Today we enjoyed a very special day exploring both the ocean and river with a guest visiting from Belgium.
In the morning, we went fun diving in Kushimoto, and in the afternoon we headed to Kozagawa River for Japanese giant salamander diving.
Being able to enjoy both the sea and the river in one day is one of the unique pleasures of visiting this area on a weekday during this season.
During the morning dive, we focused on macro diving. At this time of year, many nudibranchs can be found around Kushimoto.
One of the highlights was the famous Thecacera pacifica, commonly called the “Pikachu Nudibranch” in Japan. The yellow and black colors really do resemble the Pokémon character Pikachu.
Since many international guests travel all the way to Japan, I like to introduce marine life that feels “uniquely Japanese.”
One example is the Tiger moray eel.
It is a common species in Kushimoto, but it is not something divers see frequently in many other parts of the world.
We also found Aplysia Japonica . Its scientific name include “Japan,” but many marine species in Japan have names like japonica or japonicus in their scientific names, which is always interesting to notice while diving.
In the afternoon, we moved to the river for Japanese giant salamander diving.
Luckily, we found one very quickly at the beginning of the dive! It was hiding deep in a rocky crevice, so it was a bit difficult to see clearly, but we were still able to observe its entire body.
Later, our guest even discovered a smaller Japanese giant salamander about 30 cm long on their own. Very impressive observation skills!
It was a full day enjoying both Kushimoto’s ocean and Kozagawa’s river, and I was really happy to see how much our guest enjoyed the experience.
Although Belgium is quite far away, I hope they will remember Kushimoto and visit again the next time they come to Japan.
During weekdays until April, or for groups of four or more, we can sometimes arrange special plans where you can enjoy both ocean diving and river diving in one day.
If you are interested, please feel free to contact us anytime.
Today’s Ocean Conditions
Weather: Sunny
Air Temperature: 6–11°C
Water Temperature: 17.0°C
Visibility:12 m
Recommended Suit:
Shell drysuit (inner layer such as NORD or Weezle recommended)
or
Neoprene drysuit (inner layer such as BODYX or Thermal Body Smoother) + hood
Announcements
◾️Event Information
• Tide Pool Barred-chin blenny Photo Tour confirmed!
◾️Media
• We are one of the guide shops responsible for posting seasonal ocean updates from Kushimoto on “海旬”.
• Instagram is regularly updated!
• Our YouTube channel is now available!
• A video of Japanese Giant Salamander was featured by diving_partner on their platform.
