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Gentle Giants In Love

Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium is THE nicest and biggest aquarium we have been to so far. I can't recommend it enough. Besides absolutely top-notch conditions f...
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Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium is THE nicest and biggest aquarium we have been to so far. I can't recommend it enough. Besides absolutely top-notch conditions for animals and visitors alike AND great efforts in public education and outreach, what impressed me the most, is their breeding and scientific program. I just couldn't help the Biologist in me but to geek out :).

Churaumi Aquarium has a long history of worldwide unique successful breedings. The latest effort is with whale sharks (Rhincodon typus). Wild numbers of those gentle giants are declining fast and species is already on IUCN red endangered list. One of the greatest mysteries about those magnificent animals is how they reproduce and how they rear the young.

Main Churaumi Aquarium is huge and used to house 3 whale sharks. But since this breeding effort started, and Jinta (male whale shark, in this photo on the upper right) reached sexual maturity (you can see his claspers if you zoom in), they relocated one of the sharks and let the hopefully future lovers attend only to each other.
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