Why don't you go see the beautiful coral reefs of Ishigaki Island?
Table of Contents
- 1 Why don't you go see the beautiful coral reefs of Ishigaki Island?
- 2 What are the typical corals found in the sea around Ishigaki Island?
- 3 Sukuji-oki Paradise" in Ishigaki Island is a popular diving spot!
- 4 5 Coral Spots on Ishigaki Island
- 5 What is the worldwide problem of coral bleaching?
- 6 Coral Reef Damage Survey by Ministry of the Environment
- 7 WWF Coral Reef Conservation Research Center "Shiraho Coral Village
- 8 Rising sea temperatures are not the only major enemy to coral reefs!
- 9 Corals in Shiraho are recovering!
- 10 Conclusion
Why don't you go see the beautiful coral reefs of Ishigaki Island?
Ishigaki Island is a remote island of tranquil and beautiful nature belonging to the Yaeyama Islands of Okinawa.
The contrast between the emerald-green, crystal-clear waters and white beaches is obvious, but what is even more remarkable is the colorful and varied coral reefs.
The entire Yaeyama Islands, including Ishigaki Island, are famous for their fascinating coral reefs.
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What are the typical corals found in the sea around Ishigaki Island?
The famous corals that can be seen in the Shiraho area of Ishigaki Island are probably the blue coral colonies and the yellow corals.
When you hear the word "blue coral," you may think it is blue in color. But this is not the case.
It is actually a leafy brown coral.
The reason it is called blue coral is because the skeleton of blue coral is rich in iron, which is why the skeleton looks bluish.
Incidentally, other corals usually have a calcareous white skeleton.
Another representative coral of Ishigaki Island is the Hamasango coral.
The yellow yellow euryhaline coral in the Shiraho area is characterized by its branched polyps.
Individual corals, called polyps, divide to form colonies, and each colony consists of hundreds to tens of thousands of polyps (clones).
And the coral body is structured like a polyp in a stone cup.
The coral skeleton corresponds to this stone cup, and its composition is made of calcium carbonate.
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Sukuji-oki Paradise" in Ishigaki Island is a popular diving spot!
This Sukuji Offshore Paradise is located near Kabira Bay and is a very popular dive site with breathtakingly beautiful coral reefs.
If you are lucky, you may encounter sea turtles or Napoleon fish!
Naturally, the sea is semi-transparent, so you can enjoy many colorful tropical fish.
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For those who want to enjoy beautiful coral reefs and tropical fish without getting their bodies wet
Such selfish wishes can be easily fulfilled on a glass boat.
From small children to elderly tourists, the glass boat will fully satisfy the charm of the sea of Ishigaki Island without any problem.
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For those who are afraid of scuba diving, snorkeling in shallow water is available!
Those who cannot swim need not worry at all as life jackets are worn.
The area for snorkeling is relatively shallow water, so it is safe.
The wonderful thing about Ishigaki Island is that you can enjoy beautiful coral reefs even in such shallow areas.
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5 Coral Spots on Ishigaki Island
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Shiraho Coast
Shiraho Beach is famous among the beaches of Ishigaki Island for more than 70 species of corals and abundant tropical fish, and is characterized by a great variety and quantity of species.
Among them is a large colony of post blue coral, known as a rare species of coral.
The mere discovery of blue coral is a rarity, but the Shiraho Coast is said to have the largest colony of blue coral in the northern hemisphere.
In addition to blue corals, many other corals can be observed, including common corals, yellow corals, and green corals.
The tour will enter from the beach and cruise by sea kayak to the blue coral point, where you will wear a snorkel to observe the coral.
Up close, you will be impressed by the huge colony.
It is very accessible, only about 15 minutes by car from Shin-Ishigaki Airport and 20 minutes by car from the city center, so it is easy to visit.
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Location: Shiraho, Ishigaki City, Okinawa Prefecture
Access: 5 minutes by car from Ishigaki Airport
Parking: -
Meals (nearby): None
Toilet: No
(2) Yonehara Coast
Yonehara Beach is located in the northern part of Ishigaki Island where the gently curving coastline with lush greenery is very beautiful.
