Mangrove estuary

At Cape Ichi we turned westward into a deep bay against a fierce headwind. After a moment of hesitation, we forged on toward its head where two rivers join the sea, forming what is probably Amami’s main tourist attraction: a mangrove swamp.

Kayak tours of this aquatic labyrinth are particularly popular, as we found out when we surprised a group of floating tourists at the end of a long and sinuous channel through the dense jungle. Their guide was standing chest deep in the muddy water explaining at length details of the swamp’s intricate ecosystem. We had fun exploring here and there; in the end we were glad we had made the 15km detour.