A single dolphin drew a beautiful arc and jumped out of the water's surface, diving back into the water once again.
Next, the second and third dolphins jumped in succession. Each time, water splashes flew all the way to the audience seats.
Since there are no acrylic panels at this stadium, the water splashes fly directly towards the spectators.
In the audience seats, a warning line saying "There may be seawater splashes in front of this line" had been indicated, so we decided to watch from the seats at the very edge.
Even so, small splashes occasionally flew towards us, transmitting the intensity of the dolphins' movements to us.
This time, three dolphins jumped simultaneously from the right side of the water's surface, then, in the same manner, three jumped from the left side, continuously splashing water towards us. It was a spectacular sight.
"Wow! How cool!"
"Do you think our kids could do that?"
Stephanie was excitedly watching the dolphins, but Alice seemed to be deep in thought.
When Alice said "our kids," was she referring to those four shark-shaped Phrase..?
I don't think it's impossible, but I feel like the show wouldn't be as enjoyable as this dolphin show...
"Those must be bottlenose dolphins... You know, dolphin shows like these might disappear in a few years, you know?"
"Huh? Really?"
I was surprised by the words quietly muttered by Dad, who was holding Fuyuki in his arms.
"From the perspective of animal protection. It's being abolished one after another overseas, and apparently, Japan will be next..."
I see... Considering that, I guess it was good to see it before it disappears... Well, it's not like I particularly like dolphins.
The reason is that dolphins, just like humans, can be bullies... Apparently, when they experience stress, they tend to bully weaker individuals in groups.
It's a common behavior among pack animals, like chickens or monkeys.
Apparently, weak individuals are seen as a hindrance to the group, and if too many weak individuals are in the group, the entire group becomes weaker, so they eliminate them before that happens.
When it's said that this is a survival instinct in the wild, it makes me feel uneasy and downhearted. I didn't show this feeling to everyone who was enjoying the dolphin show right in front of us, though.
Well, for now, let's just enjoy the show.
As the dolphins dispersed into the left and right pools, sea lions came next.
On the stage at the back of the pool, the animal trainers and the sea lions humorously bowed in synchronization, waving their hands (or flippers?) to greet the audience.
The sea lion then dove into the pool. When the trainer threw a ring the size of a basketball into the water, the sea lion, with its head above the surface, expertly caught the ring with its neck.
One by one, the rings were thrown, and without dropping any, the sea lion caught them on its neck. It was impressive!
Once all the rings were caught, the sea lion approached the trainer and clapped its hands (or flippers?) together, as if to say, "Isn't that amazing?" to the audience.
Next, a ball was thrown, and the sea lion caught it with its nose. It moved while balancing it perfectly on its nose.
"Is it balancing using its whiskers?"
"I think it's using its whiskers to predict the movement of the ball, more than balancing them."
It seemed that Yumina could clearly see the sea lion's whiskers from here.
For wild animals, whiskers serve as sensitive sensory organs. In humans, they are said to serve as protection for the skin, but if a cat's whiskers are cut, it loses its sense of balance and tends to bump into things.
...Wait, does Amber have whiskers? I feel like she did when she was in her big tiger form... Wait, did she?
Well, Amber is a woman, so I guess she wouldn't like whiskers anyway...
While I was thinking about these pointless things, the sea lion began bouncing the ball like in a juggling act and then spun its body sideways while supporting it.
"Whoa," the voices of the audience were filled with admiration. It may be obvious, but it was so flexible!
The sea lion returned the ball to the trainer and climbed onto a circular platform at the back of the pool. Music began to play.
To the bouncy bass and tambourine rhythm, the sea lion started swaying from side to side. When the trainer asked for clapping, the audience joined in with rhythmic applause.
This song is a masterpiece of 1960s soul music. Grandpa liked it, and he often played it. My mom, who probably also heard it from him, was swaying to the rhythm with a good spirit.
The same rhythm was being enjoyed by Sakura, who must have also heard it from Grandpa, and Yoshino, who was clapping her hands and swaying along with the beat.