Colorful corals and colorful tropical fish swim around in the sea.
Nevertheless, be careful when swimming in the ocean at this beach, as there are areas with fast currents that are designated as swimming danger zones.
Near Yonehara Beach, there are Blue Cave, Yaeyama palm colony designated as a national natural monument, and Omotodake, the highest mountain in Okinawa Prefecture, so you can enjoy your trip to Ishigaki Island even more if you visit Yonehara Beach with other nearby tourist attractions.
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Location: 644 Beikkai, Ishigaki City, Okinawa, Japan
Access: 40 minutes from Ishigaki Airport by car (open road)
Parking: Available (free of charge)
Meals (nearby): Available
Toilet: Yes
(c) Hamashima Island
Hamashima is located 10 km west of Ishigaki Island and is an uninhabited crescent-shaped island that does not exist on the map between Kohama Island and Taketomi Island.
This island appears as an island even when the tide is out and disappears into the sea, changing its shape as the tide rises.
Because of its phantom-like features, Hamashima is affectionately called "Phantom Island.
The powdery white sand beach is free of any vegetation, offering a 360-degree panoramic ocean view.
As you go offshore, the depth of the water changes the ocean, changing the emerald green sea to a cobalt blue sea.
There is also a coral colony in the shallows where tropical fish can be seen swimming.
Offshore, the largest coral colony in Japan, Shihsei Lagoon, is also spread out, where more than 400 species of corals and a variety of marine life can be observed.
If you can afford it, please visit Shihsi Jagoho.
It is worth the trip just to land on the island, but if you go to the trouble of visiting, be sure to see the beautiful coral reefs that surround the island.
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4) Kabira Bay
Kabira Bay is the most scenic spot on Ishigaki Island.
It is a world-class scenic spot that has been awarded three stars by the Michelin Green Guide.
It is the number one tourist attraction on Ishigaki Island and is crowded with tourists every day.
Surrounded by accommodations, restaurants, and souvenir shops, it is an ideal place for sightseeing.
It is said that the sea at Kabira Bay changes into seven different colors, and some visitors spend the day resting in the shade of the trees and watching the colors change.
The crystal clear waters have excellent water quality and are used for the cultivation of black pearls.
You can cruise around Kabira Bay by canoe, SUP, or glass boat, and admire colorful coral and tropical fish from the sea.
The glass boat can be used by everyone from children as young as 0 years old to the elderly, so it is a great way to observe the corals of Kabira Bay in a relaxed atmosphere.
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(5) Ishiqi Reef Lake
Ishinishi lagoon, the largest coral area in Japan, is home to more than 400 species of beautiful corals.
Ishi Nishi-shogo-ko is about 20 km east to west and 15 km north to south. It is located between Ishigaki Island and Iriomote Island, hence the name "Ishi" of Ishigaki Island and "Nishi" of Iriomote Island, which was taken from "Ishi" of Ishigaki Island and "Nishi" of Iriomote Island.
In addition, the overall depth of Ishinishi lagoon is shallow, and coral colonies act as breakwaters, so high waves rarely come in.
Even first-time snorkelers and divers can do so with ease.
It is best to take a tour to Shihsi Lagoon, as you will have to go there by boat.
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What is the worldwide problem of coral bleaching?
Japan is no exception, with coral reefs around Okinawa, one of the largest coral reefs in the world, also experiencing bleaching, resulting in the death of many coral species.
Coral bleaching is a phenomenon in which an abnormal rise in seawater temperature kills the algae that live symbiotically within the coral, making photosynthesis impossible, and as a result, the coral skeleton appears translucent white as it is unable to absorb nutrients.
After bleaching, the coral is still alive, but if the condition persists for too long, the coral will die.
Coral reefs are the tropical forests of the sea, nurturing so much life that they are often called the tropical forests of the sea.
