Snorkeling Okinawa

[james37128]

Visiting Okinawa with my wife soon and wondering just where are the BEST of the BEST places to snorkel. I am specifically interested in corals, so coral gardens is what I am looking for.

Also If I were going to dive on one of the "discover scuba" type dives what company would you recommend? I need a place who is fluent in both Japanese and English (for my wife and me.) I am sure she could do it all in English but that might add to the classroom and take away from the actual dive.

 

[james37128]

really? Nobody?

 

[2t2_crash]

for snorkeling one of the best spots for soft coral and leathers is right outside of Kadena's gate 1... all up and down an area of beach is the Sunabae Sea Wall and it has all kinds of different stuff to look a and out for.

 

[MDP]

Get over to Aheren beach on Tokashiki Jima, a 40 min ferry ride from Naha. Softies, sps, LPS corals and great selection of fish. Better than anything you will find on the mainland. (Qualifying that by saying you can see all of this on the mainland, but at Aheren you can see everything at the same place).

http://encarta.msn.com/map_701515311/Okinawa_(island).html


Been there, done it (10 years in Japan and going back next year for next posting for 4 and a bit years) and for a daytrip it is pretty good fun.

Matt

 

[TPS-Dive]

Maeda Point is a favorite...for everyone. That said expect to see large crowds on the weekends.

Kadena steps is a nice snorkel too.

 

[james37128]

Thanks for all the input. Did not get a chance to snorkel this trip. We both have nice spring colds after the first night jet skiing in okuma. Still we were able to do some things and have a bit of fun. We have a "tour" scheduled tomorrow at ACO, hopefully that puts the icing on the cake for our dive and snorkelless trip.

 

[MDP]

TPS Dive.

What sort of things could I expect to see on a snorkel at Maeda point? Never tried it myself but might give it a go when I go back to Japan. Where is best for Zoas on the main Island? Kadena steps, is that accessible to the public? or is that part of one of the bases and thus off limits. Sorry for so many questions.

Many thanks

Matt

 

[Lionel]

I've found very nice zoanthids at both channel crevices(sp) and toilet bowl. I didn't really like maeda all that much to be honest.. it's just deep

 

[MDP]

Thanks Lionel. Where are those spots located. Need to get a divers map of Okinawa I think.

Cheers

Matt

 

[bethnjeremy]

you can get dive spots off of hotdives.com

 

[TPS-Dive]

type these into Google earth:
Kadena steps 26º21'28.14"N 127º44'23.23"E parking along the sea wall. Go up the seawall steps and back down the steps into the ocean. Nice soft and hard corals. probably better a low tide for snorkeling.

Sunabe seawall 26º19'39.22"N 127º44'42.15"E parking along the seawall. Anywhere along this sea wall is good. Lots of soft beautiful corals. Follow the local divers for the best spots. Yellow cury house for lunch is recommended.

Maeda Point 26º26'36.65"N 127º46'20.82"E parking for a fee so bring yen. Very popular as you can see by all the dive boats in the area. Low tide probably best for snorkeling. You can walk down the road to the left and there is a path down to the beach. Really nice tide pools here.

Onna Point 26º30'15.10"N 127º50'47.36"E if its been raining you need 4WD or be a much better driver than me to get to the beach. Very strong rip currents at the tide change here so be very careful. They put a chain on the bottom so divers can pull themselves in against the rip current. Best to come here on an incoming tide. Natural caves all along the shore.

Toilet bowl/horseshoe 26º30'15.10"N 127º50'47.36"E parking along the road. You can see the dive vehicels parked on the road. Toilet bowl is the first site up the road is Horseshoe (where the dive boat is anchored). Toilet bowl is deep. Horseshoe has really nice hard corals all the way out to the drop off. I sometimes see a pair of turtles at toilet bowl.

Bolo 26º26'29.09"N 127º42'45.70"E free parking by the light house. Its a bit of a goat trail down the the water. Dive here only if the ocean is flat or are very experienced. Very deep and can have strong currents.

 

[TPS-Dive]

Channel Crevis: 26º05'25.46"N 127º42'30.35"E free parking. naturally protected swimming area. Once over the reef it gets deep. Very nice pinnicals.

 

[2t2_crash]

the suicide cliffs to the left are one hell of a snorkel to get to the dive cite.