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Sunday October 16th, 2016

Returning to the Oki Islands to dive once more, I wasn’t yearning for the vast shoals of tropical fish and colourful marine life that I’d seen so far this year. Instead, I was looking forward to something slightly different. The Oki islands offer a topographically intriguing seabed of rocky structures that have succumbed to the relentless force of the sea, piles of giant boulders, walls and even caves, all crammed with endless nooks and crannies. The islands also boast a plethora of dive sites both near and far from shore, with some unsurprisingly fascinating underwater features. Down at depth there is plenty to steal your attention, such as rock formations with such sheer sides that they look as if they have been polished to precision. Around these dramatic life forms are sandy patches and grassy spots that are home to a beautiful variety of fish and invertebrates.

Iguri:  Giant striding into the waters off the dive site Iguri is a great way to start a Sunday. Our route took us north towards the open sea as we meandered through a small canal, passing rows of delightful houses. As we arrived, the sun was shining and the surface of the water was covered in gentle ripples with almost no waves.

The dive over Iguri’s main feature, a huge rocky mount, is both fun and full of atmosphere. Descending slowly down the anchor line we arrived at the top of the structure, which starts at around 15m. Its walls are covered in seaweed, marine growth and fish swimming everywhere. A large number of half-lined cardinal fish populate the rock, which eases its way down to an undulating sandy bottom with a maximum depth of around 26m. It’s a perfect site for divers of all experience levels and there is plenty to see, including rays and even a huge longtooth grouper watching us cautiously as it rested on the sandy seafloor. A variety of fish, such as damselfish and sardines call the area home too and the diving is effortless, with gentle finning all that’s required to move over the rocks and stones. Ascending slowly towards the end of the dive, the light envelopes an underwater landscape of boulders, and schooling fish sweep by while the odd dangerous stonefish sits waiting in the shadowy parts. Red sea bream and amberjack patrol the site relentlessly, while more discoveries await in the shallower depths, such as tiny crabs and colourful nudibranchs.

Katado:  Our guide paused at the cave entrance to Katado, peered backwards to make sure we were present, and began swimming forward. Once inside, he turned his torch on to light up a colossal wall covered in sponges and macrolife. Heading further in, we shined our torches all around to reveal features that were just as interesting as the areas closer to the entrance. Striped eel catfish wriggled around, while a comical-looking puffer fish glided slowly by.

Good buoyancy skills, as well as control and judgement, are all important at Katado as there are a few tight spots and the dive is no deeper than 11m. Despite the darkness, there is plenty of entertainment and a slightly spooky atmosphere as you venture further into the cave. It’s an atmospheric location, with beams of sunlight shining through the entrance and good photo opportunities (especially macro) for those with cameras. Because it all lies in relatively shallow water, you can spend pretty much your entire dive within the cave, with virtually no chance of running out of bottom time. Photography and macrolife fans won’t be disappointed with the amount of time available to get that perfect shot.  We were in there for just over an hour.

Crabs, nudibranchs and tiny shrimps poked their faces out from their lairs having clearly taken a foothold on the walls, and looking closely, we could even see a variety of bennies that looked like frogs, some with feathery tentacles above their eyes. The area was covered in sponges and colourful bits of seaweed, while the impressive walls did a good job of inviting us deeper inside where more nudibranchs could be found, displaying a broad palette of different colour forms amidst strong, angry-looking sea urchins in every crack and space. But it’s not just the macrolife that’s impressive — Katado is  home to a range of fish such as Japanese blacktail triplefin, stonefish (watch out for these!), black rockfish and marbled rockfish. After an enjoyable meeting with a school of half-lined cardinal fish dancing by and shining against the sunlight, we headed back towards the surface and exit. Katado is one of the Oki Islands’ richest in terms of diversity and abundance.

Given than most of the dive sites are no more than a 10-minute boat ride, it’s fair to say that the Oki Islands have some beautiful diving right on their doorstep. They may not inspire the same awe or possess the same allure as other Japanese dive sites, but do provide some fantastic and original underwater experiences.

Practical Information: Please refer to my previous blog on the Oki Islands (Nishinoshima, October 2014) for details on how to get to Oki, where to stay and diving costs

October’s Dives 

Dive No: 233, Iguri, entry time: 09:55, depth: 25.4m, dive time: 39mins, exit time: 10:29, water temperature: 22C, water visibility: 10m, start pressure: 180 bar, end pressure: 40 bar, used a 5mm wetsuit, 3mm hood/vest, 3kg weight (due to heavy camera), jacket BC, 10L steel tank. Saw: red sea bream, amberjack, half-lined cardinal fish, ray, crab (charybdis acuta), longtooth grouper, sardines, damselfish, nudibranch (Glossodoris misakinosibogae Baba), sea urchins

Dive No: 234: Katado, entry time: 11:12, depth: 11.2m, dive time: 60mins, exit time: 12:12, water temp: 21C, water visibility: 10m, start pressure: 180 bar, end pressure: 100 bar, used a 5mm wetsuit, 3mm hood/vest, 3kg weight, jacket BC, 10L steel tank. Saw: white nudibranch (chromodoris orientalis), blue nudibranch (hypselodoris festiva), nudibranch (glossodoris misakinosibogae Baba), striped eel catfish, pufferfish (Takifugu pardalis), Japanese blacktail triplefin, half-lined cardinal fish, black rockfish, stonefish, marbled rockfish, sea urchins