Ishigaki Island
Japan · Ryukyu Islands
Ishigaki Island anchors the Yaeyama archipelago at the southwestern tip of Japan, earning its reputation as the manta ray capital of the world thanks to a large resident population that aggregates daily at predictable cleaning stations. Beyond mantas, the island offers blue holes, schooling pelagics, and pristine hard coral gardens in some of the clearest water in East Asia.
How this reef is doing
ⓘ How we measure thisReef state
Live science signals for this reef are still being gathered.
Coral cover
Fish life
Heat
Fishing
Open to fishing, and the water is busy.
Sources · Global Fishing Watch and reef gravity
What you will see
18 species across the dive sites here
Chinese Box Turtle
Seen 23 days ago
at Manta Scramble
Endangered
Large-Billed Crow
Seen 23 days ago
at Manta Scramble
Least concern
Leptopoma taivanum
Seen 24 days ago
at Manta Scramble
Sakishima Wolf Snake
Seen 24 days ago
at Jokombo
Elegant Pitviper
Seen 25 days ago
at Manta Scramble
Least concern
Tawny Hermit Crab
Seen 26 days ago
at Jokombo
Reef Manta Ray
Seen 5 months ago
at Manta Scramble
Vulnerable
Whitetip Reef Shark
Seen 10 months ago
at Yaeyama Blue Hole
Vulnerable
Bigeye Trevally
Seen Mar 2025
at Jokombo
Least concern
Blackfin Barracuda
Seen year round
at Yaeyama Blue Hole
Least concern
Bluespotted Ribbontail Ray
Seen year round
at Manta Scramble
Least concern
Cup Coral
Seen year round
at Yaeyama Blue Hole
Napoleon Wrasse
Seen year round
at Manta Scramble
Endangered
Painted Frogfish
Seen year round
at Kabira Bay
Least concern
Zebra Shark
Seen year round
at Kabira Bay
Endangered
Dugong
Seasonal visitor
at Kabira Bay
Vulnerable
Whale Shark
Seasonal visitor
at Jokombo
Endangered
Yellowfin Tuna
Seasonal visitor
at Jokombo
Least concern
Dive sites
Manta Scramble
reef manta ray · bluespotted ribbontail ray · napoleon wrasse · elegant pitviper
Kabira Bay
zebra shark · dugong · painted frogfish · large-billed crow
Yaeyama Blue Hole
blackfin barracuda · cup coral · whitetip reef shark · large-billed crow
Jokombo
bigeye trevally · whale shark · yellowfin tuna · large-billed crow