Osaki Hanagoi Reef

Osaki Hanagoi Reef on Ishigaki's north-east coast takes its name from the spectacular clouds of anthias — hanagoi in Japanese — that hover above the coral slope in densities rarely seen outside the Coral Triangle, with tens of thousands of fish creating a shimmering orange and pink canopy over hard coral gardens from 8 to 28 metres depth. The reef slope is exceptionally healthy, with high coral cover dominated by branching Acropora, table corals, and massive Porites heads that have resisted bleaching events due to strong tidal flushing. Sea turtles are abundant, the rubble zones between coral heads support a diverse macro fauna including ghost pipefish and ribbon eels, and the deep sections of the slope transition into a sandy channel where occasional reef mantas cruise in from the manta sites to the west. This is considered Ishigaki's finest coral reef dive outside of the dedicated manta sites.