However, in the song "Don't rush love. You need to wait patiently," the sea lion shook its head from side to side and flapped its hands (or flippers?) in a comedic and heartwarming way.
Following the trainer's instructions, the sea lion slid across the stage, spinning around as if it were breakdancing.
"Wow!"
As I was admiring the sea lion's movements, without any warning, the trainer jumped into the pool. Then, he beckoned the sea lion, and together they spun around in the water.
The sea lion smoothly approached the audience side of the pool, waving its hands (flippers?) as if to say "Thank you!" to the audience.
Then, it looked behind and beckoned the trainer, "Come over here!" The trainer scrambled to climb up the poolside and bowed to the audience. The roles were reversed.
Receiving applause from the audience, the sea lion, along with the trainer, exited to the backstage. It seems that the dolphin and sea lion show was over.
"That was fun!"
"I want a sea lion as a pet..."
Rinne shouted excitedly, and Erna muttered some unsettling words. Well, I hope she'll ask for one when we return to the future... Ah, but I guess in the end, it’s me who’ll be the one to worry about it...!
"Dad! A stuffed animal! There's a stuffed animal!"
Stephanie pointed towards a stall selling stuffed animals, located on the way to the second-floor exhibit entrance from the stadium. All the children, except for Kuon, were excited.
But I told them that if we bought them now, it would be troublesome, and if we followed the pamphlet, we'd reach a stall at the end, so we should buy them there instead. It’s definitely not going to be just one per person...
Reluctantly leading the children, who were clearly drawn to the stuffed animals, we finally entered the second-floor exhibit.
"‘The Sea of the World’ huh."
The first floor is the "Sea of Japan," and the second floor is the "Sea of the World." So this area must be... Oceania.
When you think of Oceania, it includes places like Australia, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands... those kinds of areas.
"Wow...!"
The children headed towards the large aquarium in front of them. Inside, colorful fish were swimming gracefully.
Red, blue, yellow, and orange fish decorated the blue aquarium.
Ah, there’s a Napoleon Wrasse and a clownfish. Were those from Oceania? Wait, I think Napoleon Wrasse is also found in Okinawa, right? So they have a wide distribution?
"I've seen that fish in a movie."
Frei kept staring at a clownfish. Well, it's famous, after all.
But actually, I heard that the fish in that movie was a different species. But I guess that's a trivial thing to mention.
I noticed Kuon was staring intently at a different fish in another tank, so I went over to check. There was a long, shark-like fish, pressing itself tightly against the wall. It was also lying on its back near the bottom.
"Remora?"
"Remora?"
"It has a sucker-like organ on its head, and it was named after 'kobana' from old Japanese coins, because it resembles the shape. But actually, it’s not related to sharks at all, it's a member of the bass family."
The explanation came from Dad, who was holding Fuyuki above us. Huh? So it’s not a shark?
Remoras usually attach themselves to larger sharks or sea turtles, don’t they? They feed on their leftovers.
They’re kind of like cheaters, getting scraps by pretending to be something they’re not... Well, it’s not their fault the name is misleading...
I turned away from the Remora and moved on to the next corner. "Europe," huh.
"Hey, there’s a seal."
Inside the large aquarium on the left side, a Baikal seal was swimming leisurely.
The only seal in the world that lives only in freshwater... So this one isn't from the sea? Since it lives in Lake Baikal in Russia, it's called the Baikal seal.
...But isn’t Russia not considered part of Europe? Well, never mind the details...
It was chubby, with a face like an old man, but it swam gracefully.
It glided smoothly left and right, sometimes crawling along the bottom, sometimes swimming on its back like a backstroke.
"It swims so well. It doesn’t waste any movements."
Yakumo was captivated by the seal’s movements. It swam smoothly, then gracefully turned along the wall and swam back upside down. Indeed, it didn’t waste any movements. It seemed to be swimming with minimal effort.
