Io World Kagoshima Aquarium

Zantyn Teo 2 weeks ago

A great experience that features myriad fauna of the ocean surrounding Kagoshima, among others. The main attraction was the whale shark exhibit, which is a large tank containing one whale shark and many other fishes like lemon sharks, mackerels, yellow fin tuna, guitar sharks, and others that I couldn't remember off the list at the side of the tank stating the names of each animal inside the tank. There are many other exhibits as well, such as corals, anemones, jellyfish, juvenile sea turtles, all in their respective enclosures. Other exhibits include animals of mangrove swamps like the electric eel and mudskippers. There are also seals and dolphins, the latter of which are also presented by a dolphin show which occurs a few times each day. All in all a pretty cool experience. There are souvenirs at the end of the experience could be purchased, albeit rather expensive (some more than the cost of the ticket to enter itself).

Alexia Groisard a month ago

I was lucky enough to visit this place for free, using tickets given by the city hall. As a foreigner, it is always interesting to go to aquariums around the world since we can see species we are not used to, and this place wasn't an exception : I was delighted to see their famous (and very cute !) whale shark. Kagoshima's aquarium also provides a dolphin show, a seal show, and some feeding shows (eletric eel, whale shark, pirarucu, ...). Unfortunately, most of the tanks are really small, too small for their well-being. The dolphin show took place outside, but the dolphins were trapped in what looked like a very narrow tunnel. Even the whale shark, on which all the advertising relies, was put in a tank ridiculously small compared to its size. The place is easily reachable, filled with very fancy and practical amenities (lockers, nursing rooms, free wheelchairs/baby strolls rentals, ...) but the admission fee felt too expensive for the time I spent there (less than two hours)... and, once again, the tanks are really small. Keep those negative points in mind if you want to visit !

Naric LAU a month ago

Hey there! Right next to the Aquarium, you'll find a convenient paid car park. And let me tell you, the dolphin shows there are absolutely amazing! The aquarium itself is massive, filled with all sorts of beautiful fish. Oh, and don't miss the cozy little restaurant on the ground floor. Now, get this: there are actually three whole floors to explore in this place. But here's the cherry on top: the top level offers a breathtaking view of Sukurajima. Trust me, it's absolutely fantastic!

Pedro de Pedra 3 months ago

Mostly about a wonderful dolphin pool and 3 times a day outside in an enclosed area of the port waters. Very natural and joyful approach between trainers and dolphins around 17:00 eating time, with all trainers’ instructions only by hand signals. Much better experience than the circus and shouting seen so much around the world. The rest of the aquarium is relatively small but beautiful. You will very much enjoy 1-1,5 hours here for only ¥1500 per adult.

Brandon Sato 5 months ago

Wonderful aquarium that has plenty of things to see and enough English for the non Japanese speaker. They have dolphin shows through out the day and other events like feeding the animals and fish. There are lots of weird and cool creatures here, so definitely stop by if you're in the city. Took maybe about 2 hours to go through it. You get a discount if you have the cute city pass