Amakusa Dolphin Watching
In the beautiful blue sea between the Shimabara peninsula and the northern point of the Amakusa Shimoshima Island there lives a pod of around 200 wild Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphins. Man and dolphin have long lived in harmony in this area, the dolphins are present year round due to the rich feeding grounds. Their presence also prevents sharks from entering these waters, which, in turn, allows the local fishermen to practise free diving safely. Without the nets usually associated with fishing, dolphins and humans coexist in harmony. With a 99% chance of seeing the dolphins taking a dolphin watching cruise is guaranteed to be a memorable experience, and if you were in the 1% who don’t see them you will be given a free ticket to come again! The dolphins seem to enjoy swimming alongside the boats then diving down and reappearing alongside another one in a very playful manner.
Details:
Location: Futae Port, Amakusa Shimoshima
There are 5 timetabled cruises a day:
- 10：00
- 11：30
- 13：00
- 14：30
- 16：00
Several companies operate dolphin watching cruises and it is a very popular activity so best to book first.
The cruise lasts approximately 1 hour, please arrive at least 20 minutes before your cruise to check in.
Telephone: 0969-26-4500 (between 08:00 and 20:00) for English inquiries and bookings
Cruise fee:
Adults (over 13 years old) 2500 Yen
Children (from 6 years old to 12) 1500 Yen
Infants (from 2 years old to 5) 500 Yen
Getting there:
The best way to reach Futae is to rent a car, if you are travelling from Kumamoto City allow up to 3 hours to get there, the traffic can be slow getting from the city to the Uto City area where the island chain begins.
You can also reach Futae by travelling through the Shimambara peninsula and then taking the ferry from Kuchinotsu to Itsuwa Town, it’s a 30 minute ferry ride. From Itsuwa it’s a 15 minute drive to Futae.
A customised Amakusa tour by private transport can be arranged on request, contact Explore Kumamoto for details.
Travel Tips:
There are several dolphin watching companies all operating from the same port so make sure you know which company you have booked.
In high seas the cruise may be cancelled.
If you suffer from seasickness come prepared. Travel sickness pills are available in all drug stores in Japan.
Pets may travel on board – though they might not enjoy it.
Look out for 10% discount ticket vouchers in tourist information offices or at your hotel.
Make a day of your trip by heading down to the peninsula and site of Tomioka Castle afterwards, keep your eyes peeled for Oppai Rock on the way – a large convincingly breast shaped rock on the seashore but only visible at low tide. Or rent a bicycle to explore the main town of Hondo’s sights, the town is also famous for its white porcelain and you can visit many of the local potteries and try your hand at pottery making too.
If you are not in a rush there is an Amakusa Reihoku scenic walk in the Tomioka area, it’s one of the Kyushu Olle walking routes. The walk is 11 km long and takes around 4 – 5 hours. Click here to go to the Kyushu Olle website in English for detailed information.
It goes without saying that the seafood in Amakusa is not only very fresh but also delicious.
Amakusa sunsets are glorious, particularly famous is the view over the rippled sands at low tide on the Uto peninsula IF you can get your timing right!
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