Whirlpools
Under the bridge.
wongwt — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Suicasmo — CC BY-SA 4.0 · wongwt — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Suicasmo — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Munvar Miya Shaik — CC BY 3.0
The Naruto whirlpools are tidal whirlpools in the Naruto Strait, the channel between the city of Naruto in Tokushima Prefecture and Awaji Island in Hyōgo, and the viewing walkway on the bridge is about 8 km in a straight line north-east of central Naruto. The strait is about 1.3 km wide and is one of the links between the Pacific Ocean and the Seto Inland Sea. The tide moves huge amounts of water into and out of the Inland Sea twice a day, creating a difference in water level of up to 1.5 m between the Inland Sea and the Pacific. Because the strait is so narrow, the water rushes through at 13 to 15 km/h four times a day, and at spring tide it may reach 20 km/h, forming whirlpools up to 20 m across; it is the fastest current in Japan. Turquoise-green water spins in churning white vortices beneath the Ōnaruto suspension bridge, and tour boats pass between the whirlpools. From the Uzu-no-Michi walkway beneath the bridge deck, the whirlpools can be seen from above through glass panels in the floor, high above the water. The best time to watch is near peak tide, so check the whirlpool timetable before you go. The whirlpools are largest on spring-tide days, especially in spring and autumn.
Under the bridge.
Glass floor.
Among the currents.
Naruto Strait, Naruto, Tokushima, Japan
Near peak tide; check the timetable.
On spring-tide days.