Story Catch the Grand Sight of Humpback Whales in Okinawa
A Different Winter Experience Around the Oceans of the Kerama Islands By JNTO on 13 December 2022

The pristine beaches and beautiful marine life of Okinawa may be synonymous with summer activities, but the winter season brings about something extraordinary in its waters. Humpback whales, after spending summers in the northern waters around Russia and Alaska, begin their migration wave to the south, specifically towards Japan during the autumn and winter seasons, where they can be found in Tokyo’s Ogasawara Islands and Okinawa.

 

While circumventing the waters here, humpback whales give birth to and raise their young. Male whales fight for the attention of the females, attracting them by giving off sounds that are said to last for 10 minutes and more. Having built up fat reserves in the north before their migration southwards, they restrain from feeding around the waters here.

 

 

Witness the Magnificence of Whales Up Close on a Boat

 

These humpback whales can be seen around the Kerama group of islands in Okinawa, to the west of Okinawa’s capital city, Naha. Tokashiki and Zamami Islands are known as whale-watching meccas, and although there are observation points from where you can spot schools of whales swimming about, the best experience would involve watching them up close via a tour on a ferry. Boat operators run tours taking visitors to several of the best whale-watching spots near both islands. 

 

© 一般社団法人 座間味村ホエールウォッチング協会

 

One of the boat tour operators is the Zamami Whale Watching Association, which will run their tours from 27 December 2022 to 31 March 2023 for the upcoming season. During the tour, an experienced boat captain from the association will help to comb the waters for signs of whale life and notify the boat as soon as a group of whales is spotted. 

 

Tours are about two hours, and the association operates one in the morning and another in the afternoon. A day trip from Naha is possible, but it is recommended that visitors stay overnight at Zazami Island for an optimal experience.

 

© 一般社団法人 座間味村ホエールウォッチング協会

 

Whale-Watching Movements

 

There are many whale movements that can be observed during these whale-watching tours. These include the ‘breach’, where whales float almost two-thirds of their bodies on the ocean’s surface and then proceed to rotate and jump. There is also the ‘Peduncle scrap’, when a whale lifts the lower half of its body and slaps the water, occasionally on top of another whale. There is also the ‘head slap’, where the whale exposes the upper half of its body above the ocean’s surface, then slaps the water chin first. 

 

Humpback whales are one of the larger whale species and the world’s largest mammal, weighing between 30 and 40 tons, thus their gigantic forms cause big splashes!

 

© 一般社団法人 座間味村ホエールウォッチング協会

 

The Battle for Affection

 

It is well-known that male humpback whales battle each other for female attention, which translates into dramatic movements that make for a great spectacle. One female whale will have between two and eight whales accompanying it - these are known as mating pods. These pods go into battles, and would increase in numbers around February each year. 

 

Those on the whale-watching tour are able to observe interesting movements from the whales, including lobtailing, breaching, and sticking their heads out of the water with their mouths agape, as part of these battles which last about two days until there is a victor. If this is what it means to witness the battle for affection on the ocean’s surface, imagine what the action is like inside the ocean!

 

Whale-watching is an adrenaline-pumping adventure in Japan. Looking for something different to do during winter, head down south of Japan for an experience of a lifetime!