Nakanojima Channel - Ishigaki & Yaeyama

Nakanojima Channel, just off Ishigaki, is one of those sites that always delivers. We love drifting through here, letting the current do the work. It’s not just a pass through; the walls on either side are packed with coral. You’ll see big patches of Pachyseris, looking like giant overlapping plates, alongside brain root coral and smooth cauliflower coral. It's a great spot for macro life, too. Keep an eye out for those colourful bicolor nudibranchs clinging to the walls. We've found the current can pick up quite a bit, particularly around new and full moons, so it's a site that suits divers comfortable with a bit of movement. Visibility here tends to be consistently good, often pushing past 20 metres, so you get a great sense of the channel opening up before you. We'd suggest going in the late morning or early afternoon when the sun is high; it really makes the subtle colours of the corals pop.

Location
Ishigaki & Yaeyama, Japan, East Asia
Coordinates
24.812637, 125.142280
Type
drift

Marine Protected Area: 伊良部

Nearby Dive Sites in Ishigaki & Yaeyama

Nearest Dive Centres to Nakanojima Channel

Marine Life in Ishigaki & Yaeyama

Home to 442 recorded species including 289 reef fish, 119 hard corals, 8 seagrass & algae, 6 sea cucumbers, 6 sea snails & nudibranchs, 4 crabs & lobsters.

Notable Species