Boarded the 9 am Queen Zamami from Tomari port for the fifty-minute ride to Zamami Island Port. Although famous for whale watching our goal was hiking to the Takatsuki-Yama Observation Deck to take photos of the panoramic views and to do some bird watching. We stopped at the conveniently located information center just across the street from the port for some maps.
The island offered much more than advertised, starting with our walk through Zamamai village on our way up to the observatory. Along the route there were quaint little shops and restaurants with some very friendly islanders.
From the port, the walk to Mount Takatuki Observatory takes approximately 30 minutes and the view from the top is almost 360. The weather was clear, which allowed us to see many of the Kerama islands that surround Zamami.
On our way back down, we stopped at Furuzamami Beach lookout for a preview of our next stop. Before we reached the beach, we passed by the Peace Monument, the site of the first U.S. forces landing in March 1945. Many villagers lost their lives and this memorial was erected to enshrine them as guardian deities of peace.
Finally reaching Furuzamaqmi Beach we changed into our swimming trunks and took a nice long stroll checking out the beautiful blue green water. Hiro explored the other side of the rock formation while I sat on a wooden platform and soaked up some rays.
It was way past lunch time so we headed back to the village for some food before our next stop Ama beach. Found a nice little soba restaurant and enjoyed the flavors of Zamami island.
During our walk to Ama Beach, we came upon a statue of a dog named Marylyn. She became famous in the movie “I want to meet Marylyn”. True story about a dog named Shiro who would swim from Aka Island just to meet up with Marilyn,
Beyond the statue I noticed an odd-looking fruit, which I later found out is named Adan. It is edible, but not very tasty. The fibers and leaves are mainly used for handicrafts.
Finally arriving at Ama beach, the scenery is completely different from Furuzamami. There are tide pools where you can view various sea life and the water along the beach is very clear. We noticed many paddle boats scouring the coast in search of sea turtles.
Although this time of year the humpback whales can be seen from the various lookouts around the island all we managed to find was a concrete whale on our way back to the port.
All in all, a very nice day at Zamamai, check their web page for other activities you may be interested in during your visit.