But, it’s always in the water... Is it okay with breathing? I looked at the explanation, which mentioned that it’s skilled at diving and can stay underwater for about fifteen minutes. That explains it.
"A big shrimp!"
"A lobster?"
Lu and Arcia peered into the small adjacent tank, where there was a lobster. Also known as the omar lobster. Its large claws made it look more like a big crayfish than a shrimp.
Well, I guess crayfish are a type of shrimp, so maybe there’s not much difference between them.
With the Baikal seal waving goodbye, we moved on to the next "Africa."
In front of us was a large aquarium, designed like a riverbed, dividing water and land.
At first glance, it seemed empty... Is there something there?
I approached and checked the sign next to the tank. "Aonyx cinereus?" Otters? Where are they?
Looking closely at the tank, I saw something black curled up on a wooden platform near the water’s edge. Could that be it?
It was completely turned away from us and not moving at all. I felt an impulse to tap on the tank to make it turn towards us, but I knew that would be against the aquarium rules. I had taught the children that on the bus... After all, tapping the tank could even break it...
So, I reluctantly watched the otter’s explanatory monitor nearby, when suddenly the curled-up otter raised its face. It then rolled onto its side and started stretching, rubbing its face with its paws.
"How cute."
"Yes, so cute..."
Elze and Elna were watching the otter with sparkling eyes. It really was cute. It moved almost like a cat.
It stood up, stretched its neck towards the water's edge, and splashed as it drank. For a brief moment, it looked our way but then immediately started drinking again, unconcerned. Such a laid-back creature... Well, I suppose it can't be bothered by the onlookers.
Leading Elze and Elna, who seemed still attached to the otter, we moved on to the next corner. Next is "America."
"Dolphins! Black and white!"
Linne ran towards the large aquarium in front of us. Hey, don’t run!
Inside the tank, two dolphins were swimming, divided into black and white colors. A spotted dolphin, huh.
Their heads, chest fins, dorsal fins, and tail fins were black, while the rest was white. This must be what people call "panda dolphins," right?
They were smaller than the bottlenose dolphins we saw earlier. The two spotted dolphins swimming in the tank were of different sizes. A parent and its child? Or siblings? Or maybe a couple?
Much like the pandas in the zoo, these dolphins seemed to be popular, as many people were taking pictures.
For a souvenir, I took a photo of the children with the spotted dolphins in the background. Since flash photography was prohibited, the picture was a little dim, but with the blue background, it turned out to be a somewhat mystical shot.
It seemed that the next corner was also "America," but the atmosphere changed completely.
As we passed through an automatic door, we could hear the sounds of birds and wind, almost as if we were in a jungle.
In reality, it was probably just background music, but there were potted plants everywhere, and the atmosphere felt like a jungle. This must be the South America section, right?
"Lizards, there’s one!"
"Not a fish, huh?"
Yaé and Hilda were looking at a green iguana behind an acrylic panel. Next to it, in a small tank, were frogs and other creatures. So these must be water-dwelling animals? I think this one swims too.
Yaé stared intently at the iguana... Well, apparently, it’s edible. I saw on TV that it tastes like chicken.
Like a frog staring down a snake, I turned my attention to the opposite tank where the iguana wasn’t moving at all.
Inside, there were long, large fish swimming. Arapaima, arowana... even I’ve heard of those fish.
I believe the arapaima is the largest freshwater fish in the world. It's been called a "living fossil" because its appearance hasn’t changed in around 100 million years.
According to the sign, the arapaima can grow over three meters in length.
Hmm... In the other world, there are even bigger fish, so it doesn’t feel all that impressive.
I can understand that the fish is large because I still have a sense of Earth’s scale, but I don’t think the others are particularly impressed.
Everyone else was heading over to the crocodile, though... Wait, crocodile?
Oh, it’s a Brazilian caiman. A smaller kind of crocodile.
"It’s not moving."
"Maybe it’s sleeping?"
Despite being stared at by the children, the Brazilian caiman kept its eyes closed and didn’t move at all. As Frei said, maybe it's sleeping? Or maybe that’s just how they behave?
