The Kerama Islands, located 30 to 40 km west of Okinawa Island, are surrounded by waters of a magnificent color called Kerama Blue. The islands are extremely popular with scuba divers, snorkelers, and beach lovers. They also are a good base for whale watching in the winter months. They were registered as a Ramsar site in 2005 and as Japan’s 31stNational Park in 2014.