Kerama Islands, Okinawa (3)

Hello again with the 3rd part of the English report for Kerama islands in Okinawa prefecture.

After playing soccer with the kids in the school yard, Tamaki san left them for his next destination…

To “Tokashikijima”

And this time he’s planning to do something he’s been looking forward to do, ever since he started this trip!

Walking in the streets of the town…

he enters a small shop…

and asks the lady about the recommended diving spots in the island XD

Yes He’s going Scuba Diving!!!

As you may already know, he took his Scuba diving license almost 2 years ago when he was in Bali for the shooting of the movie “Kamisama wa Bali ni iru”.

The lady asks him what kind of a place is he interested in, and he says that based on what he has heard, there must be a tunnel like place around here (Under the water of course)…

The lady gets what he means right away and brings out her map with the many different names for diving spots around the island.

Then he shows him the place where that cave he is looking for is…

and as fast as it was, it’s already decided!

Here they go!!

Getting on the boat and heading to the diving spot…

On there way, the guide lady keeps explaining to him about the usual stuff and the condition of the spot they are going to visit.

This is Tamaki san’s first experience of diving after two years, and the first time diving inside Japan.

I think he looks nervous just a little bit… a very very tiny bit!! XD

Riding on the boat for less than 10 minutes, they arrive at the point they were heading to.

The guide lady helps him get ready while giving him instructions…

Guide san goes first… XD

And then Tamaki san…

Getting inside the water and checking for the last time…

Tamaki san waves his hand for the camera…

and goes down inside the deep blue ocean…

Going and deeper and deeper…

all the sounds of the waves and the ships fading away…

Here, it’s another world…

Under the water, the guide can’t talk to him of course.

That’s why she has a small white-board and writes down the words for him.

These blue fellows ↑ are called “hanagoi” (Pseudanthias pascalus)

“Amamisuzumedai” ↑ (Chromis chrysura)

Feyakkodai ↑ (Yellow longnose butterflyfish)

Akahimeji ↑ (Yellowfin goatfish) and Gurukun ↓ (Pterocaesio digramma)!

They keep going and going…

observing all kinds of fish running around.

But seems like our guide has found something interesting…

A very tiny creature sitting quietly on a coral called “Muchikaramatsu”,

which looks like a branch of a tree XD

Hard to see it at first…

But Tamaki san prepares his camera and starts taking photos as soon as he finds him!

It’s called “Garasuhaze” (Bryaninops yongei)

Can you see him?! Click and enlarge the photo!!  XD Cute guy!!

Tamaki san and the lady guide start moving there hands in the corals…

searching for some interesting creatures hiding in there…

As expected, the guide san finds a kind of tiny crab, hiding his body in the coral.

It’s called “Tosakagazami” ↑

Another discovery!! XD

The baby “Hoya” ↑ (Ascidians) on the coral…

Somehow, they are called Ultraman Hoya by the Divers around the area.

Well they do look like Ultraman I should admit (^_^;)

As hard as it is to keep the camera still under the water…

Tamaki san keeps taking photos!

as they are moving forward…

suddenly the lady guide slows down,

looks back and shows Tamaki san the words she has written on the white-board.

“Here’s the entrance of the cave!”

Finally… they have arrived!!

Entering the cave… Tamaki san keeps taking photos whenever he can!

Even here he doesn’t leave the camera aside XD

The cave is a little bit dark of course…

and very narrow in some parts…

But amazingly,

Tamaki san has no problem swimming in there…

Swimming like a fish, he crosses the very narrow tunnels on his way,

and in a very soft and smooth way it makes you wonder how he can do it XD

Even the narrator of the show is amazed!

 He has to move forward slowly and swim smoothly…

but he doesn’t stop taking photos even surrounded by all these rocks and deep under the water!

He rotates his body beautifully,

takes his photo,

and then rotates it back again to the position it was!!

O__O A mermaid?!

Swimming and swimming in the long, dark cave under the water…

To be honest, I cannot imagine being there even for 1 minutes XD

But our traveler is obviously enjoying it! Taking photos and videos all the time!!

And wow…

they reach the place where the light from the sunshine is reflecting on the surface of the water…

making the water look even more beautiful!

An amazing shade of blue!

So it’s decided…

kokoro no hikyo #16

The shower of blue lights shining down on the cave

It’s really gorgeous!

Enjoying the beauties of the amazing Kerama islands,

Tamaki san seems to have totally forgotten about the passage of time!

But it’s the end of his trip… a very touching and wonderful journey!

ヽ(*^^*)ノ

And of course his special souvenir is his best shot!

Really wanted this post card but couldn’t get it XD

But the hikyo journeys are not over yet!!

Next,

Tamaki san goes to Amamiooshima in Kagoshima prefecture!

Another fun trip with many encounters.

and even more diving?! XD

Let’s follow him around next time as well ♡

Thank you for reading the report and hope to see you soon!!

( ´・ω・｀)ﾉ~ﾊﾞｲﾊﾞｲ

End of part 3