We are currently in the middle of a break from the rainy season, which means that summer is in full swing, the air is steaming hot, and there are cicadas everywhere, so I'm Totti, the owner, drenched in sweat. Miyakojima is the best!!
Starting today, I'm diving in a 2mm summer wetsuit! The temperature and water are finally like those of a tropical sea.
The sky and sea are so blue and vast that it feels like the Grey-faced Buzzard sculpture is about to take flight! It's almost the season when watermelon is served as a holiday lunch dessert. Sunscreen is a must for anyone visiting the island. Don't forget!
Miyakojima dolphin situation before 2015
The situation regarding dolphins in Miyakojima has changed dramatically since 2015. The dolphins you can encounter on Miyakojima are still the "rough-toothed dolphins," a species that apparently doesn't play abroad. I once received an email from a researcher overseas who said, "This is a very valuable experience and photo."
The photo is from 2015
What was the chance of encountering dolphins and playing with them before 2015?
To put it bluntly, the chances are quite low, between 0 and 4 times a year. It's not uncommon for there to be zero chances in a year. However, if you manage to encounter them, there's a fairly high probability of an underwater rendezvous. There were even years when I encountered them four times a year and was able to swim four times.
However, we later discovered that if we didn't encourage the dolphins to enter play mode, they would just swim away without any warning, so after much trial and error in search of the play switch, we were able to get them to swim with a high probability.
Miyakojima dolphin situation since 2016
Now, from here on, I will send you some fresh photos taken today.Spotted near Ikema Island on June 2ndSince then, they have moved to a new location and are now spotted almost daily in the waters off Irabu Island. It is believed to be the same group. Recently, it is not uncommon for dolphins to be spotted for several days in a row once they have appeared.
So what's going on here? Before 2015, the encounter rate was about XNUMX-XNUMX times a year.
What is the rate of dolphin encounters since 2016?
For the past two years, we have seen them over 20 times a year! This year, it's only May and it's already the eighth time. After all, once they appear, they can be seen for multiple days. Some guests have even seen them twice during their stay, which was unthinkable before.
The previous accepted wisdom was that it would never happen two days in a row.
Why has the encounter rate and frequency increased so much?
The reason is that I'm raising a child.
Even with the naked eye, you can see small baby dolphins mixed in with the group. Dolphins usually move around in separate groups of males and females, but the baby dolphins live among the female group.
It seems that the female group becomes sensitive to predators when there are baby dolphins mixed in, and when they are in a good mood they gather at the bow and run alongside the boat, but they are wary of us entering the water and do not play with us. Over the past two years, BIGHOLIDAY is not the only place where people have had the opportunity to play with dolphins in the water, and it seems that no other shop on Miyakojima has had such a good experience.
The following reason was explained to me by a guide when I went on a dolphin swimming tour in Hawaii: the females hunt at feeding areas in the morning and sleep along the coast of the island during the day. In other words, they often come to sleep along the coast of the island, so the chance of encountering them has increased dramatically over the past two years.
Dolphins have the habit of using both their right and left brains well, sleeping with one brain active while the other is active, so when they are sleeping, they don't react well when approached by boat, they dive and disappear, and after a while they resurface to take a breather, then they swim leisurely around the same area, repeating the process of breathing and diving.
This is the exact same behavior pattern as the "sleeping dolphins" I saw in Hawaii. I see. So they're playing with the sleeping dolphins.
Summary
This year too, we are on track to see them more than 20 times a year, but as they are raising their young and sleeping, it looks like we will have to put off underwater rendezvous for a while.
Swimming with dolphins is a dream for everyone, and even though that dream is still difficult to achieve, it is the greatest joy for those who guide guests through the waters of Miyakojima to see more guests encountering dolphins in Miyakojima.
If you are lucky enough to see dolphins while on board Brenz in the near future, please bring your camera and enjoy watching and photographing them to your heart's content in the bow area.
It will probably be a while before I can swim with these little guys. It's a dream come true for everyone, but anyone can have the chance if they keep diving in the right places.
I hope your dreams come true someday.
Totty — BIGHOLIDAY Owner's Guide
I've lived in Miyako Island for 21 years (since 2005). I specialize in fun diving. I select Miyako Island's three major dive sites more than 150 times a year, and I've done about 20,000 dives in Miyako Island. YouTube "Totty / scuba diving" shares Miyakojima diving information with more than twelve thousand subscribers.
Since 2023, we have been among the top-ranked Marine Diving Award winners for three consecutive years.
2023 Japan Coast Guard Director-General's Award (for meritorious service in maritime rescue)
Discoverer of Miyako Island's first manta ray station in 2025
