The Mangrove Park is located about 30 minutes from Amami City’s Naze area, the main hub of Amami Oshima.

Near the estuary where the Yakugachi River and the Sumiyō River of Sumiyō town meet, the second largest mangrove primeval forest in Japan stretches out far and wide.

At the ‘Black Current Forest Mangrove Park’ that is adjoined to the mangrove primeval forest, you can enjoy a canoe tour through the mangroves.

The canoe tour lasts approximately an hour.

From start to finish a tour guide accompanies you, so first-timers can also feel safe and enjoy themselves.

Before getting into the canoe, you first practice the basic rowing method with the tour guide.  Then, once you climb into the canoe you depart for the mangroves!

You slowly drift along while listening to an explanation of the vegetation and wildlife of the mangroves.

The canoes used for the tour are wide and have excellent stability.  As long as you don’t stand up in the canoe or tilt your body too far sideways, then the canoe will not turn over, so please do not worry.

From time to time you should let your arms rest from rowing; let the wind and the flow of the river carry you.  When you listen carefully, you may be able to hear the birds chirping softly.

A mangrove is a plant community that grows in areas such as estuaries where the tide submerges the plants, then exposes them to the outside air when the tide recedes.

Therefore, the mangrove scenery drastically changes depending on the height of the tide.

Actually, one can only go through the mangrove tunnel with a canoe when the tide is high.  For those who wish to canoe through the mangrove tunnel, please plan in advance for this.

However, we recommend going at low tide to those who wish to observe the mangrove wildlife.  In the tidal flats, you can observe the various wildlife that inhabits the mangroves, such as the fiddler crab or the soldier crabs, among others.

Inside the park there is a theater, a rest area, and a restaurant, so you can rest after enjoying the canoe tour.

You can also enjoy playing ground golf if you have a bit of free time.

In addition, there is an observatory where you can overlook the mangroves.  We recommend the observatory for those who would prefer to try something other than the canoe tour.

By participating in the canoe tour, you can easily and comfortably experience the rich nature of Amami Oshima.

There are many other things to enjoy in the area around the Mangrove primeval forest, such as rental canoes that allow you to explore the mangroves freely, a guided sightseeing boat tour, as well as an esplanade.  Why don’t you try experiencing various things to discover your favorite way to enjoy the mangroves?

＊Translated by Rosemary White

＊Original article is 「奄美大島の大自然を肌で実感！黒潮の森マングローブパークのカヌー探検」