July 7, 2016 • mccsokinawa.com
O
kinawa is a small ribbon of land almost engulfed by the East China Sea and Pacific Ocean. It’s primo ground for water adventures. With glassy waves and kaleidoscopic sea life, we are surrounded by the aquarium into which your third-grader self always wanted to dive. If you’re stuck in a same-snorkel-spot rut, we’ve compiled a list of sites to explore:
Mike Daley
“MAMA-SAN BEACH” ON IKEI ISLAND Just beyond Henza Island in Gushikawa Bay, Ikei’s Mama-san Beach is one of the few beaches that has white sugar sand minus the dead coral and rocks. It’s a great beginner spot with an easy from-the-shore entry and slow slope into the water. During the summer months, expect to pay ¥300 to ¥400 to use the beach facilities. SERAGAKI BEACH Another for beginners, Seragaki Beach is located off of Hwy. 58 in Onna Village. Despite its dilapi-
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dated facilities, there is a shallow cove that even children can explore. GORILLA CHOP So named for a rock formation that looks like a gorilla doing a karate chop, Gorilla Chop, located in Motobu, is a bit more adventurous. Just off shore, the rocky, sandy sea bottom is home to many interesting shell fish and the occasional lion fish. A bit further out, soft coral fingers sit in water from ten to twenty feet deep, offering the ideal spot for viewing scads of plants and sea life. WAAJI ON IE ISLAND Make sure the tide is receding and be ready to climb down some stairs and walk across the exposed part of the reef to reach the prime snorkeling locale. Waaji boasts huge formations of mushroom coral between large fingers of hard coral that drop off into very deep
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“It’s primo ground for water adventures.” water. Keep to the shallower crevices where
you’ll find puffer fish, cuttlefish, stonefish and more—the variety more than makes up for the slightly difficult entry. If you don’t feel like doing any of the work part of snorkeling (the planning, coordinating, navigating) but you still want to see world-class beaches, hop aboard one of MCCS Tours+ snorkeling trips to the neighboring Kerama Islands. For more information, visit mccsokinawa.com/tours. Check out our “Pick of the Week” on page 7, and find out how a cup of coffee can lead to even more coral adventures.
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