Hirakubo Point

Hirakubo Point at the north-east tip of Ishigaki Island is a dramatic headland where the full force of the Kuroshio Current sweeps around the cape, creating an upwelling zone that sustains one of the most pelagic-rich environments in the Yaeyama Islands. Scalloped hammerhead sharks pass in small groups of 5 to 20 from December through March, drawn by the thermal gradients and concentrated prey. Whale sharks — seasonal visitors from April through June — are most frequently intercepted here as they follow the current around the headland. The reef itself is a boulder-and-table coral system descending from 10 to 35 metres along the current-swept wall, with large Napoleon wrasse, schooling bumphead parrotfish, and grey reef sharks as year-round residents. The site demands experience with open-water drift diving, but rewards with encounters that are simply unavailable at the sheltered sites.