The Great Naruto Whirlpools

Nature's titanic washing machine born in Tokushima!

Takako Sakamoto Sep 16, 2014 - 1 min read

<p>This whirlpool is HUGE!  I'd never seen a whirlpool as big as this in my life!</p>

<p>Blue sky and cotton-like clouds...the weather was so fine at the Naruto Straits</p>

<p>The Naruto Whirlpool cruise ship stops its engine near the great whirlpools and lets the current take the lead for the entertainment of its passengers</p>

<p>At spring tide, the whirlpool becomes 30 meters in diameter at its biggest, one of the biggest whirlpools in the world</p>

<p>I'd never experienced a tidal current as fierce as this before!</p>

<p>The whole world is divided in two colors, blue sky and blue sea vs. white clouds and white sea splash...how refreshing</p>

<p>The current in the Naruto Strait is the fastest in Japan, and it's sometimes called one of the three fastest currents in the world</p>

<p>There are drops on the water surface and the water falls like a small waterfall. This is a phenomenon that the whirlpool creates</p>

<p>I got off the cruise ship and looked at the Great Naruto Bridge from afar...what a spectacular view!</p>

<p>Fishing ships try hard to go out in the Pacific Ocean against the current, but even at full throttle they don't go forward easily, as the current is so fierce</p>

This was my second visit to the Naruto Great Whirlpools. When I visited the first time, as I didn't have any knowledge about the whirlpools here, I couldn't witness the dynamic whirlpool. But this time...I DID!!

These whirlpools are created by the tide moving and removing the large amount of water in and out to and from the Pacific Ocean and the Seto Inland Sea. This time I learned what the best time to see the biggest whirlpool here is. That's when the speed of the current is at its fastest at spring tide. Naturally, if you'd like to know the exact best time, you'll need to check a tidal level chart, which can be referred to easily at this Web site!

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Find out more about Naruto Whirlpools.

Takako Sakamoto @takako.sakamoto

I was born in and grew up in Tokushima prefecture, and have lived in many places since then: Nishinomiya, Kyoto, Nara, Mie, Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Chiba, Fukuoka and Fukui. I am currently living in Yokohama City. All the places I lived, all the places I visited, I have loved dearly. The histor...