Kinkowan Bay: Underwater Wonders
Tidal flats, seaweed forests, and coral reefs are among the rare natural wonders found beneath the waters of Kinkowan Bay. The warm waters of the Kuroshio Current flowing into the inland sea foster diverse environments concentrated within the confines of the bay. These habitats, in turn, are home to a variety of creatures, from dolphins to Satsuma tube worms (Lamellibrachia).
The active volcano Sakurajima is the symbol of the bay, but it is not the only volcano here. An underwater volcano located toward the northern bank of the bay periodically causes a phenomenon known locally as tagiri (“boiling”), where volcanic gas bubbles to the surface.