Toya Fishing Port is a fishing harbor in Yomitan Village, in the central part of Okinawa’s main island.
Whale shark experience dives and snorkeling tours are hugely popular here.
On these tours you can get as close as about 50 cm to a whale shark.
*Instructors give a thorough briefing beforehand, so even first-timers can relax and enjoy it.
Toya Fishing Port is also known as the supplier of the whale sharks at Churaumi Aquarium.
A little while ago, the news that Yomitan’s village mayor had named the whale shark the village fish caught a lot of attention.
*Source: https://ryukyushimpo.jp/news/entry-537687.html
What Is Toya Fishing Port?
Toya Fishing Port is run by the Yomitan Village Fisheries Cooperative.
A distinctive feature of the port is that set-net fishing accounts for around 70% of its annual catch.
The annual catch is around 160 tonnes, worth roughly 100 million yen.
Fish auctions are held at the port from 10 a.m., and the people who bid at them are called brokers.
Uminchu Shokudo
Inside the port, a diner called Uminchu Shokudo serves dishes such as tuna rice bowls and mozuku seaweed rice bowls.
There is also a direct-sales shop selling fresh fish, sea grapes and more.
Swim with whale sharks
Whale sharks live in the surface waters of tropical, subtropical and temperate seas around the world (within about 30° latitude north and south).
The whale shark is the largest living fish species, and the largest animal apart from whales.
They move slowly and are generally considered to pose little danger to people.
*Source: Wikipedia
On a whale shark tour you can take videos and photos with wild whale sharks.
There are plans for every level, from beginners to experienced divers.
If a whale shark tour sounds interesting, why not see what is available on GetYourGuide or Viator?
Access & Parking
| Access | About 50 minutes by car from Naha Airport |
| Address | Toya, Yomitan Village, Nakagami District, Okinawa |
| Shower | Yes |
| Parking | Yes (free) |
| Restroom | Yes |
Toya Fishing Port has a free car park.
See the Google Map below for the parking location.
Summary
In this article we introduced the whale shark experience at Toya Fishing Port.
You can also see whale sharks at Churaumi Aquarium.
It hardly needs an introduction, but it is worth mentioning just in case.
A whale shark tour offers a completely different experience from viewing them at an aquarium, so why not give it a try at Toya Fishing Port?
Thank you for reading to the end.
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