Located between two and three hours from Tokyo by train, the Izu Peninsula’s east coast offers resort towns, fantastic dining, and numerous natural hot springs. While there are several wonderful places to visit and many incredible and unspoiled dive sites to choose from, with some accessible from shore and some accessible only by boat, a few do stand out from the others. Let’s take a peek.
Monkey Beach
Suitable for all divers, this site is accessed by boat and features maximum depth at twenty meters. When the current is up, the site is done as a drift with a live boat, and during calm conditions, the boat simply moors, allowing for leisurely exploration. Here, you’ll find dogfish and blennies, along with gobies and rockfish among large kelp-adorned boulders that rise up from lovely patches of clean white sand. Along the rocky outcroppings, patches of soft coral and sea fans create a scene that is purely magical; watch for flounder and other larger fish as you explore. Depths vary from about 12 meters to 30 meters, depending on which direction you go.
Izu Oceanic Park
Also known as Izu Kaiyo Koen, or IOP, the Izu Oceanic Park is the peninsula’s oldest dive site, having been in operation since 1965. Easily accessed via the Odoriko express train, it is an excellent place for the entire family to visit. Featuring beach entry and lots of amenities, including huge rinse tanks, showers, and salt water swimming pools, plus equipment rentals, it is normally divided into two segments. The left side is suitable for all divers, offering diverse marine life including rockfish, damselfish, angelfish, and wrasse, along with numerous crustaceans, nudibranchs, anemones, and other animals. Maximum depth here is 18 meters.
To the right, maximum depth is 32 meters, and is suitable for experienced divers only. There is an underwater post box at a depth of 22 meters which can be accessed by open water divers; during the winter, the park adds a Christmas tree. Beyond this, a huge pinnacle is swathed in colorful sea fans from about 15 meters to its base. The anemones and sponges are brilliant as well, and there is even a cleaning station.
Chinsen
The wreck of the Asahi Maru, a big barge, lies beneath 33 meters of water and is broken in half, with its sections lying about 15 meters from one another. Suitable for advanced divers only, and accessible by boat, the wreck is home to huge schools of half-lined cardinalfish, along with scorpionfish, rays, spider crabs, and an abundance of other creatures, including moray eels. Completely swathed in soft coral and sponges, the wreck is suitable for penetration by properly trained and equipped divers; but those who stay outside will enjoy the dive as well.
Dokutsu
Dokutsu is only open during winter months, between November and March. The cave here is actually a semi-enclosed crevice with an opening at the top that lets natural light enter. Featuring maximum depth at just 15 meters, the site is calm and suitable for all divers. Look for lobsters and nudibranchs, banded boxer shrimp, and lots of glassy sweepers and other fish, and remember to bring a good dive light with you so you can see the colorful coral and sponge that coats the walls.
Yokoiso
Suitable for all divers, Yokoiso is easily accessible from shore. With maximum depth at just 12 meters, and offering good visibility, the site is a favorite for night diving, when hermit crabs and snake eels, squid, octopus, and other creatures emerge from their rocky homes to forage among the kelp. Fantastic during the day as well, the site is home to a wealth of colorful fish, including the Helmet Gurnard, which resembles a large butterfly when its fins are extended.
Yokobama
An excellent site for all divers, Yokobama is a great place to watch Blue Hana Gobies and Japanese Shrimp Gobies interacting with snapping shrimp in a display of symbiosis in which the shrimp dig burrows in the sand, and the gobies guard the burrow in exchange for the shelter. Easily accessed from the beach, the site also features a fantastic cavern which is nicely lit via a hole in its ceiling. Maximum depth here is 25 meters, but there is plenty to see in the shallows. Be careful of the lionfish and look for nudibranchs!
Kajikaki
Also known as Rudder Scraper, this is Hokkawa’s most popular dive site. There are several different profiles around the pinnacle and boulders that you’ll find here, and although maximum depth is 28 meters, there is plenty to see in water as shallow as about 12 meters, depending on the tide. Watch for everything from barracuda and schooling snapper to nudibranchs, hermit crabs, shrimp, and other macro life as you explore, and as you come up to the surface, be sure to look closely at the anemones, where clownfish have taken up residence.
You can dive at Izu all year, however it is most popular during the summer months and during early autumn. Visibility is usually between 15 and 30 feet during the warmest parts of the year; and claustrophobic divers will find themselves wishing there was some way to get away from the rest of the divers. During the winter months, the water temperature drops to about 50 degrees Fahrenheit, 30 degrees colder than it is in summer, and the tropical fish that visit during the warm months disappear. Even so, visibility increases to as much as 80 feet, and there are not as many divers in the water. While winter diving means you’ll need a dry suit, it also means that you’ll be more likely to enjoy the hot springs. Whenever you visit, you are certain to enjoy a memorable experience! Be sure to make reservations in advance, as space tends to be limited at the best resorts. If you stay in Tokyo and take the train, your dive operator can often pick you up at the station and take you straight to the dive boat, provide you with a delicious traditional Japanese lunch, and show you exceptional hospitality.