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NATURESHARKSANDONECHEERY-LOOKINGGREENTURTLE.IT’SASPECIALPLACE,BUTPEOPLEDON’TREALLYHANGAROUNDASLONGASTHEYSHOULD.WEFORGIVETHEMTHAT,THOUGH,CONSIDERINGTHECROWNJEWELOFCHURAUMI,THE7,500M³KUROSHIOSEA,HOMETOGIANTMANTAS,YELLOWFINTUNAANDTHREEVERYCONSPICUOUSWHALESHARKS(LEFT),THEBIGGESTFISHINTHESEA.GIVENTHELUDICROUSSIZEOFTHEANIMALS,THETANK–WHICHISONEOFTHEWORLD’SLARGEST–BARELYLOOKSBIGENOUGH,BUTTHESEVERALHUNDREDPEOPLETHATFILLTHEGALLERIESTOLOOKATTHELEVIATHANSDON’TSEEMTHELEASTBITCONCERNED.FORME,THESHARKLABNEXTTOTHEMAINEVENTISEVENMOREIMPRESSIVE,NOTLEASTBECAUSEITGOESTOSUCHGREATLENGTHSTOEDUCATEVISITORS.OFCOURSE,IFYOU’REGOINGTOTRYANDWINOVERPEOPLETOTHINKINGTHATSHARKSAREGENERALLYSAFE,THEREAREPROBABLYEASIERWAYSTOGOABOUTITTHANHOUSINGASETOFMEGALODONJAWS(BOTTOMRIGHT)ANDTHREEVERYLIVEBULLSHARKS(WHICHARETHOUGHTTOATTACKMOREHUMANSTHANANYOTHERSPECIES,EVENTHEGREATWHITE).HOWEVER,THEREISAHUGEAMOUNTOFINFORMATIONONTHEULTRA-SCARCEMEGAMOUTHSHARKTOO,WHICHHASONLYBEENCAUGHTANDCHARTED54TIMES,WITH12OFTHOSECOMINGINJAPANESEWATERS.ALLINALL,IT’SASTUNNINGCOLLECTION,THEBESTI–ASHARKNERD–HASEVERSEEN.ILOVESHARKS,IREALLYDO–ILOVEHOWPERFECTLYDESIGNEDTHEYARE,HOWWELLADAPTEDTHEY’VEBECOME.IUTTERLYDESPISETHATTHEFINNINGTHATGOESONINORDERTOPROVIDEDISGUSTINGSOUPINASIA.SERIOUSLY,IFYOU’REGOINGTOKILLSHARKSATLEASTHAVETHEDECENCYTOEATTHEWHOLETHING–UNLESSYOUWEREADRIBBLINGPSYCHOPATH,YOUWOULDN’TCUTACOW’SLEGSOFFANDPUTITBACKINTHEFIELD.ANYWAY,ASMUCHASILOVESHARKS,IDON’TBELIEVETHEYAREVERYINTELLIGENT.ADISPLAYINTHESHARKLABSHOWSTHISMUCH:ALARGESHARK’SBRAINISALITTLEBIGGERTHANACHICKEN’SEGG,WHILEADOLPHINOFAPPROXIMATELYTHESAMESIZEHASAMUCHMORERECOGNISABLEBRAIN–AWRINKLED,DUAL-HEMISPHERE,FATGRAPEFRUIT,JUSTLIKEAHUMAN’S.WHILETHESHARKSSWIMAROUNDINACIRCLE,PERHAPSLOOSELYTHINKINGABOUTBREEDING,BUTREALLYJUSTWAITINGFORTHENEXTMEALTODROPINTHETANK,DOLPHINS(ANDWHALES,FORTHATMATTER)ARECLEARLYCAPABLEOFMUCH,MUCHMORE.JUSTHOWMUCHMORE?WELLOUTSIDETHERE’SADOLPHINANDWHALESHOWTOSHOWHOWSMARTOURAQUA-COUSINSREALLYARE.THEHALF-HOURLONGFREEPERFORMANCEDELIGHTSEVERYONE–THEBOTTLENOSEDOLPHINS,ANDESPECIALLYTHEFALSEKILLERWHALESHAVETHECROWDSSQUEALINGWITHGLEEASTHEYJUMPOUTOFTHEWATER,PULLFACESANDEVENBEACHTHEMSELVESONTHEPOOLSIDE.EACHTIMETHEYDOSOMETHINGRIGHTTHEYGETFISH,WHICHMIGHTMAKETHEMLOOKLIKELITTLEMORETHANACROBATICVERSIONSOFTHESHARKS,BUTILIKETOTHINKTHATIT’STHEDOLPHINSANDWHALESDAY80DECEMBER3RDNAHA,OKINAWATHATARELAUGHINGATOURSTUPID,GURNINGFACESWHILETHEYLEAPAROUND,GETTINGPAIDTOHAVEAGOODTIME.THAT’STHEDREAMFORANYLIVINGTHING,RIGHT?FORUSLOVERSOFALLSEALIFE,THEDOWNSIDESOFKEEPINGTHESESMART,BEAUTIFULCREATURESWEREPROBABLYOUTWEIGHEDBYTHEIRTREMENDOUSWORTHASANEDUCATIONALTOOL.WESODESPERATELYHOPETHATINJAPANMORETHANMOSTCOUNTRIES,SHOWINGTHEMTOBESENTIENT,ADAPTABLEBEINGSWILL,IFNOTKEEPTHESEPARTICULARCREATURESINTHEIRNATURALHABITAT,ATLEASTHELPKEEPTHEIRFUTUREKININTHEOCEAN,ANDAWAYFROMTHEDINNERTABLE.
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