Tatchu

Tatchu (タッチュー) is a deep boat-dive pinnacle on the north side of Kamiyama Island in the Chibishi islets, about 30 minutes from Naha, Okinawa, with a maximum depth of 40 m and an average around 32 m; the name is Okinawan dialect for something that towers up. The hidden pinnacle rises from 40 m with its top at about 28 m, so deep and multilevel diving experience and a dive computer are required, and sea conditions often decide whether it can be dived at all. When the timing is right the pinnacle is ringed with fish: hundreds of half-metre bigeye trevally in a vortex, walls of rainbow runner, dogtooth tuna and unicornfish, large schools of fusiliers, plus batfish, whitetip reef sharks and bluefin trevally. Current is present and visibility averages 25 m; advanced divers only.

Confirmed by our research team, reported by independent divers, or observed nearby via iNaturalist — each entry is labelled with its source.

• Willan's ChromodorisChromodoris willaniReported here · unconfirmed
• Green Sea TurtleChelonia mydasReported here · unconfirmed
• Clark's AnemonefishAmphiprion clarkiiReported here · unconfirmed
• Sunset WrasseThalassoma lutescensReported here · unconfirmed
• Pustulose Wart SlugPhyllidiella pustulosaReported here · unconfirmed
• Whitetip Reef SharkTriaenodon obesusReported here · unconfirmed
• Clown CorisCoris aygulaReported here · unconfirmed