Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The lighthouse at the tip of Cape Zanpa.
12
MAEDA POINT
真栄田岬
Our next stop is Maeda Point (
真栄田岬
; Maeda-misaki), just over 5 miles (8.5 kilometers) to
the east following the coastal road. Along with the Sunabe Seawall, Maeda Point is the most
popular dive spot on Okinawa, some would say too popular. It wasn't always this way, but a
few years ago the local authorities decided to “improve” the site. A large pay parking lot was
built, along with a new restaurant-snack bar, gift shop and dive school. Ever since, every hotel
on the island brings its minivans full of mainland Japanese tourists here to dive. After being
featured on a TV program, diving at Maeda Point is now on everyone's checklist of “things to
do.” It's still a great place, but you might want to come on a weekday as on weekends there's
hardly a parking space.
The point itself is a large rough-hewn coral bluff. It's very scenic. There's a cement set of
stairs running down about 330 feet (100 meters) that delivers divers to the water. Unless it's
dead calm, which it often is not, entry in the sea can be tricky. It's sharp rock, covered with
sea urchins, and sometimes pounding surf. On really rough days, it's closed. It may, in fact,
be safe enough under water, but most accidents have happened merely from people entering
and exiting. Getting gear on and off, especially flippers, can be a real challenge. Once you're
in, there's a short section over coral stone flats, perhaps 165 feet (50 meters). It's no more
than 10-15 feet (3-5 meters) deep. But once past there, there's a wall, a strait vertical drop
of at least 100-165 feet (30-50 meters). It's good diving and there are all kinds of fish. A few
thousand feet along the reef 's edge, east from the entry point, is the Blue Cave. It was this
attraction that was so prominently featured on the TV special.
