Rausu - Wildlife of Japan｜Saiyu Travel

2022.03.22 update

Blakiston’s fish owl that lives in the forest of Shiretoko

雛に狩りを教えるシマフクロウの母鳥 — A mother Blakiston’s fish owl teaches her chicks to hunt

Our Guesthouse in Rausu, Shiretoko Serai’s nature guide, Kaito Imahori, sent us a report from the 2021 season!

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In 2021, I was able to see one chick and a parent bird next to each other at the Rausu’s Fish Owl Observatory for the first time in several years.

Only about 160 owls live in Japan, and it is difficult to find Blakiston’s fish owls in the wild. In Rausu, there is an accommodation called “Washi no Yado” (Fish Owl Observatory) where you can observe the fish owls visit the river through the night, and where bird watchers also gather and can see them every night.

The pair of Blakiston’s fish owls that came here, have failed to breed for many years. From the fall of 2019, a different female started coming around. No one knew where this new female came from, like where she was born or raised and she was much more fearful of people and now they come to the river more rarely.

シマフクロウのペア（上オス、下メス） — The Blakiston’s Fish Owl pair (Top one is the male, lower one is the female)

In June of this year, when we were observing the male, the female suddenly appeared on a dead tree stump with the male, and they stayed for 30 minutes fishing at the river, and then left. After this day, the female started to appear more at the river, and from August, the long-awaited chicks appeared with the parents. The chicks were taught how to feed on the fish swimming in the river by the mother owls.

シマフクロウのヒナ — A Blakiston’s Fish Owl chick

雛に魚を運ぶシマフクロウのオス — The male Blakiston’s fish owl carrying fish to its chicks

The number of chicks found in this year’s survey was at a record high of 37 chicks. I hope that many more owlets can be born and live in the forests of Shiretoko.

Photo & text: Kaito Imahori (Shiretoko Serai)
Observation: Summer 2021, Rausu, Shireoko Hokkaido

*Contact us, Saiyu Travel for more information about wildlife and bird watching in Hokkaido. We can make various arrangements for your trip. We have a guesthouse, Shiretoko Serai, in Rausu, Shiretoko Peninsula.

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2022.03.12 update

Rausu : Where the Killer Whales Gather

The 2021 Report from the Summer Season is here! Written by Shiretoko Serai (Our guesthouse in Rausu)’s Nature Guide, Kaito Imahori.

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There were more than 100 Killer Whales that visited Rausu. The Nemuro Strait, located between Rausu and Kunashiri Island, has had multiple families of whales visit every year starting from around May, to the end of July. The latest research suggests that the Nemuro Strait, may perhaps be a meeting place for the different groups so they can look for future partners.

This is a resident pod that is fishing together, which have downward pointing white patches around their eyes.

In the beginning of June 2021, I was able to observe a significant and amazing sight! We found a family pod of three mothers with a newborn child, near Rausu Port. While running side by side with this group in the sightseeing boat, I saw many unusual behaviors, such as a mother swimming upside down to feed her baby breast milk, just near the boat.

I also encountered another great scene this year. It was in mid-June, when I could see a gathering of 4 family groups at once, perhaps they were in the process of mating, but the males were swimming upside down with their penis out, courting the females from the other pod.

Even though I could not capture it in a photo, there was also another event worth noting that happened in late July. There were 2 white killer whales, a male and a female who appeared at the same time, which became major news. There are only a few places in the world where you can observe whales so closely, but it is because so many whales gather in Rausu, that you might see such unique and rare scenes like these.

Photo & text: Kaito Imahori　(Shiretoko Serai)
Observation: Jun 2021, Rausu, Shiretoko, Hokkaido

Tags: Killer whale, Wildlife of Japan, Orca, Wildlife Photography tour in Japan, Killer whale watching tour, Wildlife tour in Japan, Killer whale in Nemuro strait, Shachi, Rausu, シャチ, Shiretoko peninsula, 知床サライ, Shiretoko, Shireoko Serai, 知床, Kaito IMAHORI, Widlife in Japan, Killer whale photography tour, Kaito Imahori Photography, Wildlife of Hokkaido

2022.03.02 update

Winter Photography Tour of Red-Crowned Cranes, Tsurui Village -Part 2

This is the second part of the winter tour report by bird photographer Gaku Tozuka, during the Tsurui Village Tour to capture Red-crowned Cranes, Jan 10 – 13, 2022.

