Naruto Whirlpools

Massive tidal whirlpools in the strait between Shikoku and Awaji

The strait between Shikoku and Awaji Island produces some of the largest tidal whirlpools on the planet — vortices that during spring tides can stretch 20 metres in diameter and roar audibly from a kilometre away. They are at their most dramatic for an hour either side of high or low tide; check the day's schedule before you go because outside that window there is little to see.

You can view the whirlpools from above, walking out along the glass-floored Uzu-no-Michi promenade slung beneath the Naruto Bridge, or from below on one of the sightseeing boats that motor up to the edge of the swirl. From central Tokushima it is about 40 minutes by bus to Naruto Park.

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The whirlpools form because the Inland Sea and the Pacific are connected only by the narrow Naruto Strait, so the tides on either side fall out of sync by about 1.5 metres. When the water rushes through to equalise — sometimes at 20 km/h — the resulting vortices can reach 20 metres across, among the largest in the world.