Miyakejima · Japan · Reef · Sand slope
Igaya
Harbour-sheltered dive with red frogfish and juvenile butterflyfish
Igaya is a dive inside Igaya harbour on Miyakejima, where the entry is enclosed by the harbour bay and the dive stays possible even in a typhoon. The terrain is flat, with boulders, sand, a short drop and table corals, and it serves training, trial dives and fun dives alike. Juvenile butterflyfish turn up under the entry, and red frogfish are common.
Also known as 伊ヶ谷, 伊ケ谷, Igaya Harbour.
Where it is and how deep
34.1073° N, 139.4853° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The entry is inside the harbour, enclosed by its bay, so the dive stays possible even in a typhoon and the water sees little wave action. The ground is flat but varied: boulders, sand, a short drop and table corals follow one another within a maximum of 12 m.
Directly below the entry, several kinds of juvenile butterflyfish and other young fish appear in season. Red frogfish are common, and several other species can be found every year. A yellowtail amberjack about a metre long rarely enters the bay.
Marine life and season
- Frogfish
- Macro critters
- Trevally & jacks
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good |
Season follows Miyakejima: June to October brings the warmest water, visibility up to 30 m and the two Megane-iwa openings; diving runs all year.
Sources
- PADI Japan vacation spotlight: Miyakejima — PADI Japan
- Dolphin Club Miyakejima: Igaya — Dolphin Club Miyakejima
More dive sites in Miyakejima
Reef
Lava arch on the south coast, entered from the beach
Coral garden
Famous table coral colonies above a drop-off 100 m out
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
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Goatfish that let divers settle on the sand beside them
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