Kerama Islands Diving — Japan
The Kerama Islands are a national park archipelago 40 km west of Okinawa's main island, famous for 'Kerama Blue' — water so clear that 50-metre visibility is commonplace. Green turtles glide over pristine coral gardens while humpback whales pass through in winter. Day trips from Naha are popular but staying on the islands unlocks the best early-morning sites.
- Score
- 73.8 / 100
- Country
- Japan
- Region
- Pacific Ocean
- Area
- Okinawa Prefecture
- Nearest airport
- Naha Airport (OKA)
- Visibility
- 20–50 m
- Water temperature
- 21–29 °C
- Max depth
- 40 m
- Current strength
- mild
- Dive types
- reef, wall, drift, macro
- Best months
- April, May, June, July, August, September, October
- Minimum certification
- Open Water
- Access type
- boat
- Average 2-tank dive cost
- $110 USD
- Budget tier
- mid range
- Key species
- green turtle, manta ray, humpback whale, nudibranch, mandarin fish, anemonefish
- Google rating
- 4.7 (410 reviews)
- Top operators
- Kerama Diving Service, Joy Joy Diving Club Zamami
- Nearest hyperbaric chamber
- US Naval Hospital Okinawa Hyperbaric Unit (~40 km)
SCORE
26.1900°N
127.3000°E
The Kerama Islands are a national park archipelago 40 km west of Okinawa's main island, famous for 'Kerama Blue' — water so clear that 50-metre visibility is commonplace. Green turtles glide over pristine coral gardens while humpback whales pass through in winter. Day trips from Naha are popular but staying on the islands unlocks the best early-morning sites.
Kerama Blue — Japan's Clearest Water
Score Breakdown
Click any score to see a detailed breakdown
Marine Life
75.0Species diversity, megafauna encounters, reef fish abundance, macro life, and endemic species.
Key Species
Dive Types
Traveling with Non-Divers?
Your non-diving travel companions will find plenty to enjoy topside while you're underwater. Here are some activities to consider.
Activities for Non-Divers
Nearby Cultural Sites
- Zamami Village traditional houses
- Kerama deer observation
Non-Diver Partner Score
Excellent for non-divers — they'll love it here.
Safety & Emergency
Dive Insurance
Dive insurance is essential. Standard travel insurance often excludes scuba diving. We recommend DAN (Divers Alert Network) for comprehensive dive accident coverage.
Learn More at DAN.orgIsland clinics for first aid; ferry or helicopter to Naha for serious cases — hyperbaric chamber at naval hospital or Naha City Hospital
Top Operators
Kerama Diving Service
PADI
Joy Joy Diving Club Zamami
SSI
What your dive shop won't tell you
The minimum certification printed on a brochure is the legal floor, not the honest recommendation. Here's what we actually think you should bring to this site.
Below this we'd send you somewhere easier first.
“Intermediate minimum — deep profiles and variable viz.”
What will challenge you
- →Recreational limit of 40 m is reachable here (max depth 40 m). Gas planning and NDL tracking matter.
- →Cooler than most tropical sites — 21°C minimum. A 5 mm wetsuit is the floor for longer dives.
- →Variable visibility
- →Deep profiles
What will surprise you
- →Thermoclines can drop water temp by 8°C between the surface and depth. Your wetsuit choice should match the minimum, not the average.
- →Kerama Islands has more marine life variety than most divers expect
- →Local operators know spots the guidebooks miss
When to dive it
Every dive shop gives you this briefing at 7am. We just wrote it down. Tidal dependency: slight. Optimal window: First light to 11am for best visibility..
- Vizpeak
- Currentmild
- Crowdlight
- reef exploration
- photography
Best light and calmest conditions before afternoon wind picks up.
- Vizmoderate
- Currentmild
- Crowdmoderate
- drift diving
- second tank
Wind chop can reduce viz. Still diveable but morning is better.
Dive forecast
Realistic conditions by month. Viz ranges are what you should actually expect, not best-case marketing numbers. Confidence % is the share of days that match this profile historically.
| Month | Viz (m) | Temp (°C) | Current | Sea | Rain | Confidence | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 20–35 | 21 | Mild | Mod | Light | 70% | reef fish active, peak season crowds |
| Feb | 20–35 | 21 | Mild | Mod | Light | 70% | reef fish active, peak season crowds |
| Mar | 20–35 | 21 | Mild | Mod | Light | 70% | reef fish active, peak season crowds |
| Apr | 20–35 | 21 | Mild | Mod | Light | 70% | reef fish active |
| May | 42–50 | 29 | Mild | Calm | Dry | 70% | reef fish active |
| Jun | 42–50 | 29 | Mild | Calm | Dry | 70% | reef fish active |
| Jul | 42–50 | 29 | Mild | Calm | Dry | 70% | reef fish active |
| Aug | 42–50 | 29 | Mild | Calm | Dry | 70% | reef fish active |
| Sep | 42–50 | 29 | Mild | Calm | Dry | 70% | reef fish active |
| Oct | 20–35 | 21 | Mild | Mod | Light | 70% | reef fish active |
| Nov | 20–35 | 21 | Mild | Mod | Light | 70% | reef fish active |
| Dec | 20–35 | 21 | Mild | Mod | Light | 70% | reef fish active |
Photography brief
Subjects are only half the shot. A perfect macro site is useless in a three-knot drift, and a wide-angle dream is useless at 35 m with a murky ceiling. These are the conditions, not the hype.
Recommended kit
- →Macro lens (60mm or 105mm), focus light, dual strobes positioned for fill
- →Wide-angle or fisheye (8-15mm range), dual strobes for close-focus wide angle
What this site will teach you
The dives that made you a better diver are the ones that made you uncomfortable for the right reasons. Here's what this site will quietly train you for.
Deep diving comfort
advancedRegular dives past 30m build confidence at depth.
Buoyancy precision
intermediateMacro subjects demand millimeter-level hover control.
7-day trip, per person
Rough ranges anchored to existing regional data — not booking quotes. Land-based trip, standard breakdown.
Hostels, shore diving, cheap eats
- Flights (RT from US)
- $720–$880
- Accommodation / day
- $50–$100
- Diving / day
- $90–$110
- Food / day
- $25–$50
- Transfers + misc
- $50–$150
3-star hotels, standard boat ops, mix of restaurants
- Flights (RT from US)
- $1,150–$1,450
- Accommodation / day
- $120–$220
- Diving / day
- $110–$140
- Food / day
- $55–$100
- Transfers + misc
- $50–$150
Top resorts or liveaboards, premium operators
- Flights (RT from US)
- $1,800–$2,200
- Accommodation / day
- $260–$500
- Diving / day
- $140–$190
- Food / day
- $110–$220
- Transfers + misc
- $50–$150
Flights priced round-trip from a major US hub. Figures are per person on a shared room. Solo travelers add ~30% to accommodation.
Build a trip around it
Most divers fly across the world for one destination and don't realise another worth-it site is 90 minutes away. Here are the honest pairings.
- Okinawa68.5Japan
Same country, easy to combine into one trip.
- Yonaguni66.7Japan
Same country, easy to combine into one trip.
- Amami-Ōshima70.7Japan
Same country, different dive character. Easy to combine in one trip without extra flights.
- Ogasawara (Bonin Islands)69.0Japan
Same country, different dive character. Easy to combine in one trip without extra flights.
- Izu Peninsula67.8Japan
Same country, different dive character. Easy to combine in one trip without extra flights.
- Julian Rocks69.3Australia
Regional neighbour with a different dive type. Worth the extra flight if you want variety.
Best dive types here