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To those who gave valuable advice to the Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium
We would like to express our thanks to many people for giving us valuable advice about how Killer whales should be kept at the Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium. Our basic attitude toward keeping and exhibiting animals at the Aquarium has remained unchanged since the Aquarium's founding. Although ideally we should explain this attitude to all of you personally, it would be appreciated if you would allow us to explain here on the Web, and understand and cooperate with our activities. The following are our activities and our attitude toward them. |
Activities of the Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium
Since its founding in 1992, the Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium, well aware
of the importance of protecting, preserving and breeding wildlife, has served
not only as a social educational and recreational facility to exhibit animals
to the public, but also as a research facility to study the ecology of endangered
species, and has engaged in various activities to breed and protect such
species.
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Breeding of sea turtles and penguins |
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The Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium, equipped with a unique institute
for the study of sea turtles and an artificial nesting ground (sandy
beach) connected to a circular tank for sea turtles, has succeeded
for the first time in history in having Loggerhead and Hawksbill turtles
lay eggs and in hatching the eggs in captivity. From the opening of
the Aquarium until last year, of 7,500 eggs laid at the Aquarium,
4,650 were hatched. With 1,500 eggs laid last year, and 80% of them
hatched, the hatching rate is increasing year by year. In addition,
various social education programs have been promoted. These programs
include inviting the public to the Aquarium at night to observe sea
turtles laying eggs, and providing the public to release Loggerhead
turtle hatchlings into the Pacific Ocean from local nesting beach
such as Akabane Beach, Atsumi Peninsula, Aichi Prefecture, under the
supervision of staff members of the Aquarium.
Meanwhile, the Aquarium has a dioramic display tank for penguins that
recreates the meteorological environment of the Antarctic Circle for
keeping and exhibiting four species of arctic penguins: Emperor penguins,
Gentoo penguins, Chinstrap penguins and Adelie penguins. The Aquarium
has gained a worldwide reputation for its success in breeding three
of these penguin species (excluding Emperor penguins). Chinstrap and
Adelie penguins were here successfully reproduced for the first time
in Japan.
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Research with noteworthy results |
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(Sea turtles)
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Research on the environment and sexual maturation of
artificially bred sea turtles of various species |
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Research on the reproductive biology of Loggerhead turtles
at the nesting ground in the frontage of Akabane town,
Aichi Prefecture |
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Research on environmental requirements relating to artificial
breeding of Hawksbill turtles |
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Research on measures to prevent incidental catch of
sea turtles etc. |
(Penguins)
@EResearch on techniques for breeding arctic penguins in captivity |
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Number of Penguins Bred at the Aquarium etc. ias of March
5, 2002j |
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Species |
Number
of Penguins Extant at the Aquarium |
Number
of Penguins Hatched at the Aquarium |
Number
of Penguins Transferred to Other Organizations |
| Chinstrap
penguin |
PO |
T |
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| Gentoo
penguin |
ST |
TO |
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| Adelie
penguin |
SU |
QP |
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| Emperor
penguin |
U |
O |
| |
| King
penguin |
O |
T |
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| Total |
POV |
WP |
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| NoteF |
Figures in parentheses show number of penguins traded
with other organizations. |
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| (2) |
Other animals bred at the Aquarium |
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In addition to sea turtles and penguins, the Aquarium has succeeded
in breeding various animals, including Antarctic krill, here bred
for the first time in the world. In the hope that our achievements
will be shared with people all over the world, we will continue to
pursue our research. |
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Roles of the Facility Built in the new facility
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Significance of the facility |
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The new facility was completed in the second-stage construction
project. A greater range of exhibits are displayed at the new facility,
based on the Aquarium's achievements and research results, without
harming the continuity between this facility and the preexisting facility,
which has "Journey to the Antarctic" as its theme. The new
facility has two major objectives: to give visitors a close look at
large marine mammals (Cetacea), animals familiar to the Japanese since
ancient times, so that they will develop a greater appreciation for
the value of life and learn about the ecology of wildlife; and to
further develop our research activities in breeding and protecting
various species.
Under the theme "3.5 Billion Years\Long Journey, Animals that
Have Returned to the Sea," the new facility introduces the relation
between human beings and whales, which have won the long struggle
for survival. We hope that this facility will give visitors an opportunity
to think about the coexistence of whales and human beings in the global
environment of the 21st century.
As a whole, this facility reflects public views expressed through
the assembly of the Nagoya Port Authority, the construction promoter
of the facility, in the process of designing the project. |
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| (2) |
Animals exhibited at the new facility |
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Originally, Killer whales, Bottle-nosed dolphins and Belugas were
on the list of species to be bred and exhibited at the new facility.
Unfortunately, however, Killer whales, a species that many citizens
asked us to exhibit at the Aquarium, could not be acquired prior to
the opening of the new facility last November. We will do our best
to live up to their expectations. We are considering obtaining Killer
whales on breeding loan from other aquariums, and capturing wild ones.
Any killer whales obtained will be kept and exhibited at the facility
with the world's most advanced equipment. |
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Breeding environment |
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In keeping animals, ample attention is directed toward preserving
and breeding of species. Separate pools are used for display, breeding
and medical treatment of animals by species. In addition, with one
of the world's largest pools (water volume: 13,400 t, dimensions:
60 m (length) ~30 m (width) ~12 m (depth)), the new facility is capable
of keeping four to six Killer whales, a dozen Bottle-nosed dolphins,
and four to six Belugas.
Furthermore, with well-equipped medical care, quarantine and research
facilities, the Aquarium gives ample consideration to the breeding
environment. |
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Our policy on exhibiting animals |
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In exhibiting animals, importance is given to two points: one is
that the behavior and ecology inherent in individual animals should
not be upset; the other is that marine animals should be exhibited
so that visitors can observe their behavior and ecology, and how they
communicate in water. Therefore, underwater view windows (observation
windows, dimensions: 4 m ~29 m) are provided at the bottom portion
of the side of every water tank.
Meanwhile, animal shows organized at the Aquarium, unlike conventional
shows, feature the use of a large screen (LED hi-vision displays,
dimensions: 8 m ~14 m) helpful to the audience in understanding the
significance of each action taken by animals, and their ecology. |
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Research activities |
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In the process of breeding large marine mammals in its possession,
the Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium has been preparing to implement
research plans that are impractical without captive animals. Specific
subjects of these research plans include:
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Research on conservation of species, that is, physiology for
reproduction and biology, and artificial insemination techniques |
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Research on communication in water |
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Research on cognitive ability (cognitive science) |
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Research on social and environmental education programs based
upon the relation between human beings and marine mammals |
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Research on animal-assisted therapy using animals in captivity |
From the global perspective, the Aquarium will conduct joint researches
and field surveys in collaboration with universities, research institutes
and other aquariums. |
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Roles of the Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium
Using earth's biological resources under appropriate control, without depleting
them (sustainable use of resources), is essential to the survival and development
of human beings; this fact is acknowledged by people around the world.
Accordingly, there is growing demand for environmental education that helps
us understand the importance of preserving wild animals, including marine
mammals, and using them effectively as biological resources.
In satisfying these demands, the roles of aquariums and zoos have increased
in importance, because they can offer knowledge that is of help in creating
the new worldview essential to successful co-existence of human beings and
nature. The Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium is determined to make every effort
to contribute to this endeavor.
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