Kanrin Maru off Tobi-Shima, Naruto, Japan

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A km narrow passage joins the Pacific Ocean with the Inland Sea between Naruto on Shikoku Island and Awaji Island. The waters rush through between low and high tides at speeds up to 15-20 km/hour. When conditions are right a large whirlpool forms in the middle of the passage. The current in the strait is the 4th fastest in the world and it is a popular tourist destination. A replica of the Kanrin Maru Japanese gunship in the Naruto tidal currents off the lighthouse on Tobi-Shima Island. The original ship was Japan's first sail and screw-driven steam corvette, built in the Netherlands 1853-1857 to give the Japanese knowledge of Western warship technology and was used to establish the Naval School at Nagasaki. Fast tidal currents are formed off Naruto as the waters from the Inland Sea flow towards the Pacific Ocean and vice versa.

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Size: 5000px × 3333px
Location: Off Tobi-Shima Island, Naruto, Shikoku Island, Japan
Photo credit: © Terry Allen / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No

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