diver's guide guma

If you want to go whale swimming in Okinawa, you must do it with Diver’s Guide Guma. My experience with them was fantastic. First, their philosophy is centered on protecting the whales and minimizing any impact on them, which for me was a big factor when choosing an operator. Second, they only allow a group of up to eight people plus two guides on the boat. This not only helps reduce potential stress on the whales but also makes the experience much better for everyone on board. Third, the customer service is excellent. They pick you up and drop you off at your hotel, offer snacks, and all the equipment is already included in the price, which was a nice surprise. Lastly, while no one can promise with 100% certainty that you will find whales, they truly do their absolute best. In our case, we had our first encounter about an hour into the tour. They could easily have returned to the pier afterward, as some companies do, but they kept trying until 2 p.m., which I really appreciated. So if you are lucky, you might even have more than one encounter (no promises though — it’s Mother Nature!). The vibe on the boat was also great — relaxed, friendly, and very respectful of the whales.

Mar 2026

Diver's Guide Guma is a great time! They're truly passionate about the sea and what she has to offer. We booked a humpback whale swim tour with them cause loved their focus on small groups and following the rules in respect to the marine life. Their own specialized quiet boat for the whale swim was awesome with appropriate amenities. They provide instructions in both English and Japanese, accommodating both types of tourists. We had an incredible time spending the day finding humpback whales and swimming with them. The adrenaline of the shared experience was felt by all--including the crew. We all had such good luck as mother nature kept delivering with breaching whales, courting behavior in full display, we kept going back into the ocean for more. The photos and videos they send after the trip are straight up art. Highly recommend such a respectful company!

Feb 2026

Not happy with the whale swimming experience. We tried to swim with one in the morning but they quit immediatly, without seeing anything (still dont know why they decided not to try with a whale family we saw earlier!), and we did not see more whales during the whole day. They request me to pay in advance when I asked for dates and to confirm the booking, but japanese can pay locally in cash as I have seen today. Discrimitation?!

Feb 2026