Swimming with Wild Dolphins in a “Tokyo” Island!? [Mikurajima, Japan]

Swimming with Wild Dolphins in a “Tokyo” Island!? [Mikurajima, Japan]

Hello! I’m here at the Tokyo Takeshiba Terminal. Today, I’m embarking on a journey from Tokyo to Mikura Island aboard the large passenger ship, Salvia Maru. The trip to Mikura Island takes about 8 hours. Mikura Island is home to many wild dolphins, and dolphin swimming is possible from March to November. However, accommodations on Mikura Island are very limited, and there are only a few boats available for dolphin swimming, making it a very popular but hard-to-book experience. Even if you manage to secure a reservation, there’s only a 60% chance that the ship will be able to dock at Mikura Island’s port. Due to wind direction and high waves, there’s a 40% chance you won’t be able to land, and you’ll have to return to Tokyo just like that. Oh my gosh, it’s truly a challenging island to reach! I was able to make reservations twice last year, but both times were canceled due to typhoons. This is my third attempt! This is the cabin where I’ll be staying on the way to the island. It’s just like a capsule hotel! I’ll give you a more detailed tour later. For now, let’s head out to the deck and enjoy the night view! Open sesami! A plane landing at Haneda Airport passes overhead. It’s so dynamic! It’s time for the room tour! This cabin is a Second Class Special room, and the fare is 15,780 yen. There is a small light in the room. There’s no lock, but closing the curtain creates a private space. If you need to secure your valuables, there are lockers available. Insert a 100-yen coin to lock it, and when you open it, the coin will be returned. Make sure to have a 100-yen coin ready. And very clean pillows and blankets are provided. It’s fantastic. The ship’s lights go out at 11:30 PM. It’s very quiet. Everyone is either looking at their phones or reading books, but no one is talking.” I guess it’s time for me to sleep… It feels like a capsule hotel, so fun!! I can’t fall asleep!! The entire ship is non-smoking, except for designated smoking rooms. Also, please set your mobile phones to silent mode while in the cabins. Hmm, what should I put here… maybe my phone? You can use this hook to hang your jacket or something. Alright, good night… oh, wait. Maybe I should position my head on the opposite side of the curtain. Because my snoring and sleep-talking are pretty loud, haha. I hope we can dock tomorrow morning. Good night!” Good morning! Mikura Island is coming into view. The ship has successfully docked! What a relief. It’s still too early to check into the reserved accommodation, but they kindly let me leave my luggage there. We’re quickly putting on our wetsuits and getting on the boat for the dolphin swim. I hope we get to see some dolphins!! Here we go! Mikura Island is nearly circular in shape and features Mount Oyama at its center, which rises to an elevation of 851 meters. I can see several waterfalls. How beautiful. Alright, let’s get into the water! I wonder if we’ll see any dolphins? Unfortunately, there are no dolphins here. We’ll move the boat and look for them. There are dolphins! And they’re so close!! Wow, so cute! Hello, dolphins!! 😍 Everyone is overjoyed. The dolphins seem to be in a good mood today, and they’re very friendly towards us. We did it!Awesome! The place we’re staying tonight is called Mikura-sou. It’s very popular, and reservations are hard to get. To secure accommodation on Mikura Island,
you have to win a lottery. Dinner Menu:
Mister Mah’s Special Ashitaba Salad
Marinated Zucchini and Tomatoes from Mikura Island. Sashimi of Bonito and Yellow-and-Blueback Fusilier caught off Mikura Island. Sea Bream Aqua Pazza-style, caught off Mikura Island.
Gratin of Potatoes and Chinese Yams from Mikura Island
and more. It’s a fusion meal using fish and vegetables caught and harvested on Mikura Island.” It’s so healthy, and it looks absolutely delicious! You can choose between white rice or multigrain rice. Having a meal while watching the sunset over the ocean is the best. I, the one filming this video, am already very hungry, so I’m going to start eating. It’s the second day of dolphin swimming on Mikura Island. The winds are gentle, the waves calm, and we’ve been blessed with perfect weather. Once again, we’ve encountered a pod of dolphins. They’re friendly and gliding through the water at a leisurely pace. When a baby is born, the entire pod works together to care for it, nurturing the next generation of these magnificent creatures. It’s a baby dolphin swimming with an adult dolphin. So cute! We identify and name the dolphins by the unique scars on their bodies, each one telling its own story. Oh no, the relaxing vibe and their gentle calls are making me so sleepy, even though I’m underwater! This magical, dream-like experience is sadly coming to an end. Their gentle calls and graceful movements have brought us a deep sense of peace. Thank you, dolphins! After our dolphin swim, we treated ourselves to some delicious gelato. Next, we took a peaceful stroll through the beautiful nature of Mikura Island, soaking in the tranquility. Since we’ll be taking the afternoon boat back to Tokyo, we’re now heading to Mikura Port, enjoying the scenic views along the way.” The waves are calm today, so it looks like the ship will be able to dock smoothly. We’re lucky to catch a glimpse of a rainbow, even though it’s a bit faint. And now, the ship is departing from Mikura Port. It feels a little bittersweet—
I already miss the dolphins and hope to see them again.” It’s lunchtime! I ordered a bento from the only general store on Mikura Island. Can you believe there’s only one shop on the whole island? You have to place an order in advance or you won’t get one. Today’s bento is a seaweed bento with tonkatsu and tamagoyaki. It was delicious, but maybe not quite enough for me. Still, it was a lovely meal. Thank you! Now let me introduce my cabin on the return journey aboard the Salvia Maru. This time, I’m staying in a Second Class Japanese-style room, and the fare is 9,150 yen. We’re scheduled to arrive in Tokyo at 7:40 PM. You can rent a clean blanket for just 100 yen each. The spacious room is divided into sections for 10 people, and your spot is assigned when you make your reservation. There’s a built-in safe for valuables, which can be used by inserting a 100-yen coin. Once you unlock it, the coin is returned. There are still seven hours until we arrive in Tokyo, so I took a short nap. Feeling hungry, I headed to the onboard restaurant. Let’s grab a meal ticket from the vending machine. Here’s to a fun and memorable trip, cheers! Since I love ramen, I decided to have some. It was delicious! Do you like ramen too? The sunset is absolutely breathtaking,
it’s hard not to be moved by its beauty. We’ll be arriving in Tokyo soon. How did you enjoy this trip? I hope you had fun! Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments. Well then, I’ll see you on our next adventure! Until next time!

Large Passenger Ship: Salvia Maru
[Outbound] Tokyo to Mikura Island
[Fare] Special Second Class Room: 13,730 yen

[Return] Mikura Island to Tokyo
[Fare] Second Class Japanese-style Room: 9,150 yen

Ever heard of Mikurajima? It’s a tiny, remote island that’s technically *part of Tokyo*, but feels like a completely different world. 🌿🐬

In this travel vlog, we take an 8-hour ferry from the bustling city of Tokyo to reach the hidden paradise of Mikurajima, Japan — a place where you can swim with wild dolphins in crystal-clear waters. No aquariums. No tricks. Just real, magical encounters with nature.

Along the way, we explore the untouched beauty of the island, meet locals, and experience life in one of the most unique “Tokyo” destinations you’ve never heard of.

📍 Location: Mikurajima, Tokyo, Japan
🚢 Access: Overnight ferry from Takeshiba Pier (approx. 8 hours)
🐬 Best season for dolphin encounters: May to October

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#Mikurajima #TokyoIsland #WildDolphins #JapanTravel #HiddenJapan #Vlog