Whale Shark Point - Okinawa Main Island
Look, if you're coming to Okinawa specifically to tick whale sharks off your list, this is where you do it. Whale Shark Point is less a natural reef dive and more an open-water encounter with captive-bred whale sharks. They’re kept in a net at 17 metres, just off the coast, and you descend into the enclosure with them. It’s an interesting experience for new divers or those who want a guaranteed close-up. Visibility inside the net is usually pretty good, and you get to spend a decent amount of time just watching these massive creatures glide by. We'd suggest pairing it with a proper reef dive afterwards to get a feel for Okinawa's natural underwater environment.
- Location
- Okinawa Main Island, Japan, East Asia
- Coordinates
- 26.390600, 127.723200
- Type
- reef
- Maximum Depth
- 17m
- Difficulty
- Beginner
Marine Protected Area: チービシ
Nearby Dive Sites in Okinawa Main Island
- Aosango - 14m
- Cappadocia - 21m
- Coral 1 - 18m (reef)
- Cross Line - 21m (wreck)
- Dream Hole - 27m (cave)
- Ginowan Marine Center - 10m
- Gorilla Chop - 10m (reef)
- Hamahiga Beach - 4m
- Inan South - 16m
- Ishikiri - 18m
- Kin Red Beach - 8m
- Kohri Zampa - 24m (reef)
- Kumanomi Paradise - 16m (reef)
- Legare-J Underwater Studio
- Maeda Point - 5-25m (cave)
Nearest Dive Centres to Whale Shark Point
- Alpha Dive Okinawa
- Ar Yo Divin
- BUBBLE ADDICT OKINAWA - SSI
- BxB
- CAVE LOVER - CMAS/STARS, SDI, RAZOR (sidemount system)
- CFD KANNA THALASSA
Marine Life in Okinawa Main Island
Home to 275 recorded species including 159 reef fish, 65 hard corals, 16 sea snails & nudibranchs, 9 sea cucumbers, 5 other, 5 crabs & lobsters.
Notable Species
- Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas)
- Staghorn coral (Acropora tenuis) - Hard Corals
- Large meandroid brain coral (Oulophyllia crispa) - Hard Corals
- Smooth cauliflower coral (Stylophora pistillata) - Hard Corals
- Staghorn coral (Acropora hyacinthus) - Hard Corals
- Jumping Blenny (Alticus saliens) - Reef Fish
- Dorado (Coryphaena hippurus) - Reef Fish
- Pinkfish (Holothuria edulis) - Sea Cucumbers
- Staghorn coral (Acropora nasuta) - Hard Corals
- Branch coral (Acropora florida) - Hard Corals
- Fluorescence grass coral (Galaxea fascicularis) - Hard Corals
- Honeycomb coral (Favites abdita) - Hard Corals
- Common lionfish (Pterois volitans) - Reef Fish
- Stony coral (Porites cylindrica) - Hard Corals
- Burrowing urchin (Echinometra mathaei) - Sea Urchins
- Black-lined Blenny (Istiblennius lineatus) - Reef Fish
- Savigny's Brittle Star (Ophiactis savignyi)
- Staghorn coral (Acropora valida) - Hard Corals
- Stony coral (Porites lutea) - Hard Corals
- guppy (Poecilia reticulata) - Reef Fish