Enjoying Summer Diving in Kushimoto with Small Groups
Late July has brought true summer conditions to Kushimoto, with water temperatures ranging from 26–29°C (79–84°F).
It’s now very comfortable to dive in a wetsuit.
Today was another perfect day for diving, and we headed out for both Discover Scuba Diving and Fun Diving.
Our certified divers explored the ocean in two small groups, allowing everyone to enjoy a relaxed dive at their own pace.
The juvenile Midnight snapper has settled in nicely since we first found it a few days ago. Hopefully, it will stay around for a while.
Its adorable tail-wagging swimming style always attracts attention. With such a beautiful background, it’s sure to become a favorite subject for underwater photographers.
Nearby, a Bluestriped fangblenny leaned out from its burrow as if it were saying, “Take my picture too!”
When photographed from the front, this little fish looks like it’s smiling. If you approach slowly and carefully, it often seems to look straight into the camera. Give it a try on your next dive!
As the water continues to warm, more and more exciting macro subjects are appearing.
One of the highlights this season is observing fascinating marine behavior. Right now, Meiacanthus kamoharai can be seen guarding their eggs.
As the water temperature rises, the eggs develop quickly. Just a few days ago they were bright orange, but now the eyes of the tiny embryos are clearly visible, giving the eggs a beautiful silver appearance.
This is also the season when many baby marine creatures begin to appear.
Crustaceans are no exception.
While checking the corals, we found a tiny Pseudocryptochirus viridis.
Its size is so small that you can compare it with the grains of sand beside it to appreciate just how tiny it is.
On the final dive of the day, we were excited to find a Saron marmoratus, a species we hadn’t seen for quite some time.
It usually hides deep in rock crevices or among corals where it’s difficult to spot, but today it stayed in an unusually easy-to-see location.
Its body blends almost perfectly with the surrounding coral, making it surprisingly difficult to find even when you’re looking right at it!
Just before surfacing from the final dive, crystal-clear blue water arrived from offshore.
The water temperature quickly climbed to 29°C (84°F), suggesting that a branch of the Kuroshio Current had moved into the area.
If this beautiful blue water continues through the night, we may be able to enjoy classic Kushimoto Blue conditions tomorrow.
We’re already looking forward to tomorrow’s dives!
Tomorrow we’ll once again split into Discover Scuba Diving and Fun Diving teams to enjoy both boat and beach diving in these warm summer waters.
Before we know it, we’re already at the final weekend of July, but the best diving season is still far from over.
This is one of the best times of the year to see juvenile fish and fascinating breeding behavior.
We hope you’ll come and experience summer diving in Kushimoto with us!
Today’s Sea Conditions
- Weather: Sunny
- Air Temperature: 26–35°C
- Water Temperature: 26.1-29.0℃
- Visibility: About 10-20m
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Recommended Exposure Protection
- 3mm or 5mm wetsuit
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- 3mm or 5mm wetsuit
