Perfect for family visits. One of the best aquariums for marine animals I have ever been to. Plenty of food stalls and seats if you need to revive. The souvenir shop offers good quality and unique items. Unfortunately the cafe within the aquarium was full which I anticipated long time ago. It was a pleasant experience overall and I’d recommend to friends especially families with children.

This is an amazing complex. Located on the former Expo 75 lands, this is a huge 4-level aquarium. There are three major exhibits inside this complex. Kuroshio, Coral Sea, and the Shark Research Lab. The tank is so big, and the whale shark is so huge, that it is overwhelming and awe-inspiring. The admission fee is ¥2,180 however there are many places you can get a discount. On the same property, there are 4 other FREE pools. No admission is needed. The dolphin show is currently at the Dolphin Theater (Okichan Theater is currently being remodeled), the Manatee Pool, and the Sea Turtle Pool. This is a must-visit if you are in Okinawa.

The whole aquarium building is very large but actually there aren’t that many exhibits. If you wish to do something else, my suggestion is to go about 2 hours before closing time - it was so empty at 4pm. You skip all the bus loads of tourists and families, and still see the same thing. But do take note of the last entry timing. It doesn’t take more than 1.5 hours to cover. The dolphin shows were always crowded no matter which timing so if you want to sit you have to go early.

This place is BIG and the main aquarium has a GIANT shark and enormous manta rays. Fishes way bigger than Osaka’s aquarium, for example. Shop is varied (I could count at least 10 t shirt designs, the amount of plushies is great). There are lots of options for breakfast and lunch here. It takes a whole morning/begining of an afternoon to visit it. Don’t follow google maps recommendations to use local buses, trust me: they are expensive and you definetly won’t feel confortable with the idea of looking for a badly signed bus stop in the middle of a hilltop road. I’d recomend to get an airport shuffle bus - the price might sound expensive but it is fixed. Going back to my hotel I got a local bus and the ticket fare changes along the distance run by the bus. If it’s your first time in Okinawa, go visit it! But keep in mind that it is VERY far away from downtown. It’s a place where I wouldn’t like risking to miss the bus back to my hotel.

We loved our visit here. It’s not a big aquarium but the coral reefs and the whale shark were a sight to see. The queue was quick enough and the surrounding area is lovely with a playground for little kids.

When my daughter found out Okinawa was a stop on our Japanese vacation she said we had to visit here. It was amazing. Not just the beautiful tropical fish, but the giant central tank that housed the manta rays, sharks and the 30’ whale shark. We could have stayed all day.

We had a great day at the aquarium, here is a suggested itin. Book tickets for dolphin feeding online and get QR quote, visit on a weekday if possible but it was still packed on Monday when we visited. Get there early and park at P7 (closest) , we parked at P9 still ok but 10min walk to aquarium ok if you want to see manatees and turtles first. Watched dolphin show at 12noon then lined up at feeding booth to redeem for the fish bait at end of show. Then went indoor and watched coral reef feeding at 2pm, really worth it. The third/ last window has the best view at feeding time. Then go to ocean blue cafe (next to the whale shark tank) and sign up for a window side table. In busy day we waited for an hour for a table. At 3pm feeding time for the whale shark while we had afternoon tea, food average but great view priceless, booking fee 500 yen for window table and max 40minutes limit. Spend the rest of the day at the nice shark exhibits and shops (packed), the beach outside was really nice. If in a rush then can finish everything in an hour - slipping meals and feeding time.

We came here from Yaedake Sakuranomori Park at the end of January 2024. We paid Y 3,300 for 2 adults and a kid. The Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium was located in a huge area. We did not like the dolphin show. It was very disappointing but the rest of the place was very interesting.

Well worth a visit just to see a whale shark. It's an good value day of about 60aud. Take the bus 888 from naha prefectural office Don't use the airport bus line. Takes about 2.5 hours, spend about 3 hours at the aquarium, then bus back.