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Amakusa Dolphin Watching Cruise Route

  • Dolphins swimming alongside Marisol

    Increasing number of schools are including dolphin watching in their school trips. It is a great opportunity to get to know the local natural environment and culture.

  • Children are excited to meet the dolphins.

    Dolphins sometimes come so close that you could almost touch them.

  • You may see baby dolphins.

    Spring to Summer is breeding season for dolphins, a great opportunity to see baby dolphins swimming with their mothers!

  • A dolphin approaching one of our ships, ‘Olivia’.

    The dolphins in Amakusa are very friendly. Sometimes they come swimming toward the ships.

  • Dolphins jumping!

    With luck, you may see the dolphins jump.

  • Dolphin watching with Kumamon

    Let’s go see dolphins on our very popular “Kumamon” ship!

  • Dolphins swimming between the ships.

    Dolphins and men are both part of nature. Amakusa is one of the rare areas in the world where dolphins and men coexist.

  • Islands of Amakusa Matsushima.

    Amakusa Gokyo Cruise takes you around the scenic ocean route in the Unzen-Amakusa National Park in approximately 30 minutes.

  • Coasting under Bridge No.2 (Ooyano Bridge)

    All the five bridges of Amakusa Gokyo have different shapes and structures. The road that includes the bridges is called the Amakusa Pearl Line.

  • Cruising between the islands and under the bridges.

    There are about 60 islands of various sizes around the Five Bridges of Amakusa. The cruise takes you between and around these islands.

  • Serena cruising under Bridge No.4 (Maejima Bridge).

    Blue sea, clear sky, and green islands. Cruising around the islands and the bridges. A sure recipe for refreshing and relaxing time.

  • Olivia and Bridge No. 5 (Matsushima Bridge)

    Bridge No. 5 is a pipe-arch bridge with attractive red piers. It is spectacular to travel underneath it.

  • Dolphin watching

  • Amakusa Gokyo cruise

  • Sweets Cruise Elumira

  • Dolphins swimming alongside Marisol

    Increasing number of schools are including dolphin watching in their school trips. It is a great opportunity to get to know the local natural environment and culture.

  • Children are excited to meet the dolphins.

    Dolphins sometimes come so close that you could almost touch them.

  • You may see baby dolphins.

    Spring to Summer is breeding season for dolphins, a great opportunity to see baby dolphins swimming with their mothers!

  • A dolphin approaching one of our ships, ‘Olivia’.

    The dolphins in Amakusa are very friendly. Sometimes they come swimming toward the ships.

  • Dolphins jumping!

    With luck, you may see the dolphins jump.

  • Dolphin watching with Kumamon

    Let’s go see dolphins on our very popular “Kumamon” ship!

  • Dolphins swimming between the ships.

    Dolphins and men are both part of nature. Amakusa is one of the rare areas in the world where dolphins and men coexist.

  • Islands of Amakusa Matsushima.

    Amakusa Gokyo Cruise takes you around the scenic ocean route in the Unzen-Amakusa National Park in approximately 30 minutes.

  • Coasting under Bridge No.2 (Ooyano Bridge)

    All the five bridges of Amakusa Gokyo have different shapes and structures. The road that includes the bridges is called the Amakusa Pearl Line.

  • Cruising between the islands and under the bridges.

    There are about 60 islands of various sizes around the Five Bridges of Amakusa. The cruise takes you between and around these islands.

  • Serena cruising under Bridge No.4 (Maejima Bridge).

    Blue sea, clear sky, and green islands. Cruising around the islands and the bridges. A sure recipe for refreshing and relaxing time.

  • Olivia and Bridge No. 5 (Matsushima Bridge)

    Bridge No. 5 is a pipe-arch bridge with attractive red piers. It is spectacular to travel underneath it.

  • Dolphin watching

  • Amakusa Gokyo cruise

  • Sweets Cruise Elumira

Routes (Round-Trip)

From

Maejima Port
Ports of Call

To

Maejima Port

Fare [JPY]

1,500 - 4,500

Distance and Course Time

13.5km - 63.6km
/ 30M - 2H00M
The Amakusa Dolphin Watching Line is a regularly operated cruise operating out of Maejima (Matsushima) Port (Kamiamakusa city, Kumamoto Prefecture). Two routes are available: A 2-hour dolphin watching tour in the Ariake Sea, and a 30-minute tour of the Amakusa Matsushima archipelago and the famous Five Bridges of Amakusa.

＜features＞
6 cruise ships with different passenger capacities (90, 75, 70, 57, 25, or 12 passengers) are available. All cruisers have been fully renovated under the supervision of designer Eiji Mitooka, well known for his design of luxurious sleeper trains including ‘Seven Stars in Kyushu’ and Tourist Limited Express ‘A-Train’.
On the dolphin watching cruise, passengers will have a chance to observe approximately 200 dolphins which inhabit the Ariake Sea, renowned for the scenic islands within the Unzen-Amakusa National Park. Dolphins can be seen throughout the year, with a high encounter rate of 98%.
The “Five Bridges of Amakusa” Cruise not only tours around the area but also passes under the famous five bridges which connect mainland Kyushu and the Amakusa archipelago. The bridges recently celebrated their 50th anniversary since their opening.

＜Tourist Attraction Nearby＞
Maejima (Matsushima) Port
-‘Amakusa Shiro Museum’ = approx.10 minutes by car from Maejima (Matsushima) Port / The museum displays a rich collection of materials related to Shiro Amakusa, the leader of Shimabara - Amakusa Rebellion and the underground Christian communities.
-’Senganzan (Sengan Mountain)’ = approx. 5 minutes by car from Maejima (Matsushima) Port / The observatory provides a panoramic view of the Matsushima archipelago, Five Bridges and Fugen-dake (Fugen peak) of Mount Unzen, and is certified as a ‘Place of Scenic Beauty’ by the Agency for Cultural Affairs. It is also known as the mountain where Shiro Amakusa held a banquet before Shimabara - Amakusa Rebellion.
-‘Area around Maejima (Matsushima) Port’ = Popular tourist area with hotels, shopping malls, entertainment centers, underwater aquariums, etc.

＜Access to Pier＞
Maejima (Matsushima) Port
(By train & ferry) Take the JR Kyushu Misumi Line to ‘Misumi Station’. Walk 2 minutes to Misumi Port regular ferry departures area. From there, take the ‘Amakusa Takarajima Line’ for approx. 17 minutes.
https://goo.gl/maps/TiGzens8m9A2
(By car) approx. 1 hour and 10 minutes from Kyushu Expressway ‘Matsubase IC’ via National Highway Route 266 (42.2km).
https://goo.gl/maps/41GeDe7oqFL2

(By car) approx. 1.5 hours from Kumamoto City via National Highway Route 57 and Route 266 (54.5km)
https://goo.gl/maps/Zj2YA5reJKC2

(By bus) Take the Kyushu Sanko Bus ‘Amakusa Express’ departing from Kumamoto Bus Terminal (Bay 6) to “Maejima Bus Stop”. Walk 3 minutes to the port.
https://goo.gl/maps/567bDz5niWK2

[Operator]
SeaCruise Co., Ltd. 
Items of Interest Coastal Scenic Cruises Route Type Pleasure Cruises
Reservation Yes Credit Card Yes
Contact Information SeaCruise Co., Ltd.
TEL: 0969-56-2458 ( English available )
8:30 AM – 5:30 PM
Details

Ports of Call

  1. Maejima Port
  2. Maejima Port

Click the port of call and it will appear on the map

Tourist Attractions Nearby

Kamiamakusa