After losing interest in the immobile crocodile, the children moved on to the next tank and their eyes lit up. Unlike the previous motionless crocodile, dozens of small fish were swimming energetically in every direction.
Red, blue, yellow, and colorful fish adorned the water. Tropical fish.
Guppies, neon tetras, platies, mollies... Illuminated by the lights, their scales glittered brightly.
These fish were fun to watch. It’s no wonder that people get hooked on tropical fish.
As I looked into the sparkling aquarium, I felt like I was peering into a kaleidoscope.
It seemed that the "America" section was coming to an end, but at the exit, there was a skeleton of an arapaima displayed.
It was all bones... as expected. There were bones even in the tail and fins. It looks hard to eat... Wait, I’ve been thinking like Yaé and the others!
Next is "Asia."
After passing through an automatic door, we saw a tank on the left where two sea turtles were swimming.
They were about a meter long. You could probably ride them. Did Urashima Tarō ride on one of these?
"These aren’t exactly like coral."
"Well, coral is more like a tortoise."
As Linze said, there is a difference between sea turtles and coral. The summoned coral has thick, four legs, whereas sea turtles lack that and have large, flat flippers. As their name suggests, sea turtles live primarily in the ocean, only coming to land during mating season.
"Zaratan also has legs but lives in the sea."
"Zaratan is... a bit different..."
Alice was referring to the giant beast Zaratan.
It’s true that Zaratan is a tortoise but lives in the sea... or rather, at the ocean floor. Since it's so massive, it’s probably easier for it to stay in the water. It definitely wouldn’t be able to swim like a sea turtle.
"What’s this? Are there a bunch of worm-like creatures?"
On the opposite side, Suu was looking at a tank where several garden eels were poking their heads out from the sand.
Their long bodies were standing in loose curves, remaining still on the sand. They almost looked like seaweed. Their English name is "spotted garden eel"... They look like garden eels? Is that why they resemble grass when lined up?
Since they’re called garden eels, they’re probably a type of conger eel... They don’t wriggle around, so I don’t feel disgusted. Or so I thought, until Dad added some extra information.
"The bodies of garden eels are buried in the sand, and they’re incredibly long. I think they burrow more than 30 centimeters into the sand, wriggling."
...Thinking about it that way, it’s a bit unsettling... So many wiggling creatures hidden under the sand... Hmmm...
Escaping from the garden eels, we moved through the "Asia" section and saw the large aquarium we had seen when we first entered. It opened up into a spacious area with a view from the first floor to the second.
Ah, I see. The second floor is visible from here.
As always, the massive school of sardines was shimmering with silver scales, swirling around in the water.
The children and I once again immersed ourselves in the mystical blue world. Creating an aquarium in Brunhild might be fun. If we connected the sea and the tanks with a gate, we wouldn’t have to care for the fish.
Wait, if strange magical beasts started invading, that would be a problem. It would be better to manage the tanks properly after all...
"Touya-san?"
"Oh, right."
Lu called out to me, and I snapped out of my thoughts. Everyone had started walking towards the next section.
Next... "Healing Jellyfish?"
In a dimly lit corner, a round circular aquarium was installed on the wall. It looked like the instruments of a retro space battleship. When I looked inside, there were several small jellyfish swimming around, bobbing up and down.
Healing jellyfish... Do they really heal? In the other world, there were giant poisonous jellyfish monsters, but compared to those, these are quite cute.
Some of the brides looked grim, perhaps reminded of slimes, but are they really feeling healed?
Prompted by them, we passed through the jellyfish zone, followed a somewhat long hallway with sponsorship listings, and reached another automatic door leading outside.
"Monster Plaza?"
I tilted my head slightly at the words written on the wall before the automatic door. Monster? Oh, sea monsters.
Beyond the automatic door was a rocky area surrounded by acrylic panels, where small black-and-white sea creatures were greeting us.
"Penguins!"
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