Ehime National Park | Marine Activities. Ainan Town - Nishikai Sightseeing Boat [1/4]

This is an introduction to the Nishikai Sightseeing Cruise, located in Ainan Town, south of Ehime, where you can experience the seas of the national park. Experience marine activities on the Nishikai Sightseeing Cruise. You can take a boat ride to see the underwater world, snorkel on a deserted island, or go diving on a tour of the special protected area.

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Ainan Town Hall

Located in the southernmost part of Shikoku's Ehime Prefecture, Ainan Town is an area blessed with a rich natural environment, including the abundant sea and mountains represented by the Ashizuri-Uwakai National Park. The climate is warm throughout the year, and you can see coral and tropical fish.

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Table of Contents
Overview of the entire facility | Saikai Sightseeing Cruise
Greetings | Author
Activity Introduction | Saikai Sightseeing Boat
Recommended season: June to late October | Monsoons and water temperature
More Articles and Outside Resources ｜Southern tip of Ehime, Ainan Town, Nishikai Sightseeing Boat

Overview of the entire facility | Saikai Sightseeing Cruise

Saikai Tourist Boat is a company with over 50 years of history, dating back to the 1960s, offering tours of the seas of the national park. On a sightseeing boat, you can observe schools of sparkling silver fish and colonies of coral, and in the summer you can travel to the uninhabited island of Kashima and enjoy marine activities such as snorkeling and sea walking. Scuba diving is also available. The sea here is home to an environment that is rare even on a global scale.

The area is surrounded by islands and ria coastlines, making it a rich environment not only on land but also in the sea. There are also many ridges in the sea, making it easy for fish to find hiding places, and one-quarter of the fish species found in Japan are found in this area.

There are many rocks and ridges in the sea, and coral grows on them. These corals act as hiding places for fish, creating an environment where even small fish can easily live. This in turn allows medium-sized fish to live there, which eat those small fish. One of the reasons for the large ecosystem pyramid is the large number of "undulations in the sea." The "abundance of fish" is a strength of Ainan Town's sea that is not found in many other places.

Greetings | Author

My name is Takahashi, and I'm a guide. I moved to Ainan Town from Tokyo in 2016. I currently run the Nishikai Tourist Boat. I use my experience at sea to perform a variety of tasks, including captaining the tour boat, as a diving instructor, helping fishermen with their diving work, and teaching marine classes. The sea around Ainan Town is very rich. Of course, I want to communicate this, but I also hope to share the joy of being in the water with as many people as possible.

Activity Introduction | Saikai Sightseeing Boat

Glass-bottom Boat

The boat that lets you see the ocean floor departs every hour from 9:00 to 16:00 every day. It's a short cruise of about 40 minutes, so you don't need to make a reservation. It's a convenient and recommended option if you want to observe the ocean without getting wet. The cost is 2100-2300 yen per person.

- Helpful tips
The 4:00 PM boat trips often have insufficient sunlight, making it difficult to observe the underwater scenery. Although it depends on the tide of the day, visibility is usually good in the morning. Also, the trip will be cancelled on windy days or other poor sea conditions, so please check the operation information posted on the official website of the Saikai Sightseeing Boat before coming. It is updated every day by around 8:30 AM.

Seawalker and snorkel tour to the uninhabited island of Kashima [held from mid-July to the end of August]

From mid-July to the end of August, you can cross over to the uninhabited island of Kashima. No reservations are required and the ferry operates every day from 8:30 AM until 4:30 PM, every hour.
The round trip fare is 1,000 yen per person plus your luggage allowance, and you can cross the island and swim in the sea.

- Helpful tips
Kashima is an island with an abundance of underwater creatures. It's best to prepare snorkeling gear beforehand to enjoy the trip. Water is sold at municipal facilities, but be sure to bring all the necessary items with you beforehand. The return boat departs Kashima at 00 minutes past the hour, so it doesn't matter what time you take to return. The boat has a capacity of 50 people, so if the capacity is exceeded, you may have to wait for an hour.

The Sea Walker is Kashima's best recommendation. No special qualifications are required, and you can walk through the ocean with a guide. All you need to do is put on a helmet, so you can observe the fish without getting your face wet. This tour allows you to search for fish in their natural environment without feeding them. In fact, Kashima is also designated as a special protected area of the national park, and the ocean is a place where fish tend to gather. The experience costs 6,500 yen per person plus a 1,000 yen round-trip fare to Kashima per person. Reservations are required, so please make your reservation through the official Nishikai Sightseeing Boat website - SeaWalker . The tour runs from mid-July to the end of August.

Scuba Diving in the National Park's Special Protection Areas

If you have a license, you can join a tour that takes you to areas of the national park that are particularly rich in marine resources. The sea around Ainan Town has many places with environments that are rare even on a global scale. The price is 14,000 yen/person for 2 dives or 18,000 yen/person for 3 dives (lunch included).
Reservations are required, so please make your reservation through the official website of Saikai Kankosen - Scuba Diving .

For more information about scuba diving, click here.

Ehime National Park | Scuba diving trip to the sea. Ainan Town - Nishikai Sightseeing Boat [2/4]

Ehime

Uwajima・Ozu

- Helpful tips
▽Schedule 8:30 meet up
9:00 Departure
9:30-10:30 1st dive10:30(you can choose this time to meet up, when you wanna only 2dive/day)
11:00 Departure
11:30-12:30 2nd dive
12:50-13:30 Lunch Bento
13:45 Departure
▽Price 2Dive 14,000 Yen 3Dive 18,000 Yen
full rental 5000Yen + Divecomputer 1500Yen

*Be careful of seasonal winds!
Due to the strong seasonal winds from late October through May, it is often impossible to access the main sea area (the location shown in the photo) and diving is often canceled. We will contact you if there are likely to be problems based on the weather forecast, which is released approximately two days in advance. There is no cancellation fee if the reason is weather conditions, so please feel free to let us know if you would like to change your plans in this case.

Recommended season: June to late October | Monsoons and water temperature

Ainan Town, located at the southern tip of Ehime Prefecture, is an area that is easily affected by seasonal winds. The seasonal winds become stronger around the end of October and die down in mid-May. The shop remains open during this time, but service may be suspended when the seasonal winds are strong.

Generally, summer is a good time to visit. Although strong southerly winds can blow in the summer, the mountains protect you from these winds, so you can often enjoy marine activities in peace.

Please be sure to check the Saikai Sightseeing Boat's official website for operating information. Even if it is sunny, the boat may be cancelled if the wind is strong or the waves are high.