Arabesque Dive Center – Hachijo Island

Arabesque

Dive Center

Hachijō Island – Tokyo

Discover Hachijō’s Underwater World

Hachijō is a small volcanic island at the heart of Japan’s Izu Archipelago, located roughly 300km from the main island of Japan.

It is part of a long chain of islands starting off the Izu Peninsula and reaching far south in the Pacific Ocean that are all administered by the Tōkyō Metrolopolis, which has earned them the nickname “Tokyo Islands“…

Hachijō is a remote subtropical island, yet easily accessible from Tōkyō, either by a 55-minute flight from Haneda Airport or by a 10-hour night-ferry ride from the mainland.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMbGDKHeY_I

Underwater, Hachijō has a lot to offer, due to its remote location and direct exposure to the Kuroshio, a powerful warm water current flowing along the coasts of Japan

Hachijō offers a complex and dynamic diving environment, with marked seasonal changes, water temperatures going from roughly 19°C in winter to 29°C in summer!
The island has both shore diving and boat diving sites, going from protected bays to more advanced sites with less predictable currents.

Local diving highlights includes Hachijō island’s amazing volcanic topography and simple coral reefs, with vivid blue waters and generally great visibility, and its rich and diverse marine life, combining both warm water and temperate species.
The island is also home to many rare, endemic species.

Hachijō is also famous for its great macro (especially nudibranchs), resident green turtles, squid spawning events, schooling fish and… the unexpected (dolphins, hammerhead and thresher sharks are sometimes spotted at sites like Nazumado, for instance.).
In winter, Hachijō island is also on the northern migration route for whales (humpbacks, spermwhales etc,), which are commonly heard underwater, and sometimes even spotted by divers…

to learn more about Hachijō island’s diving

Click here

Diving Hachijō with Arabesque

Arabesque Dive Center, located on the west side of Hachijō Island, offers diving services in English, French and Japanese.

At Arabesque, we approach diving activities with the following goals in mind:

Offering a personalised experience, adapted to your interests and needs
To respect nature, care for our environment and favour sustainable practices
To support a positive safety culture, through our actions and attitudes
To always keep learning, and create opportunities for exchanges

Discovering local dive sites and marine life, underwater photography or dive training, whatever your current focus may be, our primary aim is to help you enjoy the underwater world in a way that fits you!

to learn more about Arabesque

Click here

Activities

Diving

Arabesque offers both shore and boat diving options to explore Hachijō Island’s underwater world.
We plan our dives to help divers discover the area’s richness and diversity, rather than tick must-see critters off a list…

Dive Training

Learn to dive, refresh or expand your skills with experienced instructors, passionate about teaching, safety and caring for our environment.
Arabesque offers training in small groups, with courses in English, French and Japanese

Discover Scuba Diving

You would like to try scuba diving and see what it’s like to breathe underwater, but do not feel quite ready to sign up for a certification course?
The Discover Scuba Diving program is for you!

Snorkeling

At Arabesque, we believe snorkeling is more than just dropping people off in the water!
We offer a fully guided experience, which is safe, respectful of our marine environment, and also lots of fun!

Hachijo Island

to learn more about Hachijō Island

Click here

Hachijō is a lush and green volcanic island in the Pacific Ocean, yet easily accessible from Tōkyō and mainland Japan.

The island is famous for its distinctive history and cultural heritage,powerful nature, with its Hachijō-Blue ocean and diving sites of course, but also hiking trails and view points.
Being volcanic in origin, the island features dramatic basalt rock landscapes, but also jungle-like subtropical greenery and mountainous vistas.
Hachijō also has several natural hot springs for bathing and relaxation.