Yaeyama Islands Diving | VISIT OKINAWA JAPAN | Official Okinawa Travel Guide

Observe manta rays and explore an underwater hot spring in the waters of the Yaeyama Islands

The Yaeyama Islands are a diver’s dream, with an almost inexhaustible number of dive sites around Ishigaki and Iriomote islands alone. Dive with mantas, spot pelagic fish, or discover a submarine geyser. Enjoy off-the-beaten-track dives around Hateruma, Japan’s southernmost inhabited island, or Yonaguni, Japan’s westernmost inhabited island.

Sea Life in Yaeyama Islands

Diving Sites

1. Manta Scramble(Ishigaki Island)

Observe manta rays elegantly gliding through the water at Manta Scramble off the coast of Cape Kabira Ishizaki. There is a high chance of seeing mantas, especially between April and November.

Entry: Boat

Depth: 25 m

Current: Minimal

Level: Beginner

License: –

2. Taketomi Island Submarine Hot Spring(Taketomi Island)

Thermal water gushes from a spring on the seabed. See a submarine geyser up close and enjoy the warmth of the water around the spring.

Entry: Boat

Depth: 20 m

Current: Minimal

Level: Beginner

License: –

3. Nakanokami Island(Nakanougan Island)

Approximately 15 kilometers southwest of Iriomote Island, Nakanokami Island is a great site to see pelagic fish such as dogtooth tuna, giant trevally, and barracuda. The current can be quite strong, so the site is recommended only for advanced divers.

Entry: Boat

Depth: 30 m

Current: Occasionally very strong

Level: Advanced

License: Advanced

4. Nishihama(Hateruma Island)

Outcrops of coral dot the sandy ocean shore at this dive site well-suited to beginners. Visibility is typically around 30 meters, and you can see clownfish and Oriental butterflyfish in shoals around the coral.