Okinawa Prefecture Dyreliv

I had really high expectations for the Starlight Tour, and it exceeded them! The pickup and drop-off service was convenient because I didn't have to drive on dark roads. 😁 I thought we wouldn't see any coconut crabs, but Guide TEN meticulously searched deep into the forest and found two for us. Guide TEN was humorous and explained everything so well that everyone in our group said they'd want him for all their activities, from snorkeling to jungle tours, if we ever came back! 🤭 This kind of tour really depends on the guide, so I hope others get to meet Guide TEN too. 😀

Hiro var en fantastisk turguide! Veldig morsom og kunnskapsrik. Han sørget for å holde oss trygge og underholdt hele tiden i jungelen. Han var snill nok til å gi oss matanbefalinger! Jungelen var vakker og hadde mye dyreliv å se. Vær forsiktig når du utforsker. Naturen skal respekteres!

DETTE ER DEN MEST FANTASTISKE OPPLEVELSEN NOENSINNE, UTEN TVIL!! Vi fløy til Okinawa stort sett bare for å gjøre denne utflukten. Uten noen som helst dykkererfaring var instruktørene så utrolig tålmodige med oss, og gikk gjennom noen teknikker på forhånd for å gi oss et godt grunnlag. De sørger for alt utstyret til nybegynnerdykket og viser deg hvordan du bruker det. Vi leide også undervannskameraet, ærlig talt et must for denne opplevelsen. Instruktørene våre, en veldig talentfull dame og mann, var så tålmodige med å vise oss hvordan vi skulle gjøre alt. Så selve dykket: du går om bord i båten, de tar deg med dit hvalhaien rehabiliteres, og gjør deg klar ved å rense masken din og gi tips underveis. Når du er der, guider de deg ut av båten med ansiktet fremover, så du trenger ikke bekymre deg for å tippe bakover slik du ser i videoer. Instruktørene kontrollerer oppdriften, så alt du trenger å gjøre er å puste. Og så opplevelsen – jeg vil ikke ødelegge den for deg, du må bare oppleve den, men den er livsforvandlende!

Although the itinerary was a bit hot, it was very interesting! The night jungle adventure was something my child had never experienced before! The guide, Xin Jiang, picked us up from the hotel and was incredibly enthusiastic. Along the way, we saw all sorts of insects, including butterflies, frogs, large spiders, and stick insects. Coconut crabs were harder to find, so Xin Jiang took us to see the stars instead. He worked very hard to take photos for each group, truly dedicated! The pictures turned out amazing! It's really hard to capture stars with a phone camera. Finally, on the way back, Xin Jiang found a baby coconut crab. Although it was small, we still got to see one!

Instructor: Leia Safety: I felt confident and pleased that the pre-survey was thoroughly conducted via QR code. Location: The fireflies were abundant and fantastic within walking distance. Experience: I didn't have high expectations since I had experienced fireflies in Bohol, Philippines, but this was overwhelmingly better, and everything was truly perfect. Equipment: Even though it was raining, I was touched that they rented out clean rain boots that fit my size.

Was a very fun experience. Instructor was knowledgeable, friendly, and was able to fluently communicate with the group. We started in a big group and a portion of the group had to return back to their vehicle. She was able to help them out while the rest of us continued searching for wildlife. She did mention what to look out for and there was other groups around so it still felt safe. She returned and continued the tour. We were lucky that another group was able to find the coconut crab so a lot of people got pictures in. It was a windy and cold night, finding the crab was harder than normal.

We participated just before the end of the rainy season, and the weather in the Yaeyama Islands was challenging, typical of the region, with sudden heavy downpours followed by clear skies. However, the journey with our guide, literally pushing through dense vegetation into a jungle that felt like an animal trail, searching for wildlife, was thrilling and incredibly enjoyable. Thanks to this, we encountered not only coconut crabs but also habu snakes, rare hermit crabs, bats, and even scorpions, making for a truly fulfilling experience. We were very grateful to be lent shoes, as we were entering a jungle along the coast and there was a risk of getting muddy. Also, it rained heavily at one point, and there was no room or opportunity to use an umbrella, so a waterproof jacket made of Gore-Tex or similar material is essential.

Vi besøkte Iriomote-øya for første gang på bryllupsreisen vår, og deltok på en ildfluetur så snart vi ankom. Jeg hadde sett noen få ildfluer på landet da jeg var veldig ung, men min kone hadde aldri sett ildfluer før. Etter hvert som dagen gikk over til kveld og det ble mørkt, dukket ildfluene opp én etter én, og snart var hele området vi så på fylt med ildfluer. Det var en utrolig og sjelden opplevelse. Jeg vet ikke hvor mange sjanser vi får til å se ildfluer i løpet av livet. Jeg anbefaler på det sterkeste å oppleve dette hvis du besøker Iriomote!