An ultrasonic observation apparatus includes: an ultrasound probe configured to convert an electrical transmission drive wave into a transmission echo of an ultrasonic wave, to transmit the transmission echo to a specimen, to receive a reception echo reflected from the specimen, and to convert the reception echo into an electrical reception signal a storage unit configured to store a parameter that indicates characteristics depending on types of the ultrasound probe and is required for generation of the transmission drive wave and correction of the reception signal a transmission drive wave generating unit configured to generate the transmission drive wave depending on the types of the ultrasound probe with reference to the parameter stored in the storage unit such that a frequency spectrum of the transmission echo in a predetermined frequency band is constant regardless of the types of the ultrasound probe a reception signal correcting unit configured to correct the reception signal depending on the types of the ultrasound probe with reference to the parameter stored in the storage unit and an image processing unit configured to generate image data using the reception signal corrected by the reception signal correcting unit.
