Diving
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.
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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