Japan’s westernmost island is the Yonaguni Island. It is said that on a good visibility day in the summertime, you can see all the way to Taiwan. One of the things that make Yonaguni famous, are the schools of Hammerhead Sharks that can be observed here while diving.
We visited early April, which is the end of the hammerhead season, so we thought it would be difficult to encounter them, but we were able to see many schools multiple times.
Yonaguni Island’s Hammerhead Sharks 与那国島のハンマーヘッドシャーク
An unexpected encounter with a large school of hammerheads.
The hammerhead sharks at Yonaguni Island are all females and are generally calm and do not bite. Usually, they are found swimming at a depth of 35m to 40m, but this time we could encounter them at a relatively shallow depth of 25m to 30m.
Of course, while diving, we also visited the ‘Yonaguni Underwater Monument.’What looks like a terrace cut at right angles, looks man-made, but the natural formation is not actually a ruin. It is found in a spot that has a fast moving tide.
We stayed at Guesthouse FIESTA, where the owner prepared a wonderful BBQ for us.
The Yonaguni marlin are also famous. There are also many fishing boats that mainly target the marlin. We could get some fresh sashimi from the local Kinjo Tackel Shop. During our stay, we could also enjoy the fresh greater amberjack and green jobfish
We also had some locally produced ‘Island tofu (Shima tofu)’ cold and the last of the seasonal ‘Island Coriander/cilantro (shima pakuchii).’
This baby goat isn’t on the menu! This is the 2-month old goat of the Dive Shop Marlin, and it has been guaranteed the lucky designation as a lifelong pet.
Image & Text: Mariko SAWADA
Observation: Apr 2021, Yonaguni Island, Okinawa
Special Thanks: Yonaguni Diving Service MARLIN, Guesthouse FIESTA
Tags: Wildlife in Japan, Wildlife tour of Japan, ハンマーヘッドシャーク, Diving tour of Japan, 与那国, Scuba diving in japan, Scuba diving tour in Japan, Yonaguni, Scuba diving in yonaguni, Dive in Yonaguni Island, Hammerhead shark, Yonaguni Monument, Wildlife of Japan, Yonaguni Underwater Ruins, Yonaguni Submarine Ruins, Dive in Japan
