Okinawa — a Japanese resort paradise just a 90-minute flight from Taiwan — has become the go-to short-haul getaway for Taiwanese travelers in recent years, thanks to its crystal-blue waters, laid-back Japanese island atmosphere, and a relatively favorable yen exchange rate. In 2024, BLUEVISTA dive shop officially planted its flag in Okinawa. Beyond its regular dive programs, co-founder Yun Yun — who is herself a person with a disability — hopes to build a bridge for Chinese-speaking divers with disabilities, giving them the chance to overcome both language and physical barriers and experience the breathtaking blues of Okinawa's Kerama firsthand.
Daring to Dream Because of — Not Despite — Her Disability
One day in the second half of 2023, a long-dormant profile picture suddenly popped up in the Editor's Line chat. "Spock, I've started learning to dive — where should I buy an underwater camera?" It took a moment to place who it was, so the Editor scrolled back through the conversation to piece together the memory.
"You're Yun Yun! You took up scuba diving?!"
Surprise and bewilderment hit at the same time. The Editor had first met her over a decade ago, when they were both clueless twenty-somethings just entering the workforce, involved together in a Rotaract Club chapter. Everyone knew she was hearing-impaired — she relies on hearing aids for everyday communication — and that her hearing loss makes following conversations at a normal speaking pace quite taxing, affecting her overall comprehension. So the idea of her diving? It was genuinely astonishing.
Despite her disability, Yun Yun pursues her dreams with even greater determination
Since the Editor often receives private messages asking about diving, a quick introduction to a familiar underwater camera retailer seemed like enough. But half a year later, another message arrived: "Spock, I've opened a dive shop — let's collaborate!" A cascade of mental exclamation marks followed. What came through loud and clear was Yun Yun's boundless vitality and her burning passion for diving.
Turned Away by an Instructor Because of Her Hearing Loss
That instructor told me flat out — forget about diving for the rest of your life.
BLUEVISTA Yun Yun
Because of her hearing impairment, Yun Yun's journey toward her Open Water Diver certification got off to a rocky start. The first instructor she approached had never taught a hearing-impaired student and worried that, once her hearing aids were removed at sea, she wouldn't be able to hear — raising the risk level of the dive. He turned her away outright, and even advised her to give up on diving entirely for the rest of her life. To make it worse, that blunt rejection landed on her birthday — the very day she sets a new goal for herself every year.
Her Hearing Loss Gave Birth to BLUEVISTA
Fortunately, Yun Yun refused to give up. Through a fortunate twist of fate, she connected with the people who would become her BLUEVISTA partners, finally earned her ticket into the deep blue, and began her lifelong relationship with the ocean.
She thought to herself: "If even I can be turned away, other divers with disabilities must face the same thing."
She also noticed that while a handful of dive shops in Okinawa advertise services for divers with disabilities — with boats and instructors certified by Japanese disability associations — these shops operate exclusively in Japanese. That observation sparked a question: "Could we build a dive shop that transcends both language and physical limitations, so more people can experience the beauty of Okinawa's ocean?" And so, through the efforts of Yun Yun and her partners, BLUEVISTA was gradually brought to life.
The three BLUEVISTA partners hope to create opportunities that break through language and physical barriers — pictured here is Course Director KUNG
Those Who Dare to Try Get to Enjoy Life First
Growing up with hearing loss, Yun Yun inevitably encountered discrimination and self-doubt along the way. Yet she has always held onto one belief: "Those who dare to try get to enjoy life first." Your life is in your own hands — take that first step, and you write your own story.
Shortly after BLUEVISTA was founded in early 2024, Yun Yun reached out to the Incorporated Association Taiwan Disabled Divers, eager to get involved through direct action. Unsure how to organize a dive program for people with disabilities? No problem — you figure it out by doing it. How do you teach divers with different types of disabilities? No problem — you figure it out by doing it. Can divers with disabilities travel abroad to dive? No problem — you figure it out by doing it.
Yun Yun made a special trip back to Taiwan to join an Open Water Diver course organized by the association for divers with disabilities. On this occasion, she served as a companion to a visually impaired participant.
"They memorize the equipment configuration by touch and assemble everything themselves — it's absolutely incredible," Yun Yun said.
Instructors from the disabled divers association teach students to memorize equipment through touch
Through this experience, Yun Yun gained a firsthand understanding of the real needs of divers with various disabilities, and the unique challenges each of them faces on the path to learning to dive. The trip also opened the door to the possibility of bringing divers with disabilities to Okinawa in 2024 to experience the ocean there for themselves — which is precisely the mission BLUEVISTA was founded to fulfill.
Taking part in training divers with disabilities made me realize that my own hearing loss really isn't that big a deal. We have far more than we realize — we should cherish everything we already have.
BLUEVISTA Yun Yun
Drawing inspiration from the motto of the disabled divers association: let the dream keep moving forward
BLUEVISTA's Diverse Range of Dive Services
As a dive shop, BLUEVISTA aims not only to introduce dedicated services for divers with disabilities, but also to leverage the combined strengths of its three founders to offer multilingual support — in Mandarin, English, Japanese, Cantonese, and even Taiwanese Hokkien — meeting the needs of a wide range of guests.
Yun Yun also shared that beyond the dive sites around the Okinawa main island, there are other standout itineraries to consider. From January to March each year, you have the chance to witness humpback whale mothers and their calves swimming together up close. From May onward, you can arrange a trip to Aguni Island — a two-hour boat ride from Naha — to witness the breathtaking spectacle of a massive jack fish tornado. And within the Kerama Islands National Park, more than 20 islands are scattered with over 50 dive sites, ranging from wide-angle and macro to drift-diving spots, catering to divers of every style.
Next time you're planning an overseas dive trip and looking for a short getaway, Okinawa should be near the top of your list — and BLUEVISTA should be on your shortlist of dive operators to consider.
The BLUEVISTA team began living their dream in Okinawa in 2024
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