Welcome to one of Japan’s top diving destinations — Ishigaki Island. Whether you’re dreaming of diving with manta rays, exploring coral gardens, or just trying scuba for the first time, this tropical island in Okinawa offers something truly special beneath the surface. With warm water, vibrant marine life, and friendly dive shops ready to welcome you, diving in Ishigaki is an experience you’ll never forget.
In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know before planning your Ishigaki dive trip — from the best dive spots and marine encounters to tour types, safety, and seasonal advice. Let’s dive in!
Ishigaki is part of the Yaeyama Islands in the far south of Japan, just a short flight from Okinawa’s main island. The ocean here is part of the Sekisei Lagoon, Japan’s largest coral reef area and a protected national marine park. The visibility is often excellent, ranging from 20 to 40 meters, and the water temperature stays warm year-round.
But the real reason divers love Ishigaki? Manta rays. Specifically, the high chance of seeing them at Manta Scramble and Manta City Point, two of the best manta ray diving spots in Asia. Ishigaki is also known for colorful coral reefs, sea turtles, macro creatures, and big pelagics in deeper channels.
Plus, it’s a very beginner-friendly destination. You don’t need a license to try scuba diving here — most dive shops offer “experience diving” or Discover Scuba Diving tours for first-timers, often with free underwater photos and small group sizes.
In 2024, Ishigaki suffered a major coral bleaching event. Not by a direct effect of global warming but because no major typhoons hit the island until early October. Due to that, the ocean temperature rose to an extreme 32°C, far above the healthy range for coral reefs. As a result, around 80% of Ishigaki’s shallow coral reefs were lost, especially in lagoon areas with little water movement.
While some outer reef and deeper sites remain healthy — and marine life is still abundant — it’s important to understand how climate change and the absence of storms can hurt the underwater ecosystem. Typhoons, while disruptive, help cool the ocean and bring much-needed balance.
If you’re a diver, snorkeler or even a beach lover who cares about marine life, please follow eco-friendly practices and support dive centers and tour operators that protect the reef.
This is the most famous dive site in Ishigaki and one of the best places in the world to dive with manta rays. From late summer to early autumn (August to October), mantas often visit this underwater “cleaning station” to get cleaned by small reef fish.
It’s an amazing sight to watch these gentle giants circling above, completely unbothered by your presence. However, mantas are wild animals, and sightings are not 100% guaranteed.
Best time to dive: August to October
Level: Beginner friendly
Highlights: Manta ray cleaning station, swim-throughs on the deeper parts
The Original Manta point in Ishigaki. Located close to Manta city, this site also offers a high chance to see mantas — especially when they’re actively swimming, rather than cleaning. The depth is similar, but the terrain is flatter.
Manta Scramble is often used when Manta City is busy or the sea conditions are rough.
Best time to dive: August to October
Level: Beginner to Intermediate
Highlights: High chance of manta encounters, some of the best cavern and swim-throughs dives in Ishigaki (if you don’t mind missing the Mantas).
For advanced certified divers who like a little adrenaline, Yonara Channel is a must. This is a drift dive, meaning you ride the current through a natural channel between Iriomote and Kohama Islands. You might see mantas, dogtooth tuna, eagle rays, sharks, and other big fish cruising past.
It’s one of the best pelagic diving experiences in Ishigaki, but only for those comfortable with current.
Best time to dive: Spring and summer
Level: Advanced (drift diving skills required, average depth is 26m)
Highlights: Pelagic marine life, mantas cleaning or swimming, strong currents
A calm and colorful reef dive, perfect for beginners or photographers. It’s named after the beautiful purple anthias (Hanagoi) that cover the reef. You’ll also find sea turtles, jawfish, cuttlefish, and more.
Osaki is a great place for Discover Scuba Diving tours and fun dives for certified divers.
Best time to dive: Year-round
Level: All levels
Highlights: Easy conditions, turtles, great macro opportunities, large bio-diversity
Close to the famous Yonehara Beach, this reef is beautiful and easy to dive. It’s also popular for snorkeling. Sometimes you can see whitetip reef sharks resting on the sand. Coral formations are still good here.
Best time to dive: Spring to autumn
Level: Beginner to intermediate
Highlights: Coral gardens, shark sightings, Macro life, relaxed atmosphere
This deep reef is for advanced divers looking for big fish. The current can be very strong, but the reward is sightings of dogtooth tuna, giant trevally, big eye jacks, barracuda, and sometimes eagle rays.
Best time to dive: Winter and early spring
Level: Advanced
Highlights: Dogtooth tunas, big pelagics, Nudibranchs
A dramatic underwater landscape with large caverns, tunnels, and shafts of light shining through the cracks — it feels like diving in a cathedral. This site is also a favorite for nudibranch lovers and photographers.
Best time to dive: Spring to autumn
Level: Intermediate to advanced
Highlights: Geological beauty, swim-throughs, macro life
This calm bay is home to one of the largest Pavona clavus coral (Potato coral) formations in the world. It’s also a great place to see macro creatures and batfish.
Best time to dive: Year-round
Level: Beginner to intermediate
Highlights: Huge coral, juvenile fish, easy diving
These sites are known for wide sandy bottoms filled with garden eels, colorful gobies, and tiny nudibranchs.
In the colder months, you can even find an underwater hot spring bubbling through the sand — a rare sight in Japan!
