Okinawa Japan is a mere 90 minutes flight from Shanghai. In fact, it took longer on the bus to get to the Dive Centre in the middle of the island than the flight. I chose to dive with Piranha Divers in Onnan. initially because the website had a statement about not supporting a local practice of keeping whale sharks in nets and underfed so that the hordes of tourists who don't dive could see what are magnificent creatures when encountered in the big blue. Jan, Pierre & Nils were great company, highly professional and deeply in love with Japan... and diving.
Lying on the bottom at 45 m, the wreck of the USS Emmons is a story in and of itself. Hit by 5 kamikaze the day before the WWII peace treaty was signed, our dive group is snapped in front of one of the now heavily barnacled propellors. It is respected as a grave site as 17 sailors died trapped below deck, so no penetration of the wreck.
It was a great way to spend Easter 2019. Hope to pop back and dive it all again sometime.