Kerama’s diverse island fauna and flora
Humpback whales travel thousands of kilometers across the ocean, from Alaska to the Aleutian Islands and the Bering Sea before arriving in the Kerama Islands. From January to April, the whales come to the gentle seas of Kerama to breed and raise their young, and once spring comes, they head off once again on their long journey to the north. Also, green turtles and hawksbill turtles live around many of the beaches in Kerama. On land, you can observe other wildlife as well, such as the Kerama sika deer, a National Natural Monument; the red-billed Ryukyu ruddy kingfisher; and the grey-faced buzzard, a bird of prey that comes to the islands in autumn.