Barasu Island in September, 2003 (taken form the northern side)

Barasu Island in 1998	Barasu Island in 1999

     A very very small unmanned island located northward from Iriomote, between Uehara Village and Hatoma Island, being formed by only coral chips.  "Barasu" is not an Okinawan word but a common Japanese word, meaning a debris seen at a construction site.  According to Mr. Masao Kasai who is the owner of Mr. Sakana Diving Service, Barasu Island is made of the ashes of people who died during an experiential diving.  Barasu Island is transformed every year by a typhoon and a seasonal wind.  Although it used to be separated into two small islands until 1998, they were united into a single large island by a strong seasonal wind in the autumn to the winter of that year.  Actually, before the two islands were formed, when around 1990, there was only the eastern one (the First Barasu Island), gradually a shoal located westward grew up and became to be the Second Barasu Island, forming a twin island.  Thereafter both of the islands were united and it is enlarging year by year.  Maybe it will become to enlarge enough to live for people sometime. 
     Around Barasu Island, branch-like corals well develops in particular, also transparency is good, it is appropriate for snorkeling.  Diving points concentrate around this island, so diving boats are at anchor here in the lunch time.  How to access here, by a irregular tour boat of Minshuku Mariudo, Duck Tour, a chartered boat of Sanwa Fishing Tackle Shop and so on.    

These are under-water pictures taken by the Web master during snorkeling around Barasu Island on September 28th, 2003.  The view does not differ from that by scuba diving.
Slopes around Barasu Island.  They are wholly covered with the coral chips, which form the island, however ....	In the deeper area, branch-like corals grow thick like this.
A school of blue green damselfish flocking to the branch-like corals.	There are the branch-like corals all around.
The branch-like corals are kinds of stony corals, there being various color types, such as blue, cream-colored, white and so on.
A jungle of the branch-like corals.	A school of staghorn damselfish.