Just returned from another trip to Yonaguni.
Day One: Arrival on Yonaguni and settled for lunch at the Irifune Hotel- had to deal with the large camera crews and actors from "The Doctor"- those in Japan will probably recognize the show which is currently beign shot on Yonaguni. After lunch we headed out for a couple dives.
First dive was on Twin Arch, one of the more spectacular reef dives on Yonaguni, the reef is covered with coral and sea whips and the juvenile fish are packed so tight over the reef you have to push them aside to see the coral. The two massive arches offer hiding places for grouper and huge puffer fish that hang out below them. After 40 minutes of exploring the arches we headed for a short drift down the reef than a swim out into the blue for a drifting safety stop and pick-up when air was getting low. Upon surfacing we were met with cups of warm tea and a slow cruise to our next sight.
Our second sight was Anchor Point which is another great slow drift reef dive over a section of reef that is littered with boat anchors of various sizes that have been left there over the years as this used to be a popular cove to anchor and shelter from storms. On this dive we we treated to numerous macro shots and were also visited by schools of jacks and tuna. A great wrap up to our first day of diving. We headed back to port to rinse gear and a delicious dinner at the Irifune then headed across the island to settle into our private villa- just opened on the back side of the island where we were staying as the hotels were full of TV crew. The Bamboo Villa offer an awesome view over the ocean with a large yard and huge common room on the second deck to look out over the ocean.
Day two arrived with a morning drift dive at Danno Point, an awesome wall dive where schools of huge unicorn fish and trevally hang over the wall. We were treated to an awesome hunting display by a small school of large trevally that circled up a group of bait fish and proceed to take turns bursting through the mini-bait ball to feed. On top of the wall we drifted over a coral reef full of juvenile fish, huge moray eels and also got a few leaf fish photos.
After a hot lunch we headed to explore the mysterious ruins of Yonaguni. Dive One was one the stage where huge monolith blocks form a "Stage" below the water featuring a memorial plaque to Jacque Mayol and a massive moia head carved into the rock on the corner of the stage. We circled the monument then proceeded to swim though a tunnel under Taichigama Iwa the pinnacle that thurst toward the sky from the sea seen on almost all ads for Yonaguni. Dive three of the day was on Iseki Point the main monument of Yonaguni, the current was ripping and the most entertaining point of the dive was hanging on to the monument and watching the second group of divers come tumbling around the corner onto the main terrace in the current. Flat seas offered us a chance to get up top of the monument and explore the various carving and holes found there. After 40 minutes exploring a nice drift out into the blue to get picked up was a great wrap up to a day of diving. Of course a nice cold draft at the villa overlooking the ocean was a even better wrap to the day as a whole.
The last day of diving in Yonaguni started with the high speed drift at SaWest point where huge schools of barracuda were hanging on the pinnacle we hooked into to watch the show. Massive tuna came up to join us after 5 minutes, our photographers ducked behind the pinnacle to shelter themselves from the current and get some shots. Letting go we started drifting to the next pinnacle at high speed with a slight swim up against a down current we hooked into Hammerhead point for a a quick look at a school of big eye trevally and one of the biggest unicorn fish I have ever seen. The a drift off into the blue accompanied by a school of fusilers one our safety stop.
After lunch we headed to Iseki for another look, more prepared for the current the photog's were able to get the shots they missed the day before. Another calm day allowed us great shots on the top of the monument. Then on the way back in we drifted over Nugen Drop, for the last dive. This reef is teeming with life both large and small with jacks and tuna hanging out off the edge and leaf fish, shrimp and tons of juveniles on top of the reef. An awesome three days of diving.
Day One: Arrival on Yonaguni and settled for lunch at the Irifune Hotel- had to deal with the large camera crews and actors from "The Doctor"- those in Japan will probably recognize the show which is currently beign shot on Yonaguni. After lunch we headed out for a couple dives.
First dive was on Twin Arch, one of the more spectacular reef dives on Yonaguni, the reef is covered with coral and sea whips and the juvenile fish are packed so tight over the reef you have to push them aside to see the coral. The two massive arches offer hiding places for grouper and huge puffer fish that hang out below them. After 40 minutes of exploring the arches we headed for a short drift down the reef than a swim out into the blue for a drifting safety stop and pick-up when air was getting low. Upon surfacing we were met with cups of warm tea and a slow cruise to our next sight.
Our second sight was Anchor Point which is another great slow drift reef dive over a section of reef that is littered with boat anchors of various sizes that have been left there over the years as this used to be a popular cove to anchor and shelter from storms. On this dive we we treated to numerous macro shots and were also visited by schools of jacks and tuna. A great wrap up to our first day of diving. We headed back to port to rinse gear and a delicious dinner at the Irifune then headed across the island to settle into our private villa- just opened on the back side of the island where we were staying as the hotels were full of TV crew. The Bamboo Villa offer an awesome view over the ocean with a large yard and huge common room on the second deck to look out over the ocean.
Day two arrived with a morning drift dive at Danno Point, an awesome wall dive where schools of huge unicorn fish and trevally hang over the wall. We were treated to an awesome hunting display by a small school of large trevally that circled up a group of bait fish and proceed to take turns bursting through the mini-bait ball to feed. On top of the wall we drifted over a coral reef full of juvenile fish, huge moray eels and also got a few leaf fish photos.
After a hot lunch we headed to explore the mysterious ruins of Yonaguni. Dive One was one the stage where huge monolith blocks form a "Stage" below the water featuring a memorial plaque to Jacque Mayol and a massive moia head carved into the rock on the corner of the stage. We circled the monument then proceeded to swim though a tunnel under Taichigama Iwa the pinnacle that thurst toward the sky from the sea seen on almost all ads for Yonaguni. Dive three of the day was on Iseki Point the main monument of Yonaguni, the current was ripping and the most entertaining point of the dive was hanging on to the monument and watching the second group of divers come tumbling around the corner onto the main terrace in the current. Flat seas offered us a chance to get up top of the monument and explore the various carving and holes found there. After 40 minutes exploring a nice drift out into the blue to get picked up was a great wrap up to a day of diving. Of course a nice cold draft at the villa overlooking the ocean was a even better wrap to the day as a whole.
The last day of diving in Yonaguni started with the high speed drift at SaWest point where huge schools of barracuda were hanging on the pinnacle we hooked into to watch the show. Massive tuna came up to join us after 5 minutes, our photographers ducked behind the pinnacle to shelter themselves from the current and get some shots. Letting go we started drifting to the next pinnacle at high speed with a slight swim up against a down current we hooked into Hammerhead point for a a quick look at a school of big eye trevally and one of the biggest unicorn fish I have ever seen. The a drift off into the blue accompanied by a school of fusilers one our safety stop.
After lunch we headed to Iseki for another look, more prepared for the current the photog's were able to get the shots they missed the day before. Another calm day allowed us great shots on the top of the monument. Then on the way back in we drifted over Nugen Drop, for the last dive. This reef is teeming with life both large and small with jacks and tuna hanging out off the edge and leaf fish, shrimp and tons of juveniles on top of the reef. An awesome three days of diving.
