Snorkeling with a Giant Salamander

Happy Friday!

This is Adventure Fix, the weekly email that’s like a digital museum of wild and incredible experiences curated by professional adventure junkies.

Today we’re heading to Japan to snorkel with a Giant Salamander.

Snorkeling with Giant Salamanders

As a kid, I loved to explore the creek near my house. Hours would slip by as I collected rocks and tadpoles. There was some kind of pull to discover something really unusual.

A trip to rural Japan to get a glimpse at these “River Dragons’ would definitely bring back that sense of childhood wonder that has often disappeared from our lives.

Don your wetsuit, wade into a shallow river, and duck your head underwater. At the first scan, you might see nothing but small fishes and flattened river rocks piled together.

As you keep searching, you realize that the flattened rock is actually the huge head of a giant salamander. It’s the second largest amphibian in the world, topped only by the slightly longer Chinese giant salamander.

While they are usually lethargic creatures, when a fish comes close, they are capable of lightening fast lunges.

If you’re into the weird and wonderful, this adventure might be for you.

Explore More

• The Complete Japanese Giant Salamander Guide (article)

• Snorkeling with Giant Salamanders in Japan (video)

How To Snorkel With Giant Salamanders in Japan

The giant salamanders can be tricky to spot. Local experts look for signs and patterns that will lead them to these reptiles.

The best way to see them is to go on an organized tour with specialists like Big Fish Expeditions.

A great way to extend this trip and explore more of Japan is to combine it with diving in Mikomoto and exploring the Yonaguni Monument.

We hope your travels take you in this direction very soon.

Until then - keep exploring!

- Amanda