Kerama Islands diving

The Kerama Islands are honestly one of the best things about living and diving in Okinawa. They sit just a short boat ride west of the main island, but once you get out there, it feels like a whole different world. The water is so insanely clear they call it Kerama Blue—and it’s no exaggeration. On a good day you can see 30 meters or more, which makes every dive feel like flying.

What makes the Keramas stand out is the life on those reefs. There are more than 250 kinds of coral, and it really shows once you drop in. Huge sea fans stretch out along the walls, table corals stack up like underwater plateaus, and soft corals sway in the current like they’re dancing. Then you’ve got schools of fusiliers flashing by in silver waves, clownfish tucked in their anemones, and those funny little garden eels poking up from the sand. It’s like swimming through an aquarium—only way bigger, way wilder, and way better.

The dives themselves have something for everyone. If you’re new, there are shallow reefs full of fish that let you just relax and enjoy. If you’re more experienced, you can jump on drift dives or explore drop-offs that fall away into the deep blue. And you never know what you’re going to run into—turtles are basically a given, manta rays pass through when the season’s right, and in winter you can sometimes even hear humpback whales singing while you’re underwater.

And the thing is, it’s not just divers who get spoiled out there. The snorkeling in Kerama is unreal. The lagoons are shallow, full of coral and reef fish, and the light makes the whole place glow. When you’re done in the water, you can just crash out on the beaches at Tokashiki or Zamami. The sand is soft, the water stays crystal-clear, and it’s the perfect way to wind down after a full day of exploring.