From Reefs to Wrecks Okinawa’s Gorgeous Underwater Life

Today I’m going to tell you why Okinawa stands out among the dozens of incredible places I’ve dived and worked in. In the previous article I talked about our first dive in Okinawa, the USS Emmons Shipwreck, and in this article we will dive Okinawa’s reefs.

After waking up full of energy on a sunny Japanese morning, we took our coffees and headed to the point where the dive center would pick us up. After meeting with the owner of the dive center and our instructor friend Alex at the meeting point, we headed to the port where our boat would take off. Several different dive centers share the dive boat. There is an area reserved for each dive center where you can prepare your equipment.

Okinawa is part of a chain of 160 islands and hosts thousands of divers every year owing to the beauty of its coastline. The biodiversity of the reefs and the high underwater visibility have made Okinawa one of the best diving destinations in the world. The reason why the biodiversity is so rich is that the current system known as the Kuroshio, or Japan Current, feeds the coast of Okinawa and makes it attractive for marine life of different sizes.

I always enjoy the diversity of languages and cultures spoken on dive boats. When you get into your diving suit, it doesn’t matter who you are, where you are from or what language you speak.

As our boat left the harbor, the fresh breeze and the smell of the ocean immediately surrounded us. The dive spots are 45 minutes away on average and the boats move at high speed. It is better to prepare your equipment and secure it before the boat takes off. This way you can watch this unique view while cruising.

Diving in Okinawa is more like being a part of a harmony than witnessing underwater beauties. When you start descending, you are first greeted by a wide, endless blue, and as you follow the sunlight dancing in the water, you find yourself on colorful reefs. It is also useful to look around you before you get lost in the reefs full of tropical fish and corals, because it is possible to encounter large sea creatures such as manta rays, sharks and turtles.

If you are one of the Manta lovers, which I define as the creatures that are as gentle a species as they are big, Ishigaki Island is a home for Manta’s. Although the high season is between April and November, you have the chance to see Manta most of the year. You can do cavern dives on Miyako Island or take photos on the colorful reefs on Kerema Island. Kerama Island is the diving spot with the highest visibility in this region. If you are interested in smaller creatures such as nudibranchs, you can take beautiful photos with a good light at the right time of the day.

When I was working in the Mediterranean, I always imagined how beautiful the blueness of the Mediterranean and the topographical beauty of the underwater would be if it were decorated with corals. This is exactly what I found in Okinawa. Wide canyons, caverns and walls decorated with corals and tropical fish.

So when to go to Okinawa? Okinawa is a diving destination where you can dive all year round. Water temperatures varies seasonally, with the coldest 20 degrees and the warmest 29 degrees. The rainy season is between May and June. The duration and intensity of the rains changes from season to season. During this period, the weather is usually cloudy and the high humidity may lower your mood a little, but as soon as the boat sails, your mood will be restored immediately. After August, the Pacific starts to slowly switch to winter mode, although the weather is generally good, there may be storms from time to time. Even in tropical places, I always keep a neoprene jacket and a hat for after diving in my dive bags and I recommend it to you.

After a week of enjoyable dives in different spots, we left my mind on the Pacific once again and headed back home. I say goodbye for now, and hope to say hello to this small Japanese island again soon.