Okinawa Japan Snorkeling Guide
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Okinawa has some great shore snorkeling opportunities on the west side of the island. Additionally, the Kerama Island group off the west side of Okinawa is accessible by daily ferries from Naha. This snorkeling guide documents some of the best snorkeling locations on Okinawa and the Kerama Islands.
The entire Okinawa island group is an extensive area and would take significant time to explore in its entirety. Due to those constraints, this guide focuses on the most common areas and easiest accessible. We do not pretend to have explored the entire island group, but this guide will give you more than enough to snorkel in a week.
General water clarity on Okinawa is lower than the average Caribbean location. Sometimes the surface will be cloudy and clear up as you dive below. Offshore on a boat the water clarity is generally better than by shore. Dive boats are more common than snorkel boats on Okinawa, but there are a few options. On the Kerama Islands, it will be easier to find snorkel boat tours. Sometimes the dive boats will take you along as well.
Box Jellyfish are a concern on Okinawa. The stings can cause you great pain and even worse. You should do some research and become knowledgeable about them before attempting snorkeling around Okinawa.
There are several ways to mitigate against box jellyfish...
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There are several ways to mitigate against box jellyfish. Out on the beaches, people will be seen wearing full body swimwear. This is either for the jellyfish, or sun protection. Some kind of skin covering is recommended, but you do not need a 3mm wetsuit to offer adequate protection. A much thinner, full body “stinger suit” is offered by several retailers if you want maximum coverage, with minimal obstructions. The water temperatures during the hottest time of the year on Okinawa can reach above 80 degrees Fahrenheit. For this reason, you may find a wetsuit to be a suffocating experience. Unfortunately, some of the boat tours may require you to wear one.
Swim nets at public beaches are a common. This is a large roped off swim area with nets going down to the seafloor. The idea is, they keep away box jellyfish. Some beaches have these, some do not. Some beaches enforce the rule you must snorkel within the net. Other beaches do not enforce this rule and let you snorkel outside the net. This Okinawa Snorkeling Guide does not list snorkeling locations at beaches with nets as those areas offer limited snorkeling opportunities.
Check out our downloadable PDF snorkeling map set for Okinawa that include extra detailed information about each location. Easy to use for quick offline reference.
Okinawa Snorkeling Locations Map
(Click the box on the map header to open in Google Maps app)
Click to jump to each location:
- Aharen Port South (Aharen Island)
- Aharen West Beach (Aharen Island)
- Aka Beach (Aka Island)
- Blue Cave
- Gorilla Chop
- Maehama Beach (Aka Island)
- Manza Chapel
- Nishibama Beach (Aka Island)
- Serakaki
- Sunbae Seawall
- Umisora Park
Aharen Port South (Aharen Island)
A shore snorkeling option south of Aharen port with cliffs and canyons. Hop over the seawall and walk south along the rocky coast till you reach a small sandy area about 1,000 feet (300 meters) from the port. Enter the water here and swim south, following the wall. Enjoy the ledges and coral along the way. Around the corner is a narrow above-water canyon you can swim into. Out of the canyon and farther south, you can find an underwater canyon that drops 40ft (12 meters) or more. You may see dive boats and divers out here.
Aharen West Beach (Aharen Island)
Large beach on the west side Aharen village. Walk along the beach and jump in where you feel like. An extensive coral reef stretches the entire length of the beach and beyond. There is a sandy bottom with plenty of underwater channels and peninsulas. Depths slowly descend as you go out from shore. Wonderful place to snorkel and explore. This is a great place to snorkel instead of the main beach area in Aharen Village. From the main beach in Aharen, they require you to snorkel in the roped off area and have additional rules.
Aka Beach (Aka Island)
Shoreline access on the east side of Aka village. Pretty good coral and fish. Snorkel right off the beach. Also try along the breaker structure for the main pier. Stay away from ferry boats. Water visibility may be limited near the surface. Overall, a great option to snorkel right near Aka village.
Blue Cave
Popular snorkel and dive location. A large cave below cliffs you can swim into. Outside the cave is a good drop off, but sparse coral.
Blue Cave is a popular area and has paid parking and operating hours. On a busy day, the parking lot may fill up. Walk down the steps to the water and enter. Swim to the right (south-east) for 500 feet (150 meters). The cave is around a corner in the cliff, and you won’t see it until you are right in front of it. There should be a buoy just outside the cave, marking the entrance.
Gorilla Chop
Popular snorkeling area for all skill levels. Great coral and fish in a shallow protected bay. Snorkel right from shore for a good time. Follow the reef along the shoreline as far as you feel comfortable. The park has an easy concrete water entrance and facilities. The small parking lot may fill up on popular days.
Maehama Beach (Aka Island)
The primary beach on the main village on Aka island. There are some concrete breakers right off the beach in shallow water to explore around. Beyond that, head west along the shore, following the coastline towards Shinashiru island. Farther from shore are coral structures and features in deeper water. Keep an eye out for passing boats in the channel.
Manza Chapel
A local spot for free divers or the adventurous snorkeler. Walk behind the chapel at Manza Beach Resort and go down the staircase. You may have to climb in some areas as the staircase has collapsed. At the bottom is a pier from which you can access the water. Swim to the left (north) out of the bay. The main feature of this location is a deep channel close to shore. Easy to access deep water without needing to swim far from shore. Additionally, along the coast are steep cliffs that have a couple caves you can swim into. There may be local fishermen at the pier. Be polite and swim around their lines, not through them.
There is limited parking at the chapel. To enter the resort, you need to pay a fee to park. To avoid this, you can park and take the long walk from Nabee public beach.
Nishibama Beach (Aka Island)
Large beach on the east side of Aka island. There is a public facility building and a roped-off snorkel area. It is a large beach though, and you can walk down the beach and enter the water wherever you choose. There is extensive coral along the entire length of the beach. The best snorkel areas seem to be north of the public building.
Serakaki
Snorkel right off the beach in the village of Serakaki. The coral near shore is basic and develops as you go out farther. A fair distance out, the depth increases and coral structures appear. There are ledges and cracks to swim around. Overall, a great place to snorkel with easy access and great coral structure farther out.
Parking in town is limited. You may have to get creative and walk a little to access the main beach. There may be a dive shop in town that offers guided snorkel or free diving tours from the beach.
Sunbae Seawall
Popular snorkeling and shore dive location. One of the best and most visited areas near the main population areas of Okinawa. A seawall extends from American Village north all the way to Sunbae. There are water access steps periodically along the seawall, but the best areas appear to be on the north side. There is one entrance that gets more use than others. A short channel allows swim access to the ocean, while other access points have very shallow access points. The tide can affect these entrances, it is best to enter at higher tide. After a short swim you arrive at a 20 ft (6 meter) wall that extends the length of the seawall. Good coral and diversity of sea life. While this area gets heavy use, there is plenty of area to spread out.
Park along the street at the seawall. There is a dive shop across the street from the entrance, you might be able to rent snorkel gear.
Umisora Park
Unexpected snorkeling right in Naha. A concrete breaker structure in the bay provides a place for coral to grow. Soft coral covers the breaker and fish congregate. Water clarity is poor and there is not much else to see beyond the breaker structure. Walk along the concrete shoreline and enter at the shortest distance to the breaker. Not recommended to enter from Naminoue Beach, there are lifeguards and a swim net. Umisora Park offers parking, you may have to pay a small fee.
Check out our downloadable PDF snorkeling map set for Okinawa that include extra detailed information about each location. Easy to use for quick offline reference.
