It’s as beautiful and as romantic as the name suggests. Iruka Jima, or Dolphin Island, just off the coast of Toba Bay and part of the Ise Shima National Park is one of eight great tourist destination islands administered by Toba City.
Ride the 39 meter Flower Mermaid ferry, richly decorated inside, and painted with flowers and rainbows on the outside, or there’s the 36 meter long Steam Ship, the Iseji, or the rather fancy looking 34 meter Ryugu-Jo ferry boat, decorated in the images of the Japanese fairy-tale character, Urashima Taro, who saved a turtle from harm, and in turn was taken to the Kingdom Below the Sea, (Ryugu-Jo) where he was treated with much kindness. On returning to his own land, he found many hundreds of years had passed. Thankfully a trip on ferryboats will take you only 20 minutes on the pleasant ride from the docks at Toba Marine Terminal to Dolphin Island. The ferry boat will take you past some stunningly beautiful, lush, tree covered islands. The tree lines stop at small rocky cliffs that plunge down to the water. Every now and then, the cliff faces end and welcoming sandy beaches can be found.
Once on the attractive island, visitors can swim, snorkel or fish in the inviting clear waters, depending on the season. The island is small enough to walk around and is easily navigated with a Mini Orienteering guide map. You can ride the single seat chairlift about 150 meters to the top of the main hill, where a lookout tower provides you with a spectacular view of the surrounding bay. If the conditions are right, you can even see Mt. Fuji in the distance! The view from the tower is of calm sparkling waters, dotted with strings of small, round, tree covered islands, some forming chains almost like rows of green pearls floating in a green blue brine. The only things to mar this wonderful view are the power lines stretching across the waters, and the rather gaudily painted buildings dotting the landscape.
The island’s Dolphin Lake features the island’s namesake dolphin show. The dolphins do all the usual tricks of catching hoops on their nose, leaping from the water to punch a suspended ball, and the obligatory jumps, flips and tail stands. There are three chances each day for patrons who put their names on the list early to pet and play with the dolphins at the Flipper Pool Dolphin Meeting Place, and not too far away, an enjoyable, comical sea lion show too at the Kamome Arena. Small restaurants offer a variety of menus, the most popular being locally caught fresh seafoods, fish, lobsters shellfish, prawns and kelp.
A trip to Dolphin Island in the beautiful Toba Bay, it’s a romantic and as fun as it sounds!