Winter Photography Tour of Red-Crowned Cranes, Tsurui Village -Part 1

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In the middle of the night, while at the lodging, I heard a large sound, which was like “Zuzaa…” from outside several times, and I thought it was sound of the strong winds blowing. But when I looked out in the morning, I figured out it was instead, the sound of the snow falling off the roof. I cancelled the early morning photo outing because it was very windy and some occasional snow. After our breakfast, I was planning to go out shooting, but the sleet had turned into rain, so I decided to wait until noon. In the meantime, while waiting with everyone, I conducted a course on how to get good shots, for about an hour.

Ural owl

After lunch, the snow and rain had stopped, and so I took the group to see the place where the Ural Owl had been seen. At first, I had to check the trail and location ahead of the group. After I had confirmed the location of the Owl, I went back to get the group and lead them into the woods. We still had some time after that, so we headed to see the Red-crowned Cranes and get photos of them. As soon as we arrived, we spotted the cranes, amongst the fresh snowfall and captured some beautiful scenes. Gradually, the sky grew dark and we were forced to call it quits at 4PM. We were lucky, because in Tsurui Village, the snow had been relatively mild, as I heard reports later, that there were other places that suffered considerable damage due to the heavy snowfall.

And then, it is the last day of the Photography Tour.
Departure was scheduled at 6am. The stars were twinkling in the night sky. There were some clouds to the east, but the weather looked stable enough to go out. However, it was a warm minus 3°C (26°F) and so we would not be able to get photos of the “rime ice” or the fine powdery ice frost we had seen before. Just the fact that it was not snowing or raining was a blessing.

When we arrived at the Otowa Bridge, it was still dim, but there were no other tourists there! It is unbelievable compared to the time when there were so many inbound customers before the Covid-19 Pandemic. It was too warm for the rime ice, but as the sky brightened up, the mallards started moving around and flew away. Back in the Setsuri River, we could see the whooper swans swimming in the beautiful river.

Red-crowned crane

The sun was rising, the temperature fell, and even though the tips of my fingers were hurting from the cold, everyone was focused on their photography. At 8am, the car came to pick us up and we had breakfast. When we went for getting photos of the Red-Crowned Cranes, yesterday’s fresh fallen snow was shining so brightly making it a dazzling scene. I was aiming for their flight and calling, but they were only doing their display towards the back of the flock…so it was difficult to get a good photo!

I was deeply appreciative of Mr. Wada, the owner of HOTEL TAITO, and all the staff who took care of us for the 4 days.

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The Birds Photographed: Red-crowned Crane, Ural Owl, Whooper Swan, Eurasian Nuthatch

Birds Observed: Steller’s Sea Eagle, White-tailed Sea Eagle, Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Japanese Wagtail, Great Tit, Bulbul, Long-billed Plover, Crested Kingfisher, Carrion Crow, Jungle Crow

Mammals Observed： Sika deer

Photography & Text: Gaku TOZUKA (Bird photographer)
Visit: 2022, 10-13 JAN, Tsurui Village, Hokkaido

Profile：Gaku Tozuka （戸塚学）

Born in Aichi Prefecture in 1966 and currently resides there. Became interested in photography when he was a junior in high school. He has been taking photographs mainly of natural scenery and wildlife, which he has loved since he was a child. Currently, rather than taking “pretty, cute, and cool” photos, he focuses on taking photos of scenes that have a human touch and environmental scenes that show the relationship with human life. Ultimately, he aims for “photographs that have a smell. His work has been published in photo collections and exhibitions, and used in magazines, illustrated books, and calendars. His photographic collections include “Raicho Korokoro” and others.

*Please contact us, Saiyu Travel for arrangements for wildlife and bird photography tours in Japan.

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2021.12.01 update

Rausu’s Drift Ice Cruise and the Drift Ice in the Port of Rausu・The Steller’s Sea Eagle and White-tailed Eagle

This is a winter report from the Shiretoko Peninsula, Rausu (Hokkaido).

This year the drift ice season in Rausu was very short. The morning we arrived in Rausu, the staff at the lodging, Shiretoko Serai informed us right away, “Until last night, the conditions for the drift ice were very good, but the westerly wind is blowing, so its possible the drift ice might be gone by night time.”
Due to the strong winds, the dawn cruise was cancelled, but luckily we could get a 9am cruise where we could see the Port of Rausu full of drift ice.

