Toriike dive
通り池（ダイビング）24°49′ N 125°08′ EDiveDive: advanced
The Toriike dive on Shimoji is an advanced boat dive that runs from the sea through an arch at about 20 m and surfaces in the Toriike pond; Marea Miyakojima lists its maximum depth as 31–35 m.
Toriike is two collapsed sinkholes on Shimoji's west coast that join each other underwater and open to the sea through a cave. Divers come in from the ocean under a huge arch, holding about 20 m above a floor more than 40 m down, then rise through a layer of rainwater into the green pond and surface where tourists stand on the viewing platforms. The halocline and thermocline you pass through are unique to this site on Miyako.
Marea Miyakojima rates it for Master Scuba Divers and lists a maximum depth of 31–35 m; the pond floor itself lies at 45 m. It counts with Antonio Gaudi and Maou no Kyuden among Miyako's three famous terrain dives. Book it for autumn or winter, when the north wind leaves the Shimoji side calm.
Before you swim
- Advanced dive: maximum depth 31–35 m on Marea's site list, with a pond floor at 45 m
- Needs precise buoyancy: you swim along an arch ceiling at about 20 m over water more than 40 m deep
- Free descent without a line when you return from the pond to the sea
December to March
Marea Miyakojima puts March water at 21–23 °C and recommends at least a 5 mm wetsuit with a hooded vest; in early March 2026 it measured 21 °C where fresh water mixes in at Toriike. The Shimoji area runs from September to April because the cliffs shelter it from the north wind, which makes winter the season for this dive. In winter algae turn the fresh upper layer deep green.
Diving · advanced
20–35 m
Enter from the sea, swim through a vast arch whose ceiling sits at about 20 m, cross the boundary where fresh rainwater lies over seawater, then surface in the pond inside the island before returning the same way. The colour shifts from ocean blue to pond green.
Dive with a local shop.
Our ratings
- Quiet
- Scenery
Worth knowing
- Marea warns that divers without an advanced card may not be taken to the deepest sections; bring your logbook.
- The land view of the ponds is covered in the Toriike sight entry.
FAQ
Quick answers about Toriike diveよくある質問
How deep is the Toriike dive?
Marea Miyakojima lists a maximum depth of 31–35 m for the Toriike dive. The arch ceiling is at about 20 m and the pond floor at 45 m.
Do you need an advanced licence to dive Toriike?
Yes. Marea Miyakojima rates the Toriike dive for Master Scuba Divers, and it calls for precise buoyancy over deep water.
When is the best season to dive Toriike?
Autumn and winter. Marea Miyakojima runs the Shimoji sites from September to April, when the north wind leaves that coast calm.
Is Toriike dive worth visiting in winter?
Marea Miyakojima puts March water at 21–23 °C and recommends at least a 5 mm wetsuit with a hooded vest; in early March 2026 it measured 21 °C where fresh water mixes in at Toriike. The Shimoji area runs from September to April because the cliffs shelter it from the north wind, which makes winter the season for this dive. In winter algae turn the fresh upper layer deep green.
Is Toriike dive safe?
Know these before you swim at Toriike dive: advanced dive: maximum depth 31–35 m on Marea's site list, with a pond floor at 45 m; needs precise buoyancy: you swim along an arch ceiling at about 20 m over water more than 40 m deep; free descent without a line when you return from the pond to the sea.
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