Seaside Aquarium

City: Hekinan

Country: Japan
Region Chubu
Opened 04.07.1982

Species 260

There are lots of figs, as the region, together with nearby Anjo City is the number one fig growing area in Japan. But then most people couldn’t give a fig. Oh, and there’s a baby dragon! One of the major attractions would have to be the Hekinan Seaside Aquarium and Maritime Science Museum, established in 1982 and home to a baby dragon, and over 300 species of marine life and some 3,000 creatures in all, found from the crystal clear and warm sub tropical waters of Okinawa to the deep, dark, icy cold waters of Hokkaido. There are jellyfish, coral and reef fish, starfish, sea urchins, sharks, deep water fish, huge octopus, eels, crabs, sea turtles, and even a display area dedicated to the freshwater aqua-life found in the nearby rivers. A recent addition to the collection is an Alligator Gar, a long, fat, rather frightening looking fish with a mouth like an alligator. Compared with most city aquariums, like its home town, the Hekinan Seaside Aquarium and Maritime Science Museum isn’t all that big. In fact, its name is probably bigger than the aquarium itself!  A single, large 200 ton tank sits in the main Aquarium Pavilion, surrounded by a number of smaller tanks. Apart from the lobby and a small café, there’s an adjoining Science Museum that holds regular informative study tours and day trips, staged in conjunction with the aquarium especially for local children and even adults during holiday periods.