Kagoshima: Whale-Watching Season Arrives on Amami Oshima Island

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:35 JST, February 1, 2025

AMAMI, Kagoshima — Breeding season has arrived for humpback whales, which means it is also time for them to migrate off the coast of Amami Oshima Island. Two whales were seen off the coast of Amami, Kagoshima Prefecture, on Jan. 5, spouting water from their blowholes and diving with their tail fins raised.

Humpback whales migrate south in winter from the Kamchatka Peninsula and other areas to the waters around Amami and Okinawa where they give birth and raise their young.

According to the Amami whale and dolphin association, there were 1,662 whales sightings waters around Amami Oshima last season. The first whale of this season was confirmed on Dec. 11, and by Jan. 4, a total of 52 whales in 34 groups had been confirmed.

Local preschool children enjoyed a whale-watching tour on Jan. 5, saying things like, “I see it!” and “It’s so big!”

According to Hideki Sai, vice president of the association, who invited the children, tour participants have a 90% chance of encountering whales.

The peak of the migration is in February, and whale-watching tours continue until late March.