Whale sharks in a tank

The Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium holds 7,500-cubic meters of water and features the world's largest acrylic glass panel, measuring 8.2 meters by 22.5 meters. From 1980 to 1998, 16 whale sharks had been kept here and to this day 3 whale sharks are on exhibit.

According to Marine Conservation Society, the sharks were all captured around Okinawa Island by set-nets. The sharks were kept in the tank with the water temperature kept between 19.8 and 29.60C, matching environmental conditions during capture. Survival times ranged from as little as 3 days to the current record of nearly 10 years, dependant on their initial condition on arrival, as some animals had been injured during capture.

Here you can see some interesting videos and pictures from the aquarium:

Fuentes: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

See also: AquaDom, the world's largest cylindrical aquarium

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