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Country: Japan Area: Japan
Water Temp: 21 - 29°C (70 - 84°F)
Visibility: 5 - 30m (16 - 98 ft)
Depth Range: 5 - 30m (16 - 98 ft)
Manta Rays (mating, feeding and being cleaned at the dive spot Manta Scramble) June - Late November
Ishigaki Island is part of a chain of islands in Okinawa prefecture called the Yaeyama islands. It's well known for its several nice beaches and good snorkelling and diving in the surrounding coral reefs.
Book A Dive Center OnlineMantas are the main reason people dive at Ishigaki Island, and one of the island's most famous dive points, Manta Scramble, is often visited. Mantas are more or less guaranteed on every dive here from spring through autumn (they are there in winter too but the dive point can be hard to reach because of the rough water at this time). When not looking out for mantas, you can spot a range of other creatures as well including reef fish, nudibranchs and cuttlefish.
Manta Scramble consists of cleaning stations for manta rays, largely on top of big coral structures at around 10m. There are also deep valleys in between where divers can move slowly from one cleaning station to another as the mantas move. There are a few sea anemones and reef fish that are worth watching as well.
The lone ranger over healthy coral reef of Ishigaki Island, Credit
Osaki Hanagoi Reef takes you down to about 20m, from which you ascend, swimming back towards the reef and exploring the many rocks, walls and other formations along the way. Look out for nudibranchs, small crabs, shellfish, some juvenile lionfish and beautiful leopard morays. Hanagoi means anthias fish in Japanese, so look out for this famous fish that gives its name to this spot!
Mash I and Mash II are a couple of huge mushroom-like coral formations that lie a little below 10m. Check out the range of coral - table corals, star and brain corals that mix together forming a dense carpet stretching for miles. Sea snakes are often spotted while rays can be seen emerging from the sandy patches dotted here and there. Spider crabs, squart shrimps and trumpet fish can also be seen.
The government began monitoring areas around Ishigaki Island in 1998 as coral reefs in the area had been severely damaged by Crown-of-Thorns starfish. Coral bleaching also occurred in 1998 following an unusual rise in sea temperature. The surveys are conducted by means of researchers making separate visual 15min observations and recording data. The amount and type of live coral, degree of bleaching, water clarity and sedimentation are among the areas recorded.
Soft coral, Credit
Ishigaki Island has a semi-tropical climate. Visitors can enjoy warm weather virtually all year round. By the end of May temperatures are reaching 30C and the warm weather can continue until December. The winters are short and mild with temperatures in the mid twenties on the warmest days. There is a rainy season for between two and four weeks from the middle of May while typhoon season runs from the start of July to the end of October during which time there is the possibility of typhoons hitting the island. Water temperatures range from around 21C in winter to about 29C in summer.
Cuttlefish can be seen in January and February as they come to spawn. Reef fish include anthias fish, lionfish, a range of nudibranchs, lionfish, honeycomb morays, crown anemone fish, pink anemone fish, batfish, spider crabs, porcupine fish and anemone partner shrimps.
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Manta Scramble - this site consists of big mountain ridges on a white sandy bottom, with a coral wall 20-30m deep. Divers wait next to the ridges and walls while the mantas glide around. It's a short boat ride from Ishigaki Island's Kabira area but slightly inaccessible during the winter when the seas are rougher. The dive is generally slow and relaxing, making it suitable for all diver levels.
Diving Ishigaki Island, Credit
Osaki Hanagoi Reef - named after the hanagoi, or anthias fish, this site takes you to about 20m. You then spend time slowly ascending while exploring the many rocks, walls and other formations along the way. It's easily accessible from the mainland, about 5-10mins by boat, and is a good site for finding tiny forms of macrolife such as nudibranchs, small crabs and shellfish. It's also teeming with blennies, pipefish and gobies that come together to form clouds of colour. On the final ascent here, you can encounter cuttlefish if diving in January as this is when they begin to spawn. Some excellent photo opportunities here.
Nudibranch, Ohsaki, Ishigaki, Credit
Mash I and Mash II - this site is named after a couple of huge mushroom-like coral formations. Also about 5-10mins away by boat, the site is ideal for beginners as it's a shallow point and most dives average between 6-8m so plenty of time can be spent underwater although controlled buoyancy is a must so you don't crash into the branch coral! Keep an eye on the range of coral - table, star and brain all mixed together.
Undewater - Ishigaki Island, Credit
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Air travellers coming from Tokyo's Haneda airport will want to connect through Naha, the capital of Okinawa which lies north of Ishigaki Island, on Okinawa Island. Japan Airlines (JAL) and All Nippon Airways (ANA) or their subsidiaries have frequent flights from Naha to Ishigaki, although JAL and ANA have recently introduced direct flights to Ishigaki from Haneda airport. This flight takes 3 hours.
Kabira Bay, Ishigaki Island, Credit
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The downtown area has several restaurants and bars. One popular restaurant is Kin-Jyo which offers local Ishigaki beef. If you're after seafood, Kuwachii near the port terminal serves tuna and rice dishes. Kunatsuyu also serves a local specialty - Yaeyama noodles in a mild soup, served with thin strips of pork, green onions and kamaboko (fish cake).
For bars or clubs, check out the Misakichou entertainment district with a few streets running parallel to each other and many bars and izakaya (traditional Japanese-style pubs). The bar/club scene doesn't get going until late in the evening and some establishments can be very slow until midnight.
Street in Ishigaki, Credit
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It's possible to paraglide off the cliffs or catch some air kite-surfing in empty reef bays, while more relaxing fun can be had stand-up paddle-boarding or kayaking the rich mangroves and inner reefs.You can also hit the open road on a touring bike, peddle around town or go hiking up Mt Fukaiomoto.
One place worth visiting is Uganzaki Lighthouse which has a broad and beautiful coral bay on one side and stunning rock canyons leading to the sea on another. It's also worth simply hiring a car and going out for a relaxing drive.
Ishigaki Island, Credit
Hotel Club Med Ishigaki has a good kid's club/daycare for children but otherwise there are lots of child-friendly activities such as snorkelling or a ride on a glass bottom boat at Kabira Bay. Dive schools can arrange try dives. Hotel Club Med Ishigaki's Mini Club Med is great for children too as they can enjoy various activities such as arts and crafts, games, pool time, a trip to the beach or even cooking classes.
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In Full bloom, Credit
The popularity of Manta Scramble can also be its biggest downfall. You may encounter other big groups of divers all jostling for the best position to see the mantas. It can feel as though you don't have a lot of time in the water - hop in, go see the mantas and hop out again. Most of the dive is spent waiting for the mantas to appear (but the chance to see these creatures up close more than compensates for any downsides!)
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