Pelagic/ReefUNESCO World HeritageMarine Protected Area

Ogasawara Islands

Near Ogasawara

Depth: 5–30 mLevel: Advanced Open WaterMay-November

Thirty islands covering some 8,000 hectares that were never joined to a continent. That isolation produced evolutionary processes of their own, which are the reason for the inscription. The water is exceptionally clear.

Depth

5–30 m

Recommended level

Advanced Open Water

Average visibility

25 m

Protection status

Ogasawara National Park (1972); the components of the property are protected as a Wilderness Area, National Park, National Wildlife Protection Area, Forest Ecosystem Reserve and Natural Monument

UNESCO designation

World Heritage Site (Ogasawara Islands, inscribed in 2011 as a natural property)

Did you know?

They are also known as the Bonin Islands, a corruption of "munin", which means "uninhabited" in Japanese. They returned to Japanese administration in 1968, after the American occupation. Biosecurity is a real problem: invasive species, not tourist pressure, are the main threat to the property.

Sources consulted: Wikipedia (Yonaguni Monument / Ogasawara National Park) · Japan National Tourism Organization · IUCN World Heritage Outlook · Atlas Obscura · enjyu-japan.travel

Location

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1 park within 30 km.