Miyakejima is an active volcanic island in the Izu chain, reached from Tokyo by a short flight or an overnight ferry, where most diving is done from the beach. The Kuroshio brushes its coast, so table corals and tropical reef fish grow at Toga-hama, while Kamanojiri's soft-coral wall turns up frogfish and turtles. Lava shaped the seabed into arches at Abeshita and Megane-iwa, and the offshore reef of Sanbondake give experienced divers a full drift in strong current.
About diving in Miyakejima
Beach diving is the backbone of a stay on Miyakejima, with sites ringing the island, from the gently sloping gravel of Okubo-hama in the north to the Kuroshio-exposed south-west at Toga-hama. Boat dives generally need at least five divers. Igaya, a calm spot inside its harbour with little swell, suits try-dives, courses and divers returning after a long break, and it doubles as a night-dive site where slow dives turn up a wide range of life.
The island is a volcano rising from deep water, and its eruptions shaped the seabed as much as the land. Lava flows worn by the sea left the three great arches of Megane-iwa, and a lava flow formed the arch at Abeshita. Warm Kuroshio water lets table corals and tropical reef fish settle at Toga-hama, while walls such as Kamanojiri carry soft corals and sea fans. Small life runs from clownfish and seahorses to frogfish and nudibranchs, with green turtles common.
Miyakejima suits divers who want varied volcanic scenery in a sea where subtropical and temperate life meet. New divers have easy beach entries at Okubo-hama, while the strong current and the 50-dive threshold at Sanbondake keep the most exposed dive for experienced divers. The island is also easily confused with Miyakojima in Okinawa, a quite different destination.
Best time to dive Miyakejima
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good |
Diving runs all year. From December to March the water sits at 17–21 °C (63–70 °F), with visibility of 20–25 m. April and May warm to 20–24 °C (68–75 °F), but visibility drops to 10–20 m, the lowest of the year. May opens the main diving months, which run to November. June is one of the two months Megane-iwa opens to divers. Visibility reaches 15–30 m from June to October, and the water peaks at 27–29 °C (81–84 °F) in August and September. October is Megane-iwa's second opening, and October and November still hold 24–26 °C (75–79 °F).
Dive types & marine life
Green turtles are a likely sighting at Toga-hama and Kamanojiri, and frogfish turn up often on Kamanojiri's wall. Nudibranchs come and go with the seasons at Gakkoshita. Amberjack and striped jack school at Katan-zaki from summer into autumn. Dolphin swims off neighbouring Mikurajima open on 15 March and close on 15 November.
- Wall
- Coral garden
- Drift
- Night
- Sea turtles
- Frogfish
- Nudibranchs
- Trevally & jacks
Best dive sites in Miyakejima
- 1
Okubo-hama
The island's signature beach entry on the north coast, a gently sloping gravel shore that suits all levels.
- 2
Kamanojiri
Wall dressed in soft corals and sea fans, with frequent frogfish and turtles.
- 3
Megane-iwa
Three huge lava arches underwater, open to divers only in June and October.
- 4
Toga-hama
South-west site in the Kuroshio's path with fine table-coral colonies and a good chance of green turtles.
- 5
Gakkoshita
Reef ending in a drop-off with a bottom of about 20 m, with anthias and nudibranchs on the wall.
- 6
Abeshita
South-coast site built around an underwater arch.
- 7
Sanbondake
Onohara Island, about 30 minutes offshore by boat: a full drift in strong current for advanced divers.
Site guides
Reef
Lava arch on the south coast, entered from the beach
Coral garden
Famous table coral colonies above a drop-off 100 m out
Reef
Harbour-sheltered dive with red frogfish and juvenile butterflyfish
Wall
Gorgonian wall with frequent frogfish and turtle sightings
Reef
Miyakejima's largest beach, with seahorses and frogfish
Drift
Full drift past big schools of migratory fish
Coral garden
Dense table corals and two arches on the Kuroshio side
How to get to Miyakejima
Flights link Miyakejima Airport with Tokyo's Haneda in about 50 minutes. A daily overnight ferry, the Tachibana Maru, sails from Takeshiba Pier near Daimon station in Tokyo. The dive shops are on the island itself, with beach and boat sites scattered around the coast.
Photos from Miyakejima
名古屋太郎 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dive videos
Jun 18th, 2015 Diving Log Miyakejima-Island Okubo Beach · 三宅島SNAPPER Vlog on YouTube
2015/05/26 Diving Miyakejima Tsuchikata from UK · 三宅島SNAPPER Vlog on YouTube
Questions divers ask
Is Miyakejima diving mostly from the shore or by boat?+
Mostly from the shore. Beach dives are the main form, and boat dives generally need at least five divers.
What experience is needed for Sanbondake?+
The Sanbondake boat dive is a full drift in strong current, and shops take divers with at least 50 logged dives and no recent break from diving.
When can divers visit Megane-iwa?+
Megane-iwa opens to divers only twice a year, in June and October, so a trip aimed at its lava arches needs to fall in one of those months.
Is the volcanic gas a concern for divers?+
Mount Oyama has vented sulfur dioxide continuously since the 2000 eruption. Gas masks have not been needed for years, and alarms sound if toxic gas levels rise sharply.
Sources
- Miyakejima – Wikivoyage — Wikivoyage
- 三宅島 – Wikipedia — Wikipedia
- Diving in Tokyo and the Izu Islands — PADI
- 三宅島のダイビングスポット情報 — ScubaMonsters
- Dolphin Club Miyakejima — Dolphin Club Miyakejima
- Ocean Club Number3 price list — Ocean Club Number3
- Miyakejima Snapper — Miyakejima Snapper
- Sanbondake – SSI dive guide — SSI
- 三宅島 – PADI ダイブスポット情報 — PADI Japan
Photo credits
Embed
Run a dive centre, club or blog? Embed this map of 9 dive sites near Miyakejima on your own page.
Similar destinations
East Asia
Kozushima
Japan
Dense fish schools over volcanic caves and walls, a short hop from Tokyo
East Asia
Amami Ōshima
Japan
Pufferfish sculpt two-metre geometric nests into the sand at 25 m
Kuroshio-fed reefs with resident green turtles off Taiwan's volcanic isle
Protected soft coral forests on volcanic rock off southern Jeju