Diving

Ishigaki's climate is semi-tropical and the waters which surround islands in the Yaeyama archipelago remain warm all year round. Scuba diving is extremely popular activity with people travelling from both Japan and further afield to dive with manta rays. The most reliable place to view these magnificent creatures is at 'Manta Point' (also known as 'Manta Scramble') which is located just off Kabira's coast. Many mantas make their way to this point to clean and feed on plankton, however, there are other sites where they are frequently spotted throughout the archipelago. If you'd like to dive in Ishigaki you may be interested in the the services offered by Diving School Umicoza.

Coral

Ishigaki has an abundance of coral in its waters and the ocean teams with life. Indeed, in many cases expansive areas of coral are located so close to the shoreline that a snorkel will probably be preferable to scuba gear.

Shiraho is a town positioned on the south west coast of Ishigaki and the waters off its coast are famed for having one of the largest areas of blue coral in the world.

There are also a number of drop-offs and cave diving opportunities to be enjoyed on the island and it is often said that Ishigaki compares well will better known dive locations throughout Asia.

Manta rays hovering at Kabira's 'Manta Scramble'

Ishigaki's 'Manta Scramble' is a world-famous dive spot (photo courtesy of Diving School Umicoza).

Outer Islands

Diving is not limited to Ishigaki, with quality dive locations being positioned throughout Yaeyama. Many of the smaller islands such as Taketomi and Kuroshima also have large areas of unspoilt coral in their shallow waters. More adventurous divers may choose to head out to Iriomote's deeper waters which offer the opportunity of coming face to face with large sea creatures. Yonaguni is also a favored dive location with its deep waters and huge drop-offs where encounters with whale sharks have been reported. A sight not to be missed is the congregation of hammerhead sharks which takes place every year during the winter months.

Hundreds of thousands of tourists flock to Ishigaki from mainland Japan every year with many of them keen to experience some 'taiken daibingu', which is probably best translated as 'experience diving'. A large number of dive operators and instructors have set up on the island in the hope of gaining a slice of what has become a huge business.

Cost

The cost of diving in Japan isn't cheap, and in this sense Ishigaki is no exception, however, tough competition has kept the cost within most budgets. It should be pointed out that there are only a few operators on the island which provide instruction in English. If you wish to purchase your own equipment then there are lots of dive shops positioned over the island. If you're after snorkeling equipment then it's also worth checking larger fishing shops which often stock gear at very reasonable prices.

Video

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