Shohei Morita - Wildlife of Japan

2022.12.05 update

Ezo Sika Deer of the Notsuke Peninsula in Winter

Ezo sika deer with the Shiretoko mountain range in the background

The Notsuke Peninsula in the winter has many charms.
One of them was an encounter with the Ezo sika deer, Cervus nippon yesoensis. In the winter, the heavy snowfall causes the deer to face food shortages. The flat Notsuke Peninsula, which juts out into the Nemuro Strait, is well-ventilated with relatively little snowfall, making it a great feeding ground for the Ezo sika deer. Therefore, in winter, you can encounter hundreds of Ezo sika deer all at once.

The Notsuke Peninsula is also designated as a wildlife sanctuary, so the Ezo sika deer are not weary of people, therefore close range photography is possible.

In addition, you can see the Shiretoko mountain range and Kunashir Island from the Notsuke Peninsula in good weather. If the visibility is good, you can also see the Akan volcanic complex and Mt. Kamui (also Mt. Mashu). The sun rises behind Kunashir in the morning and then sets on the frozen icy side in the evening, making it an attractive location for photography throughout the day.

View of Kunashir Island (the Northern Territories) in the background

This is located only an hour (one-way) from Shiretoko, Rausu, so it is possible to visit on a day trip, perhaps after an early morning drift ice cruise.

Photo & text: Shohei MORITA (Shiretoko Serai)

*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.

Tags: エゾシカ, Wildlife Photography tour in Japan, Wildlife tour in Japan, Shohei Morita Photography, Ezo-shika-deer, Notsuke Peninsula