This is how it looks in the Fishing Port of Rausu with the accumulated Drift Ice. There are Steller’s Sea Eagles and White-tailed Eagles feeding in the photo. If one takes the photo zoomed in, without the port in the background, you can get surprisingly great photos that make the eagles look like they are in a very natural spot.

Sea Eagles on drift ice Rausu（Rausu’s Drift Ice Cruise 羅臼の流氷クルーズ）｜西遊旅行 Saiyu Travel

Image & Text: Mariko SAWADA
Observation: Feb 2021, Rausu, Hokkaido

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2021.11.21 update

Winter in Eastern Hokkaido, Rausu. Drift Ice Cruise and the Steller’s Sea Eagle

The Drift Ice Cruise of Rausu, Hokkaido. This year the drift ice arrived in Rausu around mid-February. This is a photo from a Drift Ice Cruise on March 5. From the day before, it was windy, and the drift ice moved towards the cape on the Shiretoko Peninsula.

We had chartered our boat for the Saiyu Travel’s “Photography Tour of Eastern Hokkaido in Winter” and we headed to sea in our Boat “Ohwashi.” The captain told us, “The drift ice has moved quite a bit, but let’s go check it out. If we travel for about an hour, we will be able to see it probably.”

Just before daybreak, we could see Kunashiri Island (Northern Territory, an island effectively under Russia) we could see a Steller’s Sea Eagle on the ice.

It’s Daybreak.

Sunrise with Kunashiri Island, the ice, and Sea eagles. The morning in Rausu is so breathtaking.

The surface of the sea had shards of ice floating and reflecting the sun like pieces of glass.

The mountains of Shiretoko as a backdrop to the Steller’s Sea Eagle.

The Sea eagle flying to the sea.

The sea eagle locked on to a fish.

The Sea eagles hitch a ride on the floating drift ice off the coast of Rausu.

Once a Sea eagle catches a fish that is thrown from the boat, it flies away. Then another bird will appear to fill the vacant spot.

The remaining bits of drift ice offer a precious place for rest, and they are competing for space on it.

The Steller’s sea eagles eating their fish on the drift ice.

Our boat ran to the Cape Shiretoko and we could finally see the massive drift ice collected there! Steller’s sea eagles were also sitting there as well!

From here on, there is nothing but drift ice. It looks like maybe it continues all the way to Kunashiri Island.

A Stellter’s sea eagle on the drift ice. Then, we heard from the captain, that the wind and waves were getting stronger, so we will turn back here.

The sea of Rausu in the early morning. It was a spectacular time with the Steller’s sea eagles and gulls doing their dance on the drift ice.

Photo & Text: Mariko SAWADA
Observation: March 2017, Rausu, Shiretoko Peninsula, Hokkaido
Special Thanks: Captain of the Ohwashi, Mr. KAWABATA and the crew

Tags: Rausu, Bird tour Japan, Wildlife of Japan, Rausu drift ice cruise, Bird Watching Japan, Birds of Hokkaido, Eagle photography of Japan, Widlife in Japan, Birds of Japan, Birds Photography of Japan, 知床サライ, Wildlife Photography tour in Japan, Rausu sunrise drift ice cruise, Shiretoko Serai, Wildlife tour in Japan, Shiretoko peninsula, Wildlife in Hokkaido, Oowashi, 羅臼, Ojirowashi, White-tailed eagle, Shiretoko, White-tailed sea eagle, 知床, Steller's sea eagle, Birding tour Japan, Wildlife of Hokkaido

2021.11.11 update

Winter On The Notsuke Peninsula, The Freezing Rain and Ezo Sika Deer

In February, the Notsuke Peninsula had an ice storm. When air temperatures drop below freezing and the ice rain, water droplets are super-cooled and ice can form on impact with the surface like trees. This ice from the freezing rain will cover and harden any exposed surfaces to make a clear ice called glaze ice. On the sunny days, when the sunlight reflects off the glaze ice, it can be so beautiful.

Glaze ice on the branches of the trees.

It is like being in an art gallery.

The branches covered in glaze ice.

An Ezo sika deer in the early morning ice.

The winter sika deer are looking so soft with their hair puffed out. Especially their fluffy white butt is so cute.

A herd of Sika deer on the Notsuke Peninsula covered with the freezing rain.

After dusk, the herd of male sika deer appeared in the field of snow and ice. It was a beautiful sunset, and I stayed there to watch until it got dark.