Best time to dive: All year
Level: All levels
Highlights: Macro diving, sandscapes
Characterized by wall diving (cool stuff passing in the blue). Come in winter, and you may be lucky enough to witness mantas feeding on plankton near Kuroshima. The island is a bit more remote, and the sites are less crowded.
Best time to dive: Winter to Spring (December to April)
Level: Intermediate
Highlights: Winter mantas, wall diving, turtles, peaceful atmosphere
Also known as Aragusuku, this area is harder to access and only reachable when the sea is calm. But the reward is a stunning reef with a manta ray cleaning station, whitetip reef sharks, and sometimes even dolphins on the boat ride.
Best time to dive: Winter and early spring
Level: Intermediate
Highlights: Mantas, sharks, healthy reef, exclusive feel
Hateruma is Japan’s southernmost inhabited island and offers wild, untouched diving. You’ll find deep blue water, rivers of fusiliers, and big fish riding the strong current. Trips here are less common but unforgettable.
Best time to dive: Summer
Level: Advanced
Highlights: Remote adventure, strong currents, pelagics
Whether you’re diving for the first time or have hundreds of dives logged, Ishigaki offers a wide range of options for every level and interest. Here’s what you can expect:
Never dived before? No problem. Almost every Ishigaki dive shop offers beginner-friendly “experience diving” or PADI Discover Scuba Diving programs. These are designed for people with no certification. You’ll learn the basics, dive in shallow, calm water, and enjoy the reef safely with your instructor.
It’s perfect if you just want to try scuba without the time commitment (and price) of a course.
In Ishigaki, it often includes a chance to see sea turtles, colorful fish and even manta rays. Most shops include free underwater photos.
What’s included:
If you already have your Open Water certification or higher, you can join half-day or full-day guided dive tours. Most dive boats do 2 or 3 dives a day, with a mix of reef, manta, macro, and drift dives.
Certified divers are usually grouped by experience level. If you’re Advanced or Nitrox certified, you may get access to deeper or more challenging sites like Yonara Channel.
You’ll need to bring or rent your own dive equipment as mostly the gear rental price is not included in the diving price.
What’s included:
Want to get certified while you’re here? Ishigaki is a great place to learn. Calm waters, warm temperatures, and beautiful coral reefs make it ideal for training. As most dive centers here are affiliated with PADI, here are the most popular PADI dive courses in Ishigaki are:
Many shops offer e-learning options so you can do the theory online before you arrive. This saves time and gives you more fun in the water.
Ishigaki’s marine world is full of surprises — from big ocean wanderers to tiny, colorful creatures hiding in coral cracks.
Without question, the highlight for many divers in Ishigaki is the manta ray. These huge, graceful animals are most often seen between August and October at Manta Scramble and Manta City. Some dive sites even allow you to watch them from above while snorkeling. During winter, your best chance to see feeding mantas is around Kuroshima Island.
Green sea turtles are common in Ishigaki, especially at sites like Osaki Hanagoi Reef. You can often spot them calmly resting on coral or swimming slowly past the group. Hawksbill turtles are sometimes seen too.
Despite coral bleaching in 2024, many deeper or outer reef areas are still beautiful. Expect to see healthy sections of coral in Nagura Bay, Uganzaki, and outer Panari. You’ll be surrounded by clownfish, butterflyfish, angelfish, parrotfish, and more.
For divers who love looking closely, Ishigaki has excellent macro diving. Look for:
If you like strong currents and the thrill of the unknown, you can also find:
The great thing about Ishigaki is that you can dive all year long. The water stays warm — usually between 22°C (in winter) and 30°C (in summer).
However, dive conditions and marine life vary by season:
Typhoon season is July to October, but direct hits are not frequent. However, when typhoons approach, all diving stops for safety. Ironically, typhoons also help lower the sea temperature, which is important for coral health.
In 2024, the absence of early-season typhoons contributed to a coral bleaching event. Typhoons are not always bad — they’re part of nature’s balance.
Always try to get the latest weather news and try to stay flexible with your dive dates.
Safety is a top priority for dive shops in Ishigaki, and the local community works hard to preserve the underwater environment. When diving here, it’s important to follow both international and local safety standards.
You should not fly for at least 18 hours after your last dive (24 hours if you did multiple dives). Ishigaki Airport is only 20–40 minutes from most hotels, so plan your final dive day accordingly. If you plan to visit Taketomi or other nearby islands after diving, a ferry is fine.
Ishigaki’s diving rules are designed to protect its manta rays, coral, and marine life. Here are a few things every diver should follow:
Dive shops in Ishigaki work together to limit the number of boats at manta points and reduce diver impact. Many sites also rotate access to let marine life recover. You may also hear your guide talk about “Sekisei Lagoon“, a vast coral area being monitored closely after 2024’s coral loss.
Your responsible diving helps keep these ecosystems healthy for future visitors.
Language can be a concern when diving in Japan, but some dive shops in Ishigaki offer service in English. Here are some reliable and friendly dive centers to consider:
Scuba diving in Ishigaki is more than just an activity — it’s a deep, unforgettable encounter with some of the most beautiful marine environments in Japan. Whether you’re dreaming of flying beside manta rays, spotting rare underwater creatures, or just enjoying the peace and beauty of coral reefs, diving in Ishigaki delivers.
It’s also a chance to support local dive centers that care about the sea, learn about Japan’s marine conservation efforts, and connect with fellow divers from around the world.
So pack your fins, charge your GoPro, and come discover why Ishigaki is considered one of the best diving destinations in Asia.
Disclaimer
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