Explore Okinawa Ocean: SUP Yoga

[Explore Okinawa Ocean] Mangrove grows wildly around Miyara river in Ishigaki Island. Madoka Tokita, who is the president of Ashtanga yoga, tells us what she loves about doing stand up paddle boarding and SUP yoga in rich nature of Ishigaki Island. [Locations] -Miyara Bay, Miyara River mangrove forest Mangrove forests grow in brackish-water swamps in tropical and subtropical zones. In Okinawa, there are lots of Hirugi (Rhizophoraceae), so they’re often called Hirugi forests. Clusters of mangrove can be found in several areas in Ishigaki Island. In the southern part of Ishigaki Island, a Hirugi forest extends across the river mouth of Miyara River (Ishigaki Island’s largest river), which flows into Miyara Bay. From the river mouth, a deep green forest extends for 1.5 kilometers upstream on both sides of the river. In 1972, the forest was designated as a National Treasure. The unique sight of Yaeyama Hirugi (Rhizophara mucronata ) and Ohirugi (Black mangrove) extending their aerial roots and brace ro