Okinawa Prefecture Wildlife

December isn't the most active time for whales, so seeing them isn't guaranteed every day. We were lucky to see them, but you'll mostly just see the whales fluke, spout, and fins. You can see them much more clearly at an aquarium. It's very cold, windy, and intermittently rainy at sea in winter, and you're out at sea for a long time, so be sure to wear enough clothing. Also, the waves are sometimes quite big, so be sure to take motion sickness medicine.

Our guide, Sebastian, is incredibly kind. He meticulously checked our boot sizes to ensure we were comfortable. Upon arrival, he tirelessly walked with us, providing detailed explanations, so we could see more insects, coconut crabs, and stars! Thanks to Sebastian, I saw my first scorpion. Thank you for helping us create wonderful memories with our children! I highly recommend the Jungle Night Tour – be sure to experience it!

Experience: We decided to explore at night on a whim after arriving in Miyako, so our evening wouldn't be boring. It turned out to be an incredibly amazing experience! We stumbled upon a gathering of coconut crabs on the island and encountered these rare creatures on rocks, in trees, and even on the sidewalks! There were also many other fascinating and wild small animals, cute frogs, hermit crabs, stick insects, and butterflies sleeping at night! The kids had an absolute blast! Location: This is the most crucial part, as it’s difficult to get a taxi at night. This company provides hotel pick-up and drop-off services! This saves a lot of time and energy! Instructor: We had TAKU, who provided patient and detailed explanations in English throughout the tour. His English wasn't too difficult to understand, so feel free to give it a try! He was super patient with the kids! So much so that when I wanted to book a snorkeling trip the next day and found out TAKU was also a guide for that, I immediately booked it! An excellent guide makes the trip easy and enjoyable! TAKU is very conscientious and responsible, and he has a WeChat contact that you can use to reach him and he'll also send you travel photos. After booking, specify in the email that you need to contact them via WeChat. They will contact you later, so don't worry. (Since I booked on the same day, I couldn't log in to WhatsApp, and I was afraid I wouldn't be able to reach them, but Klook's customer service helped me follow up, and they quickly contacted me via WeChat.) Equipment: For the night tour, they provide mosquito repellent and headlamps. You don't need to bring anything except a bottle of water, as you might get thirsty while walking. Shorts and a T-shirt are also fine; there's no danger.

Don't forget stargazing in Miyakojima 💫, an unforgettable memory •̀ ᗜ •́ ♥️ I really wanted to see a coconut crab, and I met two! I'm so lucky! 🦀🍀 Mayu Jungle Guide was kind and cute ᐢ⑅•ᴗ•⑅ᐢ I hope to see you again next time. Koreans and Japanese people all gather in Miyakojima, so if you come, let's go on a jungle tour! Papago makes communication no problem, a choice you won't regret! Klook 💫

My 11-year-old daughter loves sharks and we came to Okinawa specifically to swim with whale sharks. She successfully experienced the fun of diving and saw real whale sharks up close! Thanks to the kind Alen, the instructor, who explained everything in Chinese, making us feel very secure. I recommend renting a camera; the instructor will help take photos and videos, and you can take the memory card with you afterward. A wonderful memory! 👍🏻

Taketomi Island is an extremely serene island, and the water buffalo cart experience is very special. I highly recommend spending a whole day on Taketomi Island to thoroughly explore all the island's attractions. The beaches are stunning (unfortunately, we didn't have enough time to fully explore them).

This nighttime safari was very cool. We were able to see a lot of coconut crabs and other inhabitants of the Iriomote jungle! We don't recommend it for arachnophobes because there are literally spiders everywhere, their bodies shine slightly in the moonlight. The only two downsides to the activity were the cloudy sky preventing us from fully enjoying the stars and the fact that the guide only partially spoke English. He still made a lot of effort to make sure we understood as much as possible, even using Google Translate when he couldn't find his words.

The nighttime tour was fun and fulfilling! We saw a lot and learned so much! The coconut crab was really huge. I highly recommend everyone participate in this tour. Our guide, Ms. Kawasumi, was very professional! She communicated very smoothly in foreign languages and created a very harmonious atmosphere, teaching us a lot about the island's natural environment.