Photo & Text: Mariko SAWADA
Observation: Feb 2016 , Notsuke Peninsula, Hokkaido

Tags: Wildlife Photography tour in Japan, Sika deer, Wildlife tour in Japan, Notsuke, 雨氷, Hokkaido Sika Deer, 知床, Ezo Sika Deer, Wildlife in Japan, Notsuke Peninsula, Wildlife in, 野付半島, Rausu, Shiretoko peninsula, Wildlife of Hokkaido, Shiretoko, Wildlife of Japan, glaze ice

2021.11.01 update

Steller’s Sea Eagle On The Drift Ice（Rausu, Shiretoko Peninsula）

This is a Steller’s Sea Eagle that we observed during a Drift Ice Cruise from Rausu, Shiretoko Peninsula. It is such a handsome looking bird of prey, with white wings, a white tail, and a large yellow beak and yellow legs.

When open, the wingspan measures 220 to 250cm (7.2 – 8.2 feet), and the weight can be heavy from 5 to 9 kg (11-20 lbs), and the females are usually a bit larger than the males.

They breed on the coasts of the Sea of Okhotsk and the coast of Kamchatka Peninsula, and in the winter a small part of that population will come to the southern part of the Kuril Islands and Hokkaido. There are about 3,200 pairs in the world, and about 2,000 individuals are thought to migrate to Hokkaido for the winter.

The name “Steller’s Sea Eagle” came from the German naturalist Georg Wilhelm Steller.

Steller was of German but he joined the Russian expedition of Vitus Bering who set out to explore the Kamchatka Peninsula and the Aleutian Islands. In 1741, after Bering died of illness on Bering Island, now part of the Commander Islands, the remaining crew and Steller were able to escape and returned home to tell the world of the newly discovered sea animals, such as the Steller’s sea cow and the seabirds living in the area.

Then, as an unfortunate result of being “discovered,” the Steller’s sea cow was overfished and gone extinct within only 27 years of its discovery. Spectacled cormorants were also extinct by 1852.

The reconstructed skeleton of the Steller’s sea cow on display in a private gallery on Bearing Island, Commander Islands.

Returning to the Steller’s sea eagles, they spend the winter in Hokkaido and move back north in the first week of March. It is thought that these Sea eagles did not originally migrate long distances, but came floating on the drift ice to Hokkaido and the Kuril Islands. Then they would return to their breeding grounds for the courtship season. They will lay 1-3 eggs between April to May.

The Steller’s sea eagles against the backdrop of the town of Rausu. Soon, they will be heading back North.

Photo & Text: Mariko SAWADA
Observation: February 2018, Rausu, Shiretoko Peninsula, Hokkaido

Tags: Rausu, Bird tour Japan, Wildlife of Japan, Rausu drift ice cruise, Bird Watching Japan, Birds of Hokkaido, Eagle photography of Japan, Wildlife in Japan, Birds of Japan, Birds Photography of Japan, 知床サライ, Wildlife Photography tour in Japan, Rausu sunrise drift ice cruise, Shiretoko Serai, Wildlife tour in Japan, Shireoko, Wildlife in Hokkaido, Shiretoko peninsula, 羅臼, Oowashi, White-tailed eagle, Ojirowashi, White-tailed sea eagle, 知床, Steller's sea eagle, Birding tour Japan, Wildlife of Hokkaido

2021.10.21 update

Spectacular View! Rausu Drift Ice Cruise at Dawn (Rausu, Shiretoko Peninsula)

This is a report from our February 28th Rausu Drift Ice Cruise. We were told to be at the harbor at 4:45 in the morning, so we went straight from the “Washi no Yado”, where we were observing the Blakiston’s Owl up until 4:30am. Without a cloud in the sky, the stars were shining so brightly, in the crisp wintery air of Shiretoko. We headed to the harbor, filled with expectations thinking “Today might be a beautiful day.”

As we departed, I took this shot looking back at the town of Rausu with the backdrop of mountains on the Shiretoko Peninsula.

The Kunashir Island blanketed with red. The captain announced, “Today the drift ice is very close.” Sure enough, we could soon make out the dark shadowy outline of the drift ice.

The drift ice in the foreground, with Kunashiri Island behind. It is beautifully silhouetted in the morning light. The captain let us know “The sun will come out soon.” Everyone was waiting on the deck.

Daybreak.

The Steller’s sea eagles on the drift ice with the morning sun.

The Steller’s sea eagles and White-tailed eagles started to gather around our boat (and the crows too!) Besides that, it was a really beautiful day today!

