Nancy and I went snorkeling this weekend on the Otsuki coast, about a four hour drive from here. Another typhoon is on its way, though, so we didn't get to see the best reef, which is supposed to be as good as in Okinawa. We had to go in the bay where the fishing and diving boats exit and enter the Pacific.

We rented our gear from a dive shop, and then headed into the water. Since it was cloudy, we didn't think to wear sunscreen, and the water was warm enough that we didn't need a wetsuit, which was nice. The current was pretty wicked because of the waves raging in the ocean. Visibility was low, maybe 5 meters, and even though we didn't see much coral, there were a lot of tropical fish. We saw red fish, yellow fish and blue fish galore. Three hours flew right past, and now I have the sunburn of the lifetime.

Its so relaxing looking at fish, the time just flies right by. We're going to buy our own gear and probably head out again in October. Its hard to believe that just four hours south west of Sakawa you can visit a tropical ocean environment.