Discover Scuba Diving with Sea Turtle Course in Yakushima

Overview

Available languages

Japanese

3 hours 30 minutes

Mobile ticket

"Discover Scuba Diving / Special 1 Dive Course" is an activity focused on meeting sea turtles and swimming with them!

The sea turtle encounter rate will increase dramatically because you can go far away more and more by diving for a longer time than normal experience diving.

The crystal-clear blue waters of Yakushima nurture a rich ecosystem, creating a bountiful paradise where various creatures, including sea turtles, live peacefully. Let's take a peek into the sea of Yakushima, where sea turtles live in peace! And let's swim with sea turtles!!

Note:

This isn't a tour which guarantee to meet sea turtles.

Please understand that it is not possible to meet 100% because sea turtles are also wild animals in the natural environment.

Special Offer:

All photos and videos taken by us during the tour will be provided to you free of charge after the tour!

Even on days with fewer shots, we'll capture over 50 photos and videos, ensuring you have lasting memories of your enjoyable experience.

Additional Info

Public transportation options are available nearby

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Available for 10 to 70 year old

If you are participating with a family that includes children in grades 4-6 (ages 10-12), or groups with individuals over 65 years old (aged 66-70), we will accommodate you with a "private charter tour". Additionally, children in grades 2-3 (ages 8-9) can experience the adventure of "breathing underwater" in shallow waters up to -2 meters deep. This will also be arranged as a "private charter tour."

Those under the age of 13 (elementary school students) must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

For this course, we need to give you a technical lecture in Japanese for about 1 hour before diving. But there is no staff member in our shop who are fluent in English now. We are not good at English very well, so our pre-diving briefing will be given in Japanese with some broken English and by gestures. Therefore, it might be difficult for those who are completely new to diving and do not understand Japanese to join in it... We apologize for the inconvenience...

However, snorkeling tours do not require as much technical instruction. Therefore, anyone can participate in snorkeling without any problems, even if they do not understand Japanese. Furthermore, Snorkeling has the highest chance of meeting sea turtles of all sea activities! The chances of seeing sea turtles are much higher with this course than with the "Introductory Diving / Special 1 Dive Course (commonly known as the Sea Turtle Course)", which has a longer dive time specifically designed to see sea turtles. Please consider it.

All guests aged 60 and over, and those under 60 with health concerns, must complete and bring the signed "Diver Medical/Participant Checklist"; doctor's approval may be required. The download URL for the 'Diver Medical/Participant Checklist' can be found in the Special instructions section of your mobile ticket. Please download and complete it from there.

Not allowed to move to higher places just after diving For diving medical reasons, you are not allowed to board an airplane or move (climb) over 500m in height within 12 hours after the diving experience. Please note that we can't accept you if you plan to fly back or climb a mountain on the same day! However, even if you are returning on the same day, there is no problem if you use a ferry or high-speed boat. And you can experience diving on the day of arrival.

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

What To Expect

What is "Discover Scuba Diving"? "Discover Scuba Diving" is a scuba diving experience designed for those who are trying scuba diving for the first time or who do not have a diving license (who are not yet certified). Our experienced instructors will carefully explain the basics of scuba diving on land, and guide you safely under the water. We can offer three "Discover Scuba Diving" courses, all courses are at the same level. ★Standard 1-Dive Course: This is a standard Scuba Diving experience, focused on experiencing underwater breathing, and includes one dive of about 30 minutes. ★Standard 2-Dive Course: This is also a standard Scuba Diving experience, focused on experiencing underwater breathing, and includes two dives of about 30 minutes each. ★Special 1-Dive Course: This "Discover Scuba Diving" course is This is a special Scuba Diving experience, designed for those who want to enjoy observing nature and encounter sea turtles, with a longer dive time and a focus on going further offshore. It includes one dive of about 60 minutes. We can have a better chance of meeting sea turtles by diving longer! Note that the course featured on this page is the "Special 1-Dive Course".

