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Miyakejima · Japan · Reef · Sand slope

Okubo Hama

Miyakejima's largest beach, with seahorses and frogfish

Okubo-hama is the largest beach on Miyakejima, on the north of the island, and the signature beach-entry site for divers of every level. The seabed mixes drop-offs, overhangs, open sand and fishing reefs, and the variety of animals stands out among the island's sites, from passing amberjack to clownfish, seahorses and frogfish.

Also known as 大久保浜, 大久保, Okubo-hama, Okubo.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Okubo Hama: typical dive to 15 m (to 50 ft), deepest point 18 m (60 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit15 m18 m maxtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 40 m (130 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

34.1223° N, 139.5113° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.

The dive

The entry is from the beach, a gently sloping gravel shore about 3 minutes' walk from the setting-up area, on the largest beach on Miyakejima. The depth reaches 15 m at the most.

The structure of drop-offs, overhangs, open sand and fishing reefs holds clownfish, seahorses and red frogfish, and migratory fish such as amberjack and yellowtail amberjack pass through.

Marine life and season

  • Trevally & jacks
  • Frogfish
  • Macro critters
Month-by-month season rating for Okubo Hama
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
GoodGoodGoodGoodGoodPrimePrimePrimePrimePrimeGoodGood

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

  1. PADI Japan vacation spotlight: Miyakejima — PADI Japan
  2. Scuba Monsters: Miyakejima dive spot information — Scuba Monsters
  3. Dolphin Club Miyakejima: Okubo-hama — Dolphin Club Miyakejima

More dive sites in Miyakejima

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Abeshita

Lava arch on the south coast, entered from the beach

to 25 mintermediate

Coral garden

Gakkoshita

Famous table coral colonies above a drop-off 100 m out

to 25 m · max 30 mintermediate

Reef

Igaya

Harbour-sheltered dive with red frogfish and juvenile butterflyfish

to 12 mbeginner

Wall

Kamanojiri

Gorgonian wall with frequent frogfish and turtle sightings

to 21 mbeginner

Drift

Sanbondake

Full drift past big schools of migratory fish

to 40 madvanced

Coral garden

Toga-hama

Dense table corals and two arches on the Kuroshio side

to 18 mintermediate

Similar dives elsewhere

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Sunabe Seawall

Okinawa · Japan

Stair entries onto soft coral, 5 to 20 m, day and night

5–20 mbeginner

Reef

Arima

Kozushima · Japan

Goatfish that let divers settle on the sand beside them

to 20 mintermediate

Reef

Houbihu

Kenting · Taiwan

A 13-18 m slope of sand and mixed soft and hard coral

13–18 mbeginner

Reef

Yalong Bay

Sanya & Wuzhizhou Island · China

A wide field of soft coral a short swim from the resort beach

to 18 mbeginner