Man Made Marvels:Okinawa Aquarium. Discovery Channel 23 Nov

[dfstan]

Hallo folks...

Keep a lookout for the programme airing on Discovery Channel titled Man Made Marvels: Okinawa Aquarium. Don't know if Central will be showing for those do not have SCV.

Anyway, below are the airing schedule and brief description of the programme.

Premieres
23/11 (Thursday) @ 10pm

Repeats
24/11 (Friday) @ 10am
27/11 (Monday) @ 9am
30/11 (Thursday) @ 3am
30/11 (Thursday) @ 4pm
03/12 (Sunday) @ 5am
06/12 (Wednesday) @ 6pm

On the Japanese island of Okinawa, scientists and engineers have set themselves a monumental challenge: to construct Asia’s biggest aquarium.

But that’s not all – the aquarium plans on being the first in the world to hold whale sharks – the largest fish in the ocean – and to successfully breed them in captivity.

The Churaumi Aquarium is a modern marvel of engineering and technical skill – with the added challenge of being ecologically sound. Designing and building an aquarium that can safely house fish that can grow to 20 meters in length – as well as making them feel at home so that they will breed is a gargantuan task.

 

[diediealsomustdive]

Not sure this will go down well in the forum, as many had expressed the opinion that keeping a whale shark in captivity is akin to keeping a man in a cage the size of a small bed room. I am one of them who's against keeping such magnificent creature in captivity.

But interesting post anyway, I want to catch it, am asking someone to record the program for me.

 

[sunfish]

I was in Okinawa year 1999, the aquarium is already there. They have whale sharks, manta rays, eagle rays etc in the tank. I heard one of the whale sharks died

 

[eudon]

thanks for the post, will definately watch.

very debatable topic on keeping such large animals in captivity, or keeping any animals for that matter. On the plus side, scientist will understanding them better this may lead to us assisting them?

 

[dive4soul]

Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan already housed a female whaleshark named Yuchan. In the same tank, a manta was present too. Mola mola is an exhibit there as well. No need to go diving liao Be sure to make a trip to Kaiyukan if you happen to be in Osaka. http://www.kaiyukan.com/eng/index.htm

 

[slooow]

these also!!

http://www.ne.jp/asahi/samurai/h3/photo_okinawa05/P6250070.JPG

http://www.ne.jp/asahi/samurai/h3/photo_okinawa05/P6250068.JPG

 

[siaoon]

thanks for the post, will definately watch.

very debatable topic on keeping such large animals in captivity, or keeping any animals for that matter. On the plus side, scientist will understanding them better this may lead to us assisting them?

seeing such pelagics is always impressive.. but i dun see how the scientists can help them that much by housing and dunno how to keep them alive... stop hunting them and i think thats a great achievement, aint it?

 

[lovells19]

Hear from a friend in taiwan that they have juvenile whale shark live daily at the fish market, they supply to some of the fish tanks when theirs die....