There are endless shutter clicks on the deck of the ship. Many foreigner bird photographers are on board for the tour and it is not limited to just Japanese people. The early morning daybreak cruise is quite a “hard challenge” because we had just stayed up all night, for observing the Blakiston’s Fish Owls, but this scenery is a wonderful reward for our efforts.

Photo & Text: Mariko SAWADA
Observation: February 2018, Rausu, Siretoko Peninsula, Hokkaido

2021.10.01 update

Beyond Cape Shiretoko: Mother and cub brown bears of Shiretoko Peninsula

On a nice calm day, with no wind or waves, we cruised from Aidomari around Cape Shiretoko in search of brown bears just before Rusha river in Shari town.

Now we are starting to see Cape Shiretoko! While on the cruise, depending on the location, the weather and conditions can change suddenly with wind and waves. On this day, Shiretoko was “stable”, but there was some waves along the way, since we were on an extended cruise.

This is the Shiretoko Misaki lighthouse. After passing that point, we entered the Sea of Okhotsk where usually there is a significant difference in the sea conditions between the Rausu and Shari sides, which are separated by the Shiretoko mountain range. However, it was a calm and sunny day on both sides.

The Cape Shiretoko has a plateau at 30-40m high, but the vegetation there was cut in the pioneering days, has never returned. There is also a factor that the Ezo-sika deer population has increased too much and is ruining the vegetation. The area from the central part to the northern part of Shiretoko Peninsula became a national park in 1964 and was later designated as World Heritage Site in 2005. Currently power boats are not allowed on land, but you can observe the landscape and wildlife from boats along the coast.

Same as on the Rausu side, there are abandoned fishing houses “banya” along the coast on the Shari side as well. The terrain on the Shari side makes it much more challenging for humans to reach.

Found them…the Brown bear mother and her cub.

The cute scene of a baby bear trying to keep up with the mother bear.

This little cub is just as curious about us. Since we perhaps were catching their attention too much, so we moved away from the coast and made our way towards the mountains.

Another pair of bears. This mother had walking with her a very young cub.

The mother bear makes her way up the slope while eating grass. And two little cubs trying to keep up.

Looks like they are a bit worried about the boat, and I apologized to them for interrupting them.

Photo & text: Mariko SAWADA
Observation: Aug 2020, Shiretoko Peninsula
Special Thanks : Mr.Koichi TENJIN, Mr.Shohei MORITA (Shiretoko Serai知床サライ)

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2021.09.21 update

Pink Salmon Swimming Upstream : Autumn on the Shiretoko Peninsula

Pink Salmon, called “Kurafuto masu” in Japanese, return to the rivers on the Shiretoko Peninsula. These salmon came from the rivers and migrated out into the Northern seas for about two years; then return to their natal rivers to spawn.

These salmon just in front of me are on the verge of death. The Pink Salmon embody the very raw ‘act of living’ in their tattered appearance. We, who eat these salmon, must have gratitude in our hearts.

Salmon Run- Pink Salmon Going Upstream in the Fall in Shiretoko Peninsula

Compared to other salmon species, the Pink Salmon do not have a strong “Homing Instinct” and will swim upstream of any freshwater rivers nearby. In the year this video was filmed (2016), the peninsula had experienced 3 typhoons in mid-August. This had caused the salmon net that had been set along the coast to come loose, and it enabled a large number of salmon to make it upstream.

Pink Salmon that were caught in the net.

This is the mass of Pink salmon gathered at the bottom of a waterfall. Their dorsal fins are sticking out from the surface of the water.

A Pink salmon trying to swim up the waterfall.

A Brown bear that has caught a salmon. This is the time of year that the brown bears are the thinnest and can be seen desperately chasing the Pink salmon.

Image & text: Mariko SAWADA
(Photos/video are from a trip in Aug 2016 & Sep 2017)
Location: Rausu, Shiretoko Peninsula, Hokkaido

Special Thanks : Shiretoko Diving Kikaku 知床ダイビング企画

Tags: Shiretoko peninsula, Pink Salmon Swimming Upstream, Shiretoko, 知床, Wildlife in Japan, Wildlife of Hokkaido, Brown Bear, 知床サライ, Wildlife of Japan, Higuma, Shiretoko Serai, Wildlife Photography tour in Japan, Brown Bear Photography Hokkaido, Wildlife in Hokkaido, Wildlife tour in Japan, Pink Salmon, KARAFUTOMASU, KARAFUTO-MASU, Rausu, Salmon Run Hokkaido, Shireoko, Ezo Higuma