The Ocean Quickly Recovered After the Typhoon
Typhoons No. 7 and No. 8 passed through Japan over the weekend.
Fortunately, Kushimoto experienced very little impact. The wind was not as strong as expected, and we had only a small amount of rain.
Underwater conditions also remained much better than after the previous typhoon.
Today, I went on a survey dive at one of Kushimoto’s beach dive sites.
We have guests arriving tomorrow, so I wanted to check the water temperature, visibility, and overall diving conditions. I also took the opportunity to check on the coral reef.
Everything looked better than I had expected.
A Lucky Encounter During a Simple Survey Dive
Right at the start of the dive, I came across a large group of Spotnape cardinalfish.
One pair immediately caught my attention. The female had a swollen belly, while the male stayed close and occasionally opened its mouth wide as if preparing for spawning.
I watched them for a while, thinking it might still take some time.
Then, all of a sudden, the eggs appeared.
I quickly adjusted my camera settings and took a photo, but I was just a little too late. It ended up being more of a record shot than the image I had hoped for.
Although I had seen videos of this behavior many times, this was my first time witnessing it in person. It was an unforgettable moment, and I’m already looking forward to trying again.
After that, I visited a sponge area that I was concerned might have been damaged by the typhoon. Thankfully, the sponges were in excellent condition.
Every year, many Sponge crabs gather around these sponges, so it was a relief to see that their habitat had not been affected.
On the way back, I also found a young Red Lionfish.
As summer continues, more juvenile fish begin to appear around Kushimoto, making this one of the best seasons for macro diving and underwater photography.
What I expected to be a simple survey dive turned into a memorable one. Encounters like this are exactly why I never get tired of diving.
It also seems that some corals spawned last night, although the species has not yet been confirmed. This year’s coral spawning season appears to be earlier than usual, and there may be another spawning event at a different dive site tonight.
Tomorrow, we’ll be heading out for boat diving in Kushimoto. The visibility looks better than expected, and I’m excited to explore the underwater world with our guests.
If you’re planning a diving trip to Japan, summer is a wonderful time to visit Kushimoto. Every dive offers something different, from seasonal marine life to fascinating underwater behavior, and you never know what amazing moment you’ll witness next.
Today’s Ocean Conditions (Kushimoto)
- Weather: Sunny
- Air Temperature: 20–28°C
- Water Temperature: 24.6°C
- Visibility: 8 m
Recommended Exposure Protection
- 5mm wetsuit
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Announcements
◾️Event Information
• Tide Pool Barred-chin blenny Photo Tour confirmed!
• Coral Spawning Observation Night Diving Confirmed!◾️ Diving Tour
•Shiretoko Drift Ice Diving Tour 2027, Hokkaido | Join On-Site in Shiretoko
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◾️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.
