okinawa dive center
Dive Shop Bluefield

Hi everyone,

Today, we had very good dives at north dive spots in Kerama Islands.While ‘Maeda Blue Cave’ is getting popular and famous even outside Japan, I like this cave in Chishi – where we can observe many sea creatures.

Above picture is a goby called ‘Blueband Goby’. They are always in a pair, and eat small planktons from sand. They put some sand in their mouth, take what they want from it, and throw out the rest of the sand from their gills. When one of them eating, one of them looks out for danger, and they take turn. It’s so funny to observe them.

Not only just showing sea creatures, diving with Bluefield, we introduce the sea animals’ behavior, characters, and how to observe. This will be done during the dive briefing and in the water, using

Today, we took our new boat, B-FLAP out.
You can see our main cruiser getting to the dive spot – this picture was taken at Zamami Island.
We had guys from Korea, a Japanese family, and a couple from Switzerland.

***Today’s Okinawa Dive Site Info**
Kerama Islands

1. Chishi (Zamami Island)
2. Sand Triangle (Gishippu Island)
3. Light House(Zamami Island)

Objective: Boat Dives
Weather: Mild South Wind
Air: 32C (90F)
Water: 29C (85F)
Visibility: 30m + (100ft)
Suits: 3mm / 5mm one piece

Hi everyone, we went out for the Kerama Islands with very good divers from Sweden and Japan.

We saw many juvenile fish today:
Razor Fish
Black Damselfish
Yellow Tail Coris
Red Throated Rainbowfish
Clownfish
Yaeyama Blenny

***Today’s Okinawa Dive Site Info**
Kerama Islands

1. Akaya- Coral Garden (Ghisippu Island)
2. Sand Triangle (Gishippu Island)
3. Light House (Zamami Island)

Objective: Boat Dives
Weather: Mild South Wind
Air: 32C (90F)
Water: 29C (85F)
Visibility: 30m + (100ft)
Suits: 3mm / 5mm one piece

Okinawa Dive Shop Bluefield – English Speaking Dive Guide Available

We got new shopping place in Chatan Town.

In Chatan, there is an area called Mihama (see our Chatan Map on Accommodation Page).

Mihama is famous for having ‘American Village‘ where you can find various shops including Okinawan Logo T-shirts, Toys, Okinawa souvenirs, and a variety of restaurants ranging from Japense, American, and Okinawan dish.

In addition to it, we got this ‘Depot Island’ opened in July 2010!

It’s a 13,000 square meters shopping and entertainment center.
The whole area is designed to look like a small town, streets, with full of shops and restaurants. The dreamlike atmosphere is like a Disney Land!

Here is a list of some of the shops in the Depot Island:

AKARA – Biggest HABU BOX shop on this island. Okinawan fashion (T-shirts, pants, bags)
Bokunen Art Museum –  Okinawa’s famous painter, Naka Bokunen’s museum
U Denim & Life – Vintage jeans and clothing. Okinawan designed Seasir Jeans & Japanese Fasion
X Girl / X Large Store Okinawa – Clothing for urbun hiphop skate style (X-LARGE)
American Depot – Imported Aloha shirts, jeans, and remade girls used-clothing.
Garage House – Accessory Shop

Island Terrace - Various foods including a Salad Bar and Pasta. Good Coffee

Kijimunaa -Very unique style ‘Omelet Taco Rice’ with Tacos stuff over steamed rice, with omelet on top of it. Taco Rice is everybody’s favorite in Okinawa
Blue Seal Ice Cream – Okinawa’s best Ice Cream shop with a restaurant in it

MOD’s – Live House

There are more shops, restaurants, bars and cafe over there.
Just talking a walk in this small town is lot of fun too!
The little streets in Depot Island reminds me of the town in Venice.
Check it out!

by Miho

Okinawa Dive Shop – Bluefield
English Speaking dive guide available!

We headed out to Zampa area on Okinawa West Coast to explore the dive sites intensively.
Found more and more caves that you would love!

Zampa is a cave lover’s paradise! (Check out our Dive Spot Map)
*Zampa Light House
*Bolo Point
*Mishiragi

Also, there’s an area with Jawfish living over there… as well as some micro creatures.
Here’s a picture of a crab with a sea skirt on itself. It’s called ‘Yukinko Boshi Gani’ in Japanese, literally translates to ‘Snowman Hat Crab’. You know, the way the crab has the sea skirt looks like wearing a ski cap, getting ready for snowing mountain…
Since it’s extremely hard to find one, if you would like to definitely see it,  you should ask for Akira, and get ready to shoot with a macro lense!

