Miyako-jima · Japan · Cave & cavern · Reef
W-Arch
Two arches, two heart-shaped openings, a dark cave below
Area photo: Raita Futo · CC BY 2.0
W-Arch is a shallow site off Irabu-jima where two arches overlap so that, from the right angle, the gap in the rock reads as a heart. A channel crossing leads into a crevasse, and a dark cave sits beneath the arch itself. Depths run 11 to 18 m, shallow enough that operators take Open Water divers here.
Also known as Wアーチ.
Where it is and how deep
24.8665° N, 125.1603° EPublished position for this site.
Site maps published elsewhere
The dive
The dive crosses a channel in the reef and drops into a crevasse before working up to the arches. There are two of them, overlapping, and the point of the site is finding the angle from which the gap in the rock reads as a heart — there are two such spots to line up. The bottom sits at about 18 m and the shallow end at 11 m, so there is no rush on the profile.
Under the arch is a cave dark enough to need a light. Inside, shoals of pinecone soldierfish hang in the beam, painted spiny lobster sit back in the cracks, and a scorpionfish that guides only see in this cave holds on the walls. Nudibranchs are the other reason to slow down, and because the whole site is shallow there is time to hunt for them before the ascent.
Marine life and season
- Reef fish swarms
- Macro critters
- Nudibranchs
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair |
Operators rate June to August, the south-wind months, as the best window, and dive this coast from May onwards.
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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