Okinawa's top diving spot, the Blue Cave, is an ocean cave formed by wave erosion. As the sunlight penetrates the cave to illuminate the limestone sea bed, which is then reflected, the entire cave momentarily turns a captivating, magical blue color, like something from a dream. See this once, and you'll never forget it!

There are only two such blue-lit caves worldwide, one on the Italian island of Capri, and the other at Cape Maeda on Okinawa, which is known to the locals simply as "Blue Cave."

Unusual Watersports in Okinawa Go Diving at the Only (Other) Blue Cave in the World

With the exception of Alaska, the ocean off Okinawa is the only place in the world where you have a relatively high likelihood of spotting a humpback whale. January to April each year is whale-watching season in Okinawa: this is breeding season, hence the greater chance of a spotting.

Before you set out on the watch, the workers explain a few basic things to know about whale-watching; once you're out on the water, when the workers spot a humpback, they excitedly call everyone to the bow and upper deck to watch. After a few minutes' wait, there is a far-off "pfff" noise, and the whale surfaces to breathe and blow air. If you're lucky, you might see a bigger whale playing with a smaller one out at sea.

Although you can see whales in the aquarium, the ones in the wild are livelier and more playful, spurting water, leaping, and waving their tail all in one graceful movement. So much more impressive than the docile whales and dolphins you see in captivity! And when a whale is spotted, everyone starts shouting animatedly—again, a different breed of fish from the atmosphere at the aquarium.

If you want to explore Okinawa's amazing marine life, you don't necessarily need to go for a dive—you can just hop aboard the "Star of the Sea,” an underwater sightseeing boat with a submarine pod that departs from Naha. Once submerged, it gradually decelerates, descending to the inshore sea bed at a depth of about 1.7m.

Because the waters off Okinawa are so clear, even though you're inshore, you can still see the coral reef and life on the sea bed, with schools of tropical fish swimming back and forth; and thanks to the detailed narration about the marine ecosystem, you can even learn something while during all of the fun.

Okinawa is the only place in Japan where you can experience underwater scooters! They're perfect for those who can't dive but still want to explore life on the sea bed at their own pace; but since they're quite hard to steer, only those of middle-school age or older are allowed to try it.

There aren't as many requirements for underwater scooters as there are for diving, and they don't require much physical effort—you just sit on it and move gently around the sea bed. Okinawa's underwater scooters can even scoot around in just 2m of water. Pretty special, right?

If you're bored with the same old choice of regular water sports, why not give canoeing a go? Not your average canoe, of course, but the lesser-spotted fully transparent wooden canoe! Apart from the transparent materials used in its 100% see-through design, this little boat also comes without a balance shaft on the hull, so you can enjoy the underwater sights to your heart's content.

After some basic training, visitors can set off for the deep blue sea. Once in the canoe, at first it's a bit nerve-racking, as there's nothing beneath your feet but the sea bed; but once you've gotten used to it, if you look carefully below, there are often tropical fish swimming past in the clear waters, as well as beautiful coral. It's a completely new way to look at things, liberating and laid back.

Do you lack confidence to swim, but still want to experience Okinawa's beautiful ocean life? You could give marine-walking a try as well. Marine-walking involves putting on an oxygen pressure helmet and walking along the sea bed. Non-swimmers can do it too, so it's suitable for all the family, grandparents and kids alike.

Stepping foot on the sea bed is like being without gravity, an incredible sensation that you can only experience by marine-walking. The view on the bottom is very clear. Through the helmet you can see the tropical fish leisurely swimming by, and there's also feeding time, which attracts countless beautiful tropical fish. The divers also use underwater cameras to take photographs for you.