Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Southern Okinawa's Chinen Peninsula holds at least three things of interest: the Ryukyu Golf
Club, one of the finest clubs on Okinawa with a course high up on the bluffs in the cent-
ral part of the peninsula; a superb one-third of a mile (half-kilometer)-long “double” beach
on Chinen's northeastern side, at Azama, and adjacent to the beach, Azama Port (
安座真港
;
Azama-kō). If you're planning on taking the Kudaka ferry, it's important to go to Azama be-
cause you can easily go to a much larger port on the northern end of the peninsula by mis-
take. The two ports are only 1.5 miles (2.5 kilometers) apart. The ferry to and from Kudaka
docks at Azama, which is on the northeastern point of the peninsula. The larger port, on the
most northern tip, is for private fishing craft. It's not the terminal for the ferry.
The ferry runs six, sometimes seven times a day, about every two hours, starting at
9:00
AM
. Kudakajima (
久高島
; Kudaka-jima) is less than 2 miles (3.5 kilometers) from Ok-
inawa but from port to port it's a little further, 4 miles (6 kilometers) east from Azama Port.
It takes 15-20 minutes to get there. The ferry arrives at Tokujin Harbor (
徳仁港
; Tokujin-kō),
which is at the very southernmost end of the island, just below and adjacent to Kudaka's only
village. Only about 250 people live on Kudakajima. The island is 2 miles (3 kilometers) long
and is narrow, anywhere from 500 to almost 1,970 feet (150 to almost 600 meters). That gives
it an area of 0.53 square miles (1.37 square kilometers). This is indeed a small island! Its cir-
cumference is 4.85 miles (7.8 kilometers). It's completely flat. The highest point is 55 feet (17
meters). You can rent a bike and tour Kudaka in about an hour or two.
Sea Snakes
Sea snakes are neither ish nor eels and therefore do not have gills. They are air-breathing repiles
and must come to the surface to breathe. They are not very large, generally about 4-5 feet (1.2-1.5
meters) in length, and have paddle-shaped tails. They are completely adapted to their aquaic lifestyle
although some come on to land to lay their eggs. Sea snakes are mostly found in the warm tropic-
al waters of the Indian Ocean and the western Paciic. They do not occur in the Atlanic. There are
more than 60 species divided into 17 genera, but what they all have in common is that they are highly
venomous—often lethal. The two most common types found in Okinawan waters are the Black-ban-
ded sea krait (
Erabu umi-hebi
;
エラブウミヘビ
; Lain:
Laicauda semifasciata
) and the Blue-lipped
sea krait (
Hirou umi-hebi
;
ヒロウウミヘビ
; Lain:
Laicauda laicaudata
). Fortunately, both are gen-
erally mild-tempered and it's extremely rare for them to strike unless they are somehow provoked.
