The recent trip to Japan taken by our colleague Àlex, one of his many visits to the Land of the Rising Sun, he brought back some impressive photographs of the Naruto whirlpools, where Japan’s Inland Sea meets the Pacific Ocean.
This curious natural phenomenon is common and regular in the Naruto Strait. Why does this happen? What causes the whirlpools?
The Naruto whirlpools, on the island of Shikoku, are caused by tidal differences in sea level between the Inland Sea and Pacific, combined with the strait’s underwater topography. Every six hours, at high or low tide, spectacular spirals form on the sea’s surface.
But it is during the spring and autumn that the the sea’s swirling currents reaches its peak: sea levels can differ by two metres, and tidal movement can produce whirlpools twenty metres across. Speeds reach 20 km/h, accompanied by a constant roar.
How to see Japan’s Naruto whirlpools
Two options offer the best views of these impressive whirlpools: visit Onaruto Bridge and walk its lower level, or follow nearby paths to a high viewpoint.
The second option is a boat trip. On an outing of about thirty minutes, boats approach within a few metres of the whirlpools, offering an enthralling close-up view.