What‘s Included

Insurance fee

Experience / Course fee

Use of SCUBA equipment

Photo / video shooting & gifts

All Fees and Taxes

Lunch

towel

swimsuit

beach sandals

Pickup points

Seaside Hotel Yakushima

1208-9 Miyanoura, Yakushima-cho Japan

Hanaya Ryokan

356 Isso Yakushima-cho Japan

Tashiro Bekkan

2330-1 Miyanoura, Yakushima-cho Japan

Options

Discover Scuba Diving with Sea Turtle Course in Yakushima

Pickup included

Reviews

5.00

8 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

The best sea in Yakushima
Venture00191749202,,Sep 19, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Unfortunately, we didn't see any sea turtles, but we did see a lot of beautiful fish. It was a very good memory to take many pictures
Even beginners can participate with confidence
Passenger21469147916,,Jul 22, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
I was worried about this because it was my first dive, but I was able to make inquiries by email in advance smoothly. We were also worried that the event might be cancelled due to the bad weather, but they supported us to the maximum extent possible. It was a very good experience.
We didn't get to see the sea turtles, but we had a great experience!!
岸一,,Jun 21, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
They responded to my concerns beforehand by email, whether it was my first time diving alone, and I was able to face the day with peace of mind! Even though it was the rainy season, the weather was good on the day and the sea conditions were good, so it was said that the confirmation to see sea turtles was quite high, but unfortunately, I was not able to meet them. However, I was more than happy to swim and see many fish, sea creatures and beautiful ocean worlds that I had never seen before. They also sent me a lot of photos and videos at a later date, and I was able to show my family how much fun it was. The staff were easy to talk to and I was able to relax throughout. Thank you very much.
Lucky
Tourist40298915797,,Apr 13, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
It was my first dive. I was nervous, but it was easy to understand because I explained the lecture before I went into the sea in a polite, fun and interesting way. It took some time to get used to the sea, but we were able to enjoy it with peace of mind as it was paced by us and we proceeded slowly. I was lucky to meet the sea turtles I had always wanted. Thank you for taking so many photos. It's full of fun memories.
I was impressed when I met the sea turtles!
shN5842OW,,Jun 13, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
I was impressed when I met the sea turtles! He also took nearly 200 photos and made many memories. The diving was great, of course, but the instructor, Mr. Harasaki, was very kind to me and helped me with my bookings (because I couldn't use the phone on my phone overseas) so I really enjoyed Yakushima!!
A great experience that exceeded all expectations!!
Explorer59861505936,,May 23, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
A few days before the departure of my first experience dive, a trip to Yakushima, I was invited by my family who suddenly decided to join. It was my first time to visit Yakushima, and I was only researching Shiratani Unsuikyo and Jomon Sugi, so at first??? I was half-doubted, but when the trip was over, it turned out to be the most memorable trip to Yakushima. Instructor Harasaki-san enjoyed giving lectures on land and was very trustworthy in the sea as he gave the impression that he was a professional. Three sea turtles suddenly appeared and a leisurely swimming sea turtle up close… it was an unthinkable experience. I was hoping to get a few photos, but I was so thrilled to receive hundreds of photos and videos of wonderful images for free!! I am grateful that I was lucky enough to meet the tour of Mr. Moritomi Yakushima Nature Guide among so many tours. After a while back from our trip, we still think about sea turtles almost every day and look back at the pictures we received♪
I was anxious about my first dive, but it was the best memory I had!
pmw76s,,Jun 14, 2022
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
It was my first time diving, but I was relieved that they gave me a very easy-to-understand lecture! (I was not good at swimming and was worried about diving in the sea, but it was not a problem at all) They took a lot of photos and videos and sent all the data later. We had a memorable and fun experience! Recommended.
I had the best time!
heavyweather1218,,Apr 26, 2022
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
On April 14th we experienced the Special 1 dive course. Even I, a beginner and not a young person, could enjoy diving with peace of mind with specific and easy-to-understand lectures. The scheduled hour was over very quickly and, to be honest, I still wanted to dive. Many photos and videos are now very treasured. It was a blissful time.