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Kume Island · Japan · Pinnacle · Pelagic & blue water

Tonbara

A huge rock where hammerheads are seen often in winter.

Tonbara is a huge rock in the south of Kume Island that rises from the seafloor and breaks the surface, the island's big-fish site and a dive rated for intermediate divers and up. The dive reaches 35 m and the current can run very strong. In winter hammerhead sharks are seen here often.

Also known as Tombara.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Tonbara: typical dive to 35 m (to 115 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit35 mtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 40 m (130 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

26.2688° N, 126.8203° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.

The dive

The dive is built around a single huge rock that rises from the seafloor and emerges from the surface, and it reaches 35 m. On lucky days schools of dogtooth tuna and bigeye trevally come by, and during the winter months hammerhead sharks are seen around the rock often, with humpback whales passing on rare occasions.

Marine life and season

  • Hammerheads
  • Tuna
  • Trevally & jacks
Month-by-month season rating for Tonbara
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
PrimePrimeGoodGoodFairFairGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodPrime

Season follows Kume Island: Mantas run almost all year; winter adds hammerheads, summer adds barracuda, and the rainy season falls from mid-May to mid-June.

Know before you go

  • The current around the rock is sometimes very strong.

Dive videos

2012 5 4 久米島 トンバラ · dvdiverjp i on YouTube

Sources

  1. Kume Island dive sites — Marine Diving
  2. Kume Island Diving — Okinawa Convention & Visitors Bureau
  3. トンバーラー岩 — OpenStreetMap

More dive sites in Kume Island

Wall

Imazuni

Dogtooth tuna and bigeye trevally schools a short ride from port.

to 25 mintermediate

Wall

Umagai

A sheer reef wall that falls from 7 m to past 40 m.

7–40 madvanced

Similar dives elsewhere

Pinnacle

Ogan

Iriomote & the Yonara Channel · Japan

The Eastern Root, huge hidden roots rising from the seafloor

to 40 madvanced

Pinnacle

Asaji

Kushimoto · Japan

A seamount 2 km offshore, dived at slack water for pelagics

6–35 mintermediate

Pinnacle

Isomura

Katsuura & Namegawa · Japan

Houndsharks resting in a cave at the tip of the south reef

to 30 m · max 35 mintermediate

Pinnacle

Mansi Reef (Marker 42)

Yanbu & the Seven Reefs · Saudi Arabia

A lone coral column where hammerheads patrol the open water

10–35 m · max 80 madvanced