Artificial reef
down to 7 m
Amuro Fish Reef
Shallow 7 m artificial reefs off Amuro Island overgrown with finger coral and busy with fish.
- Open Water
Okinawa & Yonaguni
Diving in Japan
16 documented dive sites, 6 of them for Open Water divers. Known for manta rays, hammerhead sharks and humpback whales.
- Best months
- Apr–May
- Water
- 21–30 °C
- Levels
- Open Water, Advanced, Experienced
When to go
Pick a month: the diving season, from published sources, and the typical weather.
Pick a month
- Best
- Good
- Possible
- Closed
- Not documented yet
Okinawa & Yonaguni in October
Good season- Sea
- 29 °C
- at the surface
- Air
- 28 °C
- 24 °C at night
- Rain
- 140 mm
- one of the driest months
- Wind
- 15 km/h
- on average
Typical weather, not a forecast: averages for 2021–2025 (air, rain, wind) and 2023–2025 (sea), data from Open-Meteo (ERA5 / Copernicus, Météo-France). Covers an area of roughly 10 to 25 km around the destination.
Diving is possible year-round (sea ~21–30 °C). Apr–May shown as best: spring is calm with usually no typhoons, overlapping the Yonaguni hammerhead window (Dec–May) and the Ishigaki manta window (Apr–Nov). Jun–Oct: warm and ideal on the water but typhoon risk (official tourism site gives Jun–Sep for typhoons; its diving guide says watch forecasts Aug–Oct), and Okinawa's rainy season is May–Jun. Dec–Mar: cooler water and north winds (some sites, e.g. Shimosone, are summer-only) but peak hammerheads at Yonaguni and humpbacks in the Keramas.
Dive sites in Okinawa & Yonaguni
From the easiest to the most demanding. Levels with a dashed outline are estimates we are still verifying.
Open Water friendly
usual dive down to 18 m6 sitesReef
down to 15 m
Nishihama (Hateruma Island)
- Open Water
- Clownfish
Reef
down to 25 m
Sunabe Seawall
- Open Water
- Clownfish
For Advanced divers
usual dive down to 30 m8 sites
Yonaguni Monument (Underwater Ruins, Iseki Point)
Giant terraced rock formations, natural or man-made depending on who you ask, with schooling hammerheads in winter.
- Advanced
- Rock formations
Drift
down to 30 m
Irizaki Point
Blue-water drift off Yonaguni's western tip watching hammerheads in open ocean, with dogtooth tuna, barracuda and bigeye trevally.
- Advanced
- Whale sharks
Reef
down to 15 m
Manta City Point
Shallow manta spot near Kabira Bay, around 10 m deep, where even beginners can watch manta rays glide past.
- Advanced
- Manta rays
Rock formations
down to 40 m
Ugan
Huge rocks rising from 40 m off Zamami, facing open ocean where dogtooth tuna, amberjack and sometimes mantas pass.
- Advanced
- Manta rays
For experienced divers
usual dive down to 40 m2 sitesMarine life
When the big encounters happen, month by month.
| Species | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manta raysSource: visitokinawajapan.com | ||||||||||||
| Hammerhead sharksSource: en.marinediving.com | ||||||||||||
| Humpback whalesSource: en.marinediving.com | ||||||||||||
| TurtlesSource: diving.ishigaki-tours.com | ||||||||||||
| CuttlefishSource: seasir.com |
- Peak season
- Seen
Manta rays: Apr–Nov. Hammerhead sharks: Dec–May. Humpback whales: Dec–Apr. Turtles: All year. Cuttlefish: Dec–May
Also reported here, season not documented yet:
- Tuna
- Barracuda
- Trevally
- Whale sharks
Where is Okinawa & Yonaguni?
Okinawa & Yonaguni: frequently asked questions
- When is the best time to dive Okinawa & Yonaguni?
- The best months to dive Okinawa & Yonaguni are Apr–May. Diving is possible year-round (sea ~21–30 °C). Apr–May shown as best: spring is calm with usually no typhoons, overlapping the Yonaguni hammerhead window (Dec–May) and the Ishigaki manta window (Apr–Nov). Jun–Oct: warm and ideal on the water but typhoon risk (official tourism site gives Jun–Sep for typhoons; its diving guide says watch forecasts Aug–Oct), and Okinawa's rainy season is May–Jun. Dec–Mar: cooler water and north winds (some sites, e.g. Shimosone, are summer-only) but peak hammerheads at Yonaguni and humpbacks in the Keramas.
- Is Okinawa & Yonaguni good for beginner divers?
- Yes, partly: 6 of the 16 dive sites we document are suited to Open Water divers, including Amuro Fish Reef, Gorilla Chop and Taketomi Island Submarine Hot Spring. The others need more experience or a higher certification.
- What is the water temperature in Okinawa & Yonaguni?
- The water is usually between 21 °C and 30 °C over the year.
- What marine life can you see in Okinawa & Yonaguni?
- Divers regularly see manta rays (Apr–Nov), hammerhead sharks (Dec–May), humpback whales (Dec–Apr), turtles (all year), tuna and barracuda.
About this page
Seasons and marine life come from the sources below. Site levels and depths marked as estimated come from our original catalogue and are being checked one by one. Conditions change: always confirm with a local dive centre.
Your next dive is somewhere out there.
Find my next dive tripPhoto credits
- Furuzamami Beach, Zamami Island, Kerama Islands, Hashi photo, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Stepped rock terraces of the Yonaguni Monument, Melkov, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Sunlight and bubbles in deep blue water, Sarah Lee, Unsplash License, on Unsplash
