Beat the odds and swim with the dolphins around a tiny island south of Tokyo

Folks in the Tokyo area who want to swim with wild dolphins don’t have to travel far or spend a fortune to realize their dreams.

All you have to do is get to Mikura, one of the Izu islands, which is 124 miles and an eight-hour ferry ride south of the city.

The ferry leaves at around 10:30 p.m. from Tokyo’s Takeshiba Port and gets to the island by 6 a.m.; however, Mikura is a notoriously difficult place to dock a ship. There are no reefs or a beach around Mikura, meaning nothing protects the skinny, pointy pier from the waves.

When the sea gets rough, or a strong northern wind blows, the waves often wash over the pier, and ships are unable to dock. In 2018, only 59% percent of arriving ships, on average, were able to dock at Mikura. If that happens to you, don’t worry, they refund the ferry fare and you can try again.

Read more at: https://www.stripes.com/1.585897