[March] Miyakojima Diving Season Guide

During the surface break after the first dive, I secretly checked the new era name on my mobile phone, and then during the second dive, I announced it underwater, holding a slate with both hands and writing it vertically, pretending to be the Prime Minister. Hehe. It worked as planned. It made a bigger impact than introducing some clumsy creatures!

But what I really want to do is guess all kinds of big fish like manta rays, whale sharks, dolphins and whales and make it a big hit, but that's not going to be easy, so I'll just have to squeeze out some material today.

Hello. I'm Totti, the owner of Kotesaki. Being a guide is difficult!

Yesterday marked the end of March. I thought I'd take this opportunity to write an article explaining the season for those of you who are thinking of visiting the island in March next year or later. I haven't been able to blog recently, so I have lots of photos!

And my message to my future self is, "If you don't write frequently, your articles will end up being nothing but retrospective articles!"

March is the season between winter and spring

					Fri	Sat
					1 曇一時雨 22.7 /20.0	2 Cloudy with rain 25.9 /20.4
3 Sunny then rain 27.2 /22.8	4 Cloudy then sunny 21.4 /19.4	5 Sunny then cloudy 22.7 /16.3	6 (I.e. 24.1 /20.1	7 (I.e. 19.6 /18.3	8 (I.e. 18.1 /14.6	9 (I.e. 22.7 /17.7
10 (I.e. 22.2 /19.0	11 Cloudy with rain 20.2 /17.7	12 Cloudy then sunny 22.3 /17.6	13 Sunny then cloudy 22.8 /16.9	14 clear 23.7 /18.4	15 Rain then cloudy 22.8 /19.0	16 Cloudy 20.6 /18.9
17 Cloudy then sunny 21.8 /18.6	18 Cloudy with rain 25.3 /20.0	19 Rain then Sunshine 22.6 /20.7	20 Cloudy then sunny 26.2 /19.3	21 Cloudy then sunny 27.6 /23.3	22 Sunny then cloudy 25.8 /22.6	23 Rain then cloudy 21.4 /18.4
24 Cloudy 19.6 /18.2	25 Cloudy with rain 25.9 /19.3	26 Cloudy then sunny 21.8 /17.7	27 clear 25.2 /17.7	28 Cloudy 27.5 /21.5	29 Sunny then cloudy 28.1 /24.3	30 Cloudy 25.5 /22.4
31 Cloudy 22.3 /21.3

Quote source https://tenki.jp/

There's a good balance of sunny, cloudy, and rainy weather. I'd really prefer it to be sunny all the time, but since it's the transition period between winter and spring, spring-like weeks and winter-like weeks alternate. That's how it is.

On warm spring days, the weather is so pleasant that many people don't even need to wear the boat coats we have prepared. It feels warm when the temperature exceeds 25°C, but there were only about 25 days when the temperature exceeded 1°C, so it feels warm for about a third of the month.

On the other hand, two-thirds of the month is winter, so I think it's best to prepare as if it will be cold.

People often say, "20 degrees Celsius is warm!", but no, no, no. We have never had a guest say it was warm on a 20 degree Celsius day.

It rains a lot, so it's best to bring lots of clothes. The weather can be quite unstable during the change of seasons.

Recommended equipment and clothing

The water temperature in March 2019 was 3°C, about 24°C ​​higher than usual, but what about next year? We should probably be prepared for temperatures to reach 21°C, as usual.

If you have a dry suit, we recommend bringing it with you! However, a 5mm one-piece dress and a hooded vest will be fine underwater.

The problem is the cold once you get on the boat. BIGHOLIDAY provides one boat coat for each person, but if you stay wet during long waits such as lunch breaks or the return journey, your body heat will evaporate and it will be very cold, so it is a good idea to change into dry clothes at those times to stay nice and warm.

In addition to T-shirts, you can be fully prepared if you have sweatshirts, fleece, down jackets, etc. that you don't mind getting wet. In fact, our staff wear the above clothing to protect themselves from the cold.

Diving in March

March is one of the months with high visibility throughout the year, with an average depth of about 25m. It's true that visibility is better in winter than in summer. The clear waters make the topography of the water stand out.

This is also the time of year when sea slugs are in abundance, so if you like them you can see lots of them in between the terrain.

I would also like to introduce what the sea in Miyakojima is like in March.

whale sounds

Whales are rare in the waters around Miyakojima, and even if you see one, it's only once or twice. However, you can hear their cries quite frequently underwater. I really like their mysterious cries, and on the days when I can hear them, I always guide my guides underwater, saying, "Listen carefully!"

I only heard it once this March! And there have been no reports of whale sightings, so it's a bit sad. Apparently whale behavior is different every year, so I'm looking forward to next year.

In March, whales begin migrating north towards Alaska. When you hear the whales' cries, you can enjoy the early spring scenery, thinking, "Spring is coming!" and "The weather's about to get warmer!"

The best time to see manta rays ends in March

Manta rays can no longer be seen in April.

Manta ray season in Miyakojima is from November to March, and although the chances of seeing one are not high, you can still expect some surprising surface and underwater encounters.

No manta ray cleaning stations have yet been found in Miyakojima, so you will encounter manta rays eating or migrating.

Unexpected encounters always get my heart racing! They appear out of nowhere, so I'm always surprised and have to take a second look.

The diving area is mainly the Shimoji Island area where the terrain is at its best.

The photo shows the most popular site, Maou no Kyuden.

Irabu Island and Shimoji Island are the main areas of diving shops in Miyako Island, but the areas you can dive in change depending on the season. Irabu Island in summer, Shimoji Island in winter. For more details, please see the article below.

Must-see! A comprehensive guide to Miyakojima diving spots and seasons

In March, we dived around Irabu Island for several days, but most of the month was spent in the Shimojishima area. Famous sites such as Maou no Kyuden and Antonio Gaudi are easier to visit during this season.

Since it is a relatively quiet time, famous spots are not crowded and you can often dive at your own pace. However good the spot may be, if there are too many divers, the water will become murky and your stay will be shortened.

The fact that it's empty is a very important point.

The other day I was able to go on an expedition to the south coast of Miyakojima. Because the weather is unstable, the wind can suddenly stop, which gives you the opportunity to go to special spots that you normally wouldn't be able to go to.

March general review

• There are still many cold days and the water temperature is low.
• The weather is unstable and the forecast is constantly changing
• It's the off-season, so it's relatively empty.
• High transparency
• Easy access to amazing diving spots typical of Miyakojima
• You can expect to catch some seasonal big fish.

Although it is a cold season, March is a little-known month where you can fully enjoy the diving style that is unique to Miyakojima. I highly recommend it!

See you tomorrow.

Articles you should read before making a reservation

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