shark, a shark that is difficult to keep in captivity, will also be exhibited in Japan's first "Shark Professor's Room." 
A large tank where you can enjoy the changes in sunlight. The so-called black manta ray is on display in Japan for the first time. 
The South American manatee, the model for mermaid legends, is conserved outside its habitat.
The technology and equipment are also used outside the aquarium to rescue and treat stranded creatures within the prefecture. Sato compiled the latest shark research and findings in his 2012 book, "Why is Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium Conducting Useless Research?" There are many creatures in the ocean that have yet to be discovered and whose ecology is unknown.
"It never ceases to interest me as a research subject. When I first arrived here and saw the field of Okinawa's ocean and the people there, I felt that there was no better place than here, that anything was possible. Many new species are discovered every year, and there are still many species whose species are unknown."
The ocean is filled with endless mysteries, and Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium is tackling these mysteries.
False killer whale breeding is monitored in captivity.
False killer whales, which live in the warm oceans of the world, are a rare species that is endangered. They are said to be able to bite off large fish such as tuna with their powerful teeth. Raising them in an aquarium is rare, and this is the fourth case in the world and the first in Japan to be successfully bred, and research is progressing.
The world's first successful exhibition of the giant gurnard.
Its jagged head and hard exoskeleton make it a striking sight. Its two pairs of finger-like pectoral fins on its belly make it adorable to watch as it walks and swims. It was collected by unmanned submersible during a survey in the deep sea off the coast of Iejima, Okinawa Prefecture. It is sensitive to changes in water pressure, but thanks to exclusive technology such as pressurized tanks and treatment for decompression sickness, it is possible to raise and exhibit it here.
What I want you to see is the sea anemone.
Popular as an ornamental species, the long-legged sea anemone is known for its symbiotic relationship with clownfish. However, for many years, the method of sexual reproduction was unknown. However, in 2020, a unique technology was used to identify the sex, which was previously considered difficult, and breeding was a world first. It is now also possible to raise these species. Both the long-legged sea anemone and the clownfish were born in aquariums.
The deep sea is full of mysteries, including the wonders of bioluminescent organisms.
The rose anthias is a beautiful pink and yellow deep-sea fish that lives in slightly deeper rocky reefs, but it fluoresces in the deep sea. There are organisms in the ocean that fluoresce, and many deep-sea fish are. It is thought that their role is to avoid predation, attract food, and communicate with other individuals of the same species, but the reasons for this are not yet fully understood.
