[A Taiwanese Woman's Hidden Gems of Okinawa Diving] The Healing "Aka Island" — Just 1 Hour by Boat from Naha

The most famous and beautiful island group near Okinawa's main island is the Kerama Islands (Kerama Islands National Park). The archipelago is made up of many small islands; the main ones are Tokashiki, Zamami, and Aka Island. The Kerama Islands are extremely well known even among the Japanese, who have given them a poetic nickname: "Kerama Blue."

Day-trip dive boats from the main island that visit the Kerama Islands rarely make it out to the dive sites around Aka Island, so this time I specifically arranged to stay overnight on the island — just to give those sites a proper dive! (An unwritten rule of Okinawa diving: some sites can only be accessed by staying on the island itself.) The sea conditions cooperated this time, and we hit all the classic spots. No more preamble — read on!

Aka Island is one of the Kerama Islands, located 15 miles southwest of Okinawa Island, and belongs to Zamami Village, Okinawa Prefecture.

How to Get to Aka Island? Two Ferry Options from Naha to Zamami Island

1. Ferry Zamami

2. Queen Zamami (high-speed ferry)

Tomari Port → Zamami → Aka Island

Aka Island → Zamami → Tomari Port

*Most departures go out in the morning and return in the afternoon! Schedules vary by season, so please check the official website to confirm!

An English booking system is available; online credit card payment is required.

Once you've sorted your ferry tickets, I recommend booking a guesthouse that includes breakfast and dinner. Because the island has no convenience stores — unlike the main island — it's best for first-time visitors to choose accommodation that includes meals. It reminds me of Orchid Island before convenience stores arrived, when only small local shops sold instant noodles, snacks, and drinks.

I stayed at Smile Guesthouse — clean and simple, with a gear-rinse area for divers, and breakfast and dinner included. The location is extremely close to the port, so there's no risk of getting lost.

The Kerama Islands have always struck me as an incredibly healing place to dive! This time I went with the largest dive operator on the island, which meant we could access far more sites. The veteran captain-cum-owner is a local who has been running boats for over 20 years — whatever you're hoping to see, he won't disappoint. When conditions allow, the dive guides are also very happy to tailor the dive to your wishes.

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For more videos, check out Olive's IG: diver_olive

My Dive Log

Dive Records — Mid-March 2020:

• Water temperature: 22°C

• Air temperature: 23–25°C

• Visibility: 20–30 m

• Wetsuit (I run cold; a 5 mm wetsuit is generally enough — if you feel chilly, add a hood and vest.)

*After surfacing and boarding the boat, it's recommended to put on a boat dive jacket. Olive's gear: 6.5 mm custom skin-material wetsuit top for wind protection + 2 mm skin-material wetsuit pants.

Dive Records — Late December 2020:

• Water temperature: 24°C

• Air temperature: 21–22°C

• Visibility: 30–35 m

• Wetsuit (2 mm two-piece skin-material wetsuit + 2 mm vest.)

*After surfacing and boarding the boat, it's recommended to put on a boat dive jacket.

Dive Style:

• Boat dive (anchor-down; descend and return to the same point.)

• Boat drift dive (no anchor; the typical Taiwan boat dive style — if you're not confident with a giant stride entry, please inform the crew in advance.)

I was pretty lucky to visit several well-known dive sites on this trip. Let me share them with you:

Favourite Dive Site No.1: Sakubaru Artificial Reef (佐久原漁礁)

Somewhat different from the steel reef at Green Island, this site sits at around 35 m depth. The large reef structure regularly attracts big pelagic fish, and schools of fusiliers are a common sight. On this dive I encountered batfish — completely unafraid of divers. I shot them with a wide-angle lens and strobe, and they had absolutely no intention of swimming away; incredibly charming. If you're confident enough, duck inside the reef structure — you'll be surprised to find it's home to quite a few Lionfish!

*Reminder: watch your depth and don't go into deco!

Favourite Dive Site No.2: Nishihama (ニシハマ)

Don't let the sandy terrain fool you — this site is anything but boring! There are schools of glassfish (transparent cardinalfish) all around, along with a wonderful variety of anthias. The most special of all is the "Kerama anthias," said to have been first discovered right here in the Kerama Islands. Schools of lutjanid juveniles here are utterly therapeutic to watch.

Favourite Dive Site No.3: Drift from YAKARA to UNANZAKI

This site is blanketed with colourful table corals that are simply wonderful to behold. The variety of tropical fish is extraordinary — I absolutely love coral reef dive sites; they always feel so full of life. The dive guide says you're virtually guaranteed to spot a pointy-nosed triggerfish here — there have been sightings of six at once! If you get the chance, definitely go looking for them.

I know that many of you had to reluctantly cancel your overseas trips because of the pandemic. The reality in Okinawa was that tourists were virtually nowhere to be found. The legendary 60,000 Golden Week visitors were also significantly reduced, thanks in large part to vigorous messaging from Okinawa's governor and local YouTubers. I hope that turns out to be a good thing — perhaps it was the ocean's chance to rest and recover. Once things settle down and international travel resumes, you must all come join a dive group and look me up in Okinawa!

I love travelling solo on dive trips. I remember being a novice diver myself, wanting nothing more than to become stronger and more comfortable in the water. After years of accumulating experience, dive travel has become my way of life. Okinawa is a place I've long wanted to truly understand. I once chatted with Japanese divers who were surprised that — given how close Taiwan and Japan are — they'd had no idea Taiwan was a great diving destination. When I was still based in Taiwan, I took a few Japanese friends diving at Xiaoliuqiu and Green Island, and they were absolutely blown away. Now that I'm in Okinawa, I hope to inspire even more people to be changed by the sea — and to know themselves through the sea.

I'm a thoroughly dive-obsessed diver, living in Okinawa and diving here every chance I get. Diving has changed my life! Every time I think about that, I get goosebumps and my eyes well up. Thank you, ocean! And thank you to every ocean-loving person I've had the privilege of meeting!

If you'd like to know more about diving and dive travel in Okinawa, feel free to send me a message!

A Taiwanese Woman's Hidden Gems of Okinawa Diving — to be continued…

Related links:

• Article author Olive's IG: diver_olive

• Article author Olive's personal Facebook

• A Taiwanese Woman's Hidden Gems of Okinawa Diving: You Can Even Dive Inside a Stalactite Cave!

• Diving Mecca: A Liveaboard Trip to Sipadan, the One and Only

• 【A Taiwanese Woman's Hidden Gems of Okinawa Diving】First-Hand Info on "Triangle" — Japan's Dive Magazine Marine Diving's Top-Rated Dive Site

• Okinawa Diving Is More Than the Blue Cave! 5 Okinawa Diving Secrets You Need to Know

• Aka Island | Travel Japan – Japan National Tourism Organization (Official Website)