Ballast Island (Japan)

A mass bleaching of the reef's corals from July to September 1998 led to the merging of the two islets, accelerated by the impact of several typhoons in 1998 and 1999.

Ballast Island reached a maximum land area of around 10,000–20,000 square metres (2.5–4.9 acres) in late 1999, before steadily declining over the following years.

While uninhabited, the island is visited on snorkeling tours departing from Iriomote, allowing access to the surrounding coral reefs.

[8] Local accounts describe islands existing at its present location since at least the 1960s, although subject to considerable changes in shape and terrain due to typhoons and the yearly monsoons.

[1] Ballast Island was initially divided into two smaller islets in an east–west arrangement, with a combined land area ranging from 470–2,700 square metres (5,100–29,100 sq ft).

The land area above water rose sharply by early 1999 as two smaller islets coalesced to form Ballast Island.