Also, diving Zampa area, with the average depth of your dives being deep (over 10-15 average, with the max depth probably 25-30m), you should use Enriched Air Nitrox to extend your No-Decompression Limit in the water.

We are the only English speaking dive shop which offers Nitrox tanks legally in Okinawa, Japan.
Be wise, have safe, happy dives!!

Hi, we had our favorite dives today around Okinawa West Coast.

***Today’s Okinawa Diving Information**
Okinawa West Coast & Whale Shark Dive

1. Maeda Blue Cave (Onna)
2. Yamada Point (Onna)
3. Whale Shark Dive (Yomitan)

(See the Okinawa West Coast Map)

Objective: Boat Dives
Weather: Mild South Wind
Air: 32C (90F)
Water: 29C (85F)
Visibility: 20m+ (70ft.)
Suits: 3mm / 5mm one piece

Here are some good and funny pictures…

This is a one that Akira took – the whale shark came so close to him all of a sudden, he got his fingers accidentally!
The one on the right is  at Yamada. He is my favorite frogfish these days. You can go so close to him, so close that you can even observe his ‘esca (lure)’.

Here is my favorite nudibranch – looking like Pikachu from Pokemon!
This is my son’s favorite too!

You can find 4-5 of them on the net at Yamada Point now. It’s the season!

Dive Shop Bluefield – English Speaking Dive Guides Available!

Naoki got a good shot of a Long Hose Pygmy Sea Horse at Turtle Reef today.
His tiny tail is coiled around a small branch of sea fan. So cute!

***Today’s Okinawa Diving Information**
Kerama Islands

1. Yurigahama (Zamami Island)
2. Chichi (Zamami Island)
3. Turtle Reef (Gishippu Island)

(See the Kerama Island Map)

Objective: Boat Dives
Weather: Mild South Wind
Air: 32C (90F)
Water: 29C (85F)
Visibility: 30m+ (100ft.)
Suits: 3mm / 5mm one piece

Dive Shop Bluefield – English Speaking Dive Guide Available!

Today, we had Henry, Kaori, and Steven from Hong Kong diving with us!

***Today’s Okinawa Diving Information**
Kerama Islands

1. Tamana Farm (Gishippu Island)
2. Kamigu (Gishippu Island)
3. Chishi (Zamami Island)

(See the Kerama Island Map)

Saw some green sea turtles during the first dive, as well as a tiny tiny commesal shrimp on a whip coral.
Then, explore the Sand Triangle side of Kamigu.

Our last dive of the day was at Chishi. Enjoyed the cave filled with many many Arrow Cardinals- small baby fish. It’s a symbol of Okinawa’s summer here underwater!

by Miho

Dive Shop Bluefield – English Speaking Dive Guide Available!

Saori got a nice picture of a green sea turtle swimming, in the Kerama Islands.

***Today’s Okinawa Dive Site Info**
Kerama Islands

1. Hija Bay (Kuroshima Island)
2. Tamana Farm (Gishippu Island)
3. Light House(Zamami Island)

Objective: Boat Dives
Weather: Mild South Wind
Air: 32C (90F)
Water: 29C (85F)
Visibility: 30m + (100ft)
Suits: 3mm / 5mm one piece

We had a very beautiful day today- the picture was taken on the way to the Kerama Islands.

:: Okinawa Dive Shop Bluefield – English Speaking Dive Guide Available! ::

Hi there,

We (Akira, Yuto, Saori, and me) had many dive teams on our boat!
Took Swift out to the Kerama Islands as always, and enjoyed 3 dives there.

***Today’s Okinawa Diving Information**
Kerama Islands

1. Sand Triangle (Gishippu Island)
2. Turtle Reef (Gishippu Island)
3. Light House (Zamami Island)

(See the Kerama Island Map)

Objective: Boat Dives
Weather: Strong South Wind
Air: 30C (86F)
Water: 28C (82F)
Visibility: 20m+ (70ft.)
Suits: 3mm / 5mm one piece

We visited Turtle Reef today!
Not only enjoying the turtles, we found macro creatures as well.
There are many sea fans and feather star sover there, where  shrimps and pigmy hide themselves.

Interesting stuff we saw:
Pigmy Seahorse
Crinoid Shrimp
Juvenile Red-spotted Parrotfish
Hypselodoris bullocki (Nudibranch)

It was Terry and Erik’s last day of diving in Okinawa.
Very sad to see Uncle Terry leaving Okinawa…..

Thank you very much for showing up your smiley face on weekends – although I was the only one who speaks English (and all the guys here are a bit shy to talk to you in English), everybody loved to have you all the time, Terry!

I will miss you so much – hope to see you in the states or here.
-probably here, then we can go diving again together!

Love,
Miho & Bluefield Staff