Finding Japanese giant Salamander Eggs for the First Time in the Koza River!!
Another beautiful sunny day in Kushimoto! (^^)
The mornings are starting to feel a little chilly, but once the sun comes out, it still feels like summer!!
Today, we finally headed back to the Koza River for some river diving!
We enjoyed river diving with guests from the U.S. and Japan.
On our previous dives, the Japanese giant salamander were hiding deep under the rocks, making them difficult to observe.
But today, we found one in a much easier spot to see!
It was resting quietly under a rock without moving much. Maybe it was still tired after laying eggs.
As we watched it closely, we noticed that one of its legs was injured...
I wonder if it got caught between rocks during the recent rise in the river's water level?
I really hope it recovers quickly and stays healthy. We observed it carefully without disturbing it too much.
Since these salamanders are naturally nocturnal and usually stay hidden in dark places during the day, we're lucky just to see their faces or tails♪
And then came today's biggest surprise!!
For the first time ever, I found Japanese giant salamander eggs!!!!!
I'd never seen their eggs before, so I was incredibly excited!! (^^)
And inside the eggs, we could actually see baby salamanders!!!
Now I really want to see them hatch!! (>_<)
They've already developed enough that we can see the little salamanders inside the eggs.
I wonder when they'll hatch... I'll have to look that up later!
Meanwhile, our dry suit specialty course team enjoyed a beach dive for their first dive, followed by a boat dive for their second.
Luckily, they spotted an Green sea turtle right after entering the water!
And it didn't swim away!!!
They also spotted the juvenile ribbon eel, which finally showed its face again after being hidden for several days!!
Apparently, once it eats, it sometimes stays hidden for a while.
We were getting a little worried because it hadn't appeared recently, but I guess it was just taking a few days off! (^^)
The sea is still nice and warm, with water temperatures in the 26°C range and good visibility!!
Meanwhile, the Koza River is getting cool enough that dry suits are becoming more comfortable.
The weather on land is still warm, so it looks like we can continue enjoying comfortable diving until around the end of this month.
River diving in the Koza River offers a completely different underwater world from the ocean!!
If you'd like the chance to encounter Japanese giant Salamander , please feel free to contact us! (^^)
Please note that these are rare wild animals, so sightings cannot be guaranteed.
We're fully booked tomorrow, even though it's a weekday!
We'll keep searching for more interesting marine life before the upcoming three-day weekend.
See you next time!
Today's Diving Conditions
Weather: Sunny
Air Temperature: 16–25°C
Water Temperature: 26.2°C (Kushimoto) / 16.9°C (Koza River)
Visibility: 12m (Kushimoto) / 20m (Koza River)
Recommended Exposure Protection
5 mm wetsuit (for ocean diving)
Announcements
◾️ Diving Tour
• Shiretoko Drift Ice Diving Tour 2027, Hokkaido | Join On-Site in Shiretoko
◾️ Event Information
• Drysuit Diving in Kushimoto | Free Drysuit Rental Campaign 2026
• Nudibranch Safari in Kushimoto | Seasonal Macro Diving Event
◾️ Media
• We are one of the guide shops responsible for posting seasonal ocean updates from Kushimoto on “海旬”.
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• Our YouTube channel is now available!
• A video of Japanese Giant Salamander was featured by diving_partner on their platform.
