Marine World

This guide to Marine World in Fukuoka follows the six trainers who run its dolphin, sea lion, and penguin shows, starting with senior trainer Kinoshita Katsutoshi, who builds most of his own training gear by hand. It traces how the team's skills mix, from a veteran who works the crowd's timing to a colleague who crossed over from the aquarium's own fish department. You'll also hear about a trainer hooked on marine mammals since a school-trip dolphin show at age eleven, who now runs the sea lion, otter, and penguin side of the operation.