Miyako-jima · Japan · Cave & cavern · Reef
Cross Hole
A cross-shaped crack at 5 m, seen from the chamber below
Area photo: Raita Futo · CC BY 2.0
Cross Hole is a cavern in the reef off Irabu-jima named for a cross-shaped crack at 5 m: from the chamber below, the opening reads as a cross with daylight coming through it. Divers enter from the seaward side deep and ascend directly under the crack. Depths on the site run 19 to 30 m.
Also known as クロスホール.
Where it is and how deep
24.8650° N, 125.1557° EPublished position for this site.
Site maps published elsewhere
The dive
Entry is from the seaward side at about 27 m, with the cavern mouth around 20 m, and the route runs inward and up rather than along. Once inside, the light from the crack above comes down as a curtain rather than a beam, and the shape of the opening is what the site is named for — the fissure at 5 m is cut in a cross, though guides will tell you plenty of divers say it does not look like one.
The ascent is made directly beneath the crack, rising through the column of light towards the shallow end of the reef, and guides call the finish under the opening an air shower. Depths across the site run 19 to 30 m, so the deep part of the dive is over early and the last stretch is spent shallow beneath the crack.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair |
June to August, the south-wind months, is the window operators rate best, and this coast is dived from May onwards.
Know before you go
- Neutral buoyancy is not optional inside the chamber: sand lifted off the floor hangs in the light and blinds the divers following you.
Dive videos
Miyako Island Diving | Cross Hole Light Beams Cave | Okinawa Japan · Masatoshi on YouTube
Sources
- 宮古島のダイビングスポット — Marine Lodge Marea
- 宮古島のダイビングポイント (My Maps KML) — Marine Lodge Marea
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