Unfortunately, once bleached, corals cannot recover in a short time.
Of course, the coral will gradually recover as the sea water temperature drops, but if the sea water temperature remains constantly high or the coral bleaches repeatedly, the coral itself will weaken and the risk of death will increase.
In order to protect corals from bleaching, there are many long-term issues that must be addressed, including not only rising sea water temperatures due to global warming, but also red soil that flows inland and into the ocean, and sea water pollution caused by domestic wastewater.
Coral Reef Damage Survey by Ministry of the Environment
In response to this emergency situation, the Ministry of the Environment conducted two surveys in July-August and September-October 2016 to check coral damage at Ishinishi lagoon in Iriomote Ishigaki National Park, considered the largest coral reef in Japan.
The results were truly astonishing: bleaching was confirmed at 97% of the 35 survey points.
A progression of deterioration was observed in the second survey than in the first.
The report states that the impact of the global rise in sea temperature in 2016 was not limited to Okinawa, but also caused significant damage to Australia's Great Barrier Reef, one of the world's largest coral reefs, where large-scale bleaching was observed in corals in an area of 2,000 km from north to south.
Especially in the northern area, it was reported that more than 90% of the corals in the area have bleached.
WWF Coral Reef Conservation Research Center "Shiraho Coral Village
The Shiraho Sea on Ishigaki Island is an extremely valuable area with the largest blue coral colony in the world.
WWF Japan has decided to focus on coral reef research and conservation activities by establishing the "Shiraho Coral Village" to further promote its environmental conservation.
The sea of Shiraho on Ishigaki Island is home to over 300 species of fish, and as for coral, more than 120 species can be seen.
It is a very important ocean from an academic point of view.
In order to protect this world-class precious coral reef and pass on the natural environment of Ishigaki Island in good condition to the next generation, in addition to the conservation activities of local people, it is necessary to strengthen cooperation with people inside and outside the island, including information sharing and mutual understanding.
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Rising sea temperatures are not the only major enemy to coral reefs!
Ishigaki Island belongs to the subtropical zone, and like tropical areas, it rains very heavily from time to time.
In the process, red soil from farmlands and other sources is scraped away and flows into the island's rivers, eventually flowing into Ishigaki Island's beautiful ocean.
In fact, it is not surprising that this red clay can have a negative impact on the ecosystem, including coral and other fish.
In fact, red clay itself is not toxic.
The problem is that red clay has very fine particles, so once mixed with seawater, it does not sink easily to the seafloor and drifts in the water for a long time.
This causes the seawater to become muddy and results in an obstruction of sunlight reaching the ocean.
In the case of corals, the algae that live symbiotically within their bodies die because they can no longer photosynthesize, and the corals themselves die because they can no longer take in nutrients from the algae.
Also, red soil directly covering the coral can be very damaging to the coral.
Normally, the beaches of Okinawa look dazzling white because they are made of coral and shell fragments, but unfortunately, more and more of the beautiful white beaches have recently turned reddish brown due to the influx of red clay into the sea.
Corals in Shiraho are recovering!
The coral cover was 6.261 TP3T when the "Shiraho Coral Village" was conducted in 2010, and this October 2018 inspection showed a slight improvement with a cover of 11.21 TP3T.
In 2016, many corals died in Shiraho's waters due to rising sea temperatures during the global summer, but they are very resilient indeed.
The surviving corals had multiplied a bit against all odds.
However, considering that coral cover was 261 TP3T in 2002, we still need to work harder.
We need to make sure that no more red soil and other materials from the land flow into the sea.
What is *coverage?
The percentage of the ground surface covered by each plant in a plant community.
In this survey, it seems that a large 1 meter square rice cake baking net (about 10 cm square) was placed on top of the coral for the survey.
Conclusion
In Japan, there are also areas of the sea like Okinawa that are dotted with large, world-class coral reefs.
They are as attractive as famous foreign resorts.
Shouldn't we continue to focus on coral reef conservation activities in order to maintain Japan's wonderful natural environment?
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