Tatsukushi Bay

Tatsukushi Bay sits along the Ashizuri-Uwakai coast of Kochi, where 17-million-year-old geological strata meet the Kuroshio Current flowing in from the south. That warm current supports over 100 coral species here, including the distinctive leaf-shaped shikorosango, a rarity for temperate waters. The bay also teems with sea slugs and colorful reef fish. The best way to see it all is a glass-bottom boat from Tatsukushi to Minokoshi Beach on Cape Chihiro, where the coral formations come into focus just a meter below the hull. The ride takes about 30 minutes and covers some of the most biologically dense shallow water along the entire Pacific coast of Shikoku.