ウンブキ

Unbuki Underwater Cave Entrance - Wanya Cave - Unbuki

Useful Information

Location:	23 Asama, Amagi, Oshima District, Kagoshima 891-7605. 2 minutes by car from Tokunoshima Koho Airport. Parking lot at the road, short wald down a staircase to the cave entrance. (27.827175, 128.883380)
Open:	no restirctions. [2022]
Fee:	free. [2022]
Classification:	Karst Spring
Light:	LED Lighting
Dimension:
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	Unbuki Underwater Cave Entrance, 23 Asama, Amagi, Oshima District, Kagoshima 891-7605. Amagi Town Commerce, Industry and Fisheries Tourism Division, Asama, Amagi Town, Oshima District, Kagoshima Prefecture, Tel: +81-997-85-5382.
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

Description

ウンブキ (Unbuki Underwater Cave Entrance) is a resurgence, a sweet water river cave draining the area of Asama underground to the sea. Due to a collapse of the ceiling, the cave river has become accessible. However, as the cave is full of water it may be entered only by cave divers. But the cave entrance was used as a well for drinking water. But the sea is only 400 m away and heavier salt water flows back into the cave at the floor, while the sweet water flows out on top. As a result the cave river has two levels separated by a halocline. As the cave river is connected to the sea the water level changes due to the influence of ebb and flow.

The cave entrance forms a low and wide portal at the foot of a limestone cliff. If you enter you will see a chamber mostly filled with the cave river. There are trails from the parking lot to the cave river, and the entrance section is equipped with LED light. There is a switch which turns the light on, and it turns off automatically after 5 minutes.