The most popular destination on the Motobu Peninsula has to be Okinawa's Ocean Expo Park. This park was built to commemorate the 1975 International Ocean Exposition.
The great thing about this place is that there is something for everyone so we drag the whole family there to see what the park has to offer.
Ocean Expo Park is located on the western edge of the peninsula with a great view of the Ie-jima. There are acres of lush gardens with large floral statues giving the area a fun atmosphere. Reefs run parallel to the shore and large chunks of coral wash up on the beaches.
There is a small village of traditional houses that are great for learning about the history of the architecture on the island. Buildings from many different eras are represented and are authentically detailed from the pots in the kitchen to the shrines in the living areas.
The park holds free water shows with whales flying through the air and splashing the crowd. There are also a handful of free marine exhibits featuring manatees, turtles, dolphins and more.
The main attraction perched high above the ocean is Churaumi Aquarium built as the second largest aquarium in the world. There is a fee to enter and large crowds willingly pay it to view the thousands of fish, marine mammals and other types of aquatic life.
If these sharks aren't big enough for you then you can venture to the aquarium's largest tank to see the largest shark in the world, the whale shark.
This tank holds almost 2 million gallons of water and features huge schools of fish, gigantic manta rays and other interesting creatures. The main viewing window is almost 23 inches thick and dwarfs its audience.
What a great way to appreciate a world so much different than our own.
The gardens, free shows, free exhibits, traditional houses, ocean views, beaches, Churaumi Aquarium and much more add up to make Ocean Expo Park the must-see stop on Okinawa's Motobu Peninsula.
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