Come visit Sumida Aquarium from September 13th to meet two new adorable faces in the Coral Reef area.

The Ogasawara Islands, also known as the Bonin Islands, is recognised as one of Japan’s largest spawning grounds for Green Sea Turtles. Green Sea turtles are registered as an endangered species, so a number of NPO’s and zoological venues across the globe are contributing to conservation and release activities.
Since opening in 2012, Sumida aquarium has had a partnership with Ogasawara to help take care of and raise green turtles born in the region. Through the programme, the aquarium takes on hatchlings from the southern tropical islands, raises them to roughly one year of age and then releases them back into the Ogasawara sea as part of Green Sea Turtle conservation efforts.

In the aquarium, you can observe the baby green turtles swimming and playing in the water, floating on the surface and eating their food up close. Information will also be updated daily, by the conservation staff, tracking the growth and weight of the turtles as they mature over the year.

Baby Green Turtle Exhibit

Schedule: 13th September 2020 - September 2021
Location: “Coral Reef” area on the 6th floor of the aquarium

The aquarium will welcome two baby Green Turtles born in Ogasawara on July 24th earlier this year. Currently the babies are around 9cm in length, which is almost 3cm larger than last year’s Green Turtles upon their arrival, so it will be interesting to see the size they reach by the end of their residency at Sumida Aquarium.

Green Sea Turtle 2019 Memorial exhibition

Schedule: 12th September 2020 - Early October 2020
Location: “Aqua Academy” on the 5th floor of the aquarium

This exhibit will be dedicated to last year’s Sumida Aquarium resident Green Turtles, and will showcase the growth and progress of the turtles before their return to Ogasawara on September 9th of this year.
Last year’s hatchlings grew from about 6.5cm when they arrived at the aquarium to 27cm in just one year, and we’re returned to Ogasawara through the breeding programme on Wednesday the 9th of September.

Check out the display to see a complete log of last year’s turtles, and discover how the staff at Sumida Aquarium are able to support, protect and conserve Green Turtles from Ogasawara.

The new editions to Sumida Aquarium will make their debut to the public on the 13th of September, and they will remain in the care of the conservation staff until September of 2021, when they will be rereleased back into the wild.
Don’t forget to take your own photos (*without flash*) to keep track and compare the difference in size between the baby turtle’s arrival and their departure next year!