&Otaru
Enjoy dolphin shows and exhibits of big northern fish,
then go to the marine animal park to meet seals and sea lions!
A historic aquarium situated on the higher parts of Shukutsu. The exhibition of enormous northern creatures shows off the Sakhalin Taimen (the biggest freshwater fish native to Japan), and the 1.2m halibut, a relative of flounders that can reach 2.5m in size! You can also meet the giant pacific octopus, which reaches as much as 20kg in weight. There’s also a pool kept at 3℃ where you can touch various marine animals, making it a very Hokkaido-like aquarium. One of the biggest traits here is the marine animal park, which makes use of the natural sea. Imposing sea lions and a full 50 seals live here. Additionally, there are multiple harbour porpoises, which are hardly ever seen in the country. Sea lion diving and dolphin shows are frequently held events here, so try to plan an efficient timeframe to match those. For souvenirs, we recommend the plushes of marine animals that can be bought in the gift shop near the exit.
Otaru aquarium
- 【Address】3-303 Shukutsu, Otaru
- 【Business Hours】Normal opening hours (Mid-March to Mid-October) 9 AM to 5 PM (final entry at 4:30 PM) ,(Mid-October to late November) 9 AM to 4 PM (final entry at 3:30 PM) Winter hours (Mid-December to Mid-February) 10 AM to 4 PM (final entry at 3:30 PM）
- 【Parking Lot】Paid parking lot * Free during winter
- 【Official website】https://otaru-aq.jp/
- 【Contact Us】https://otaru-aq.jp/
- 【Map Code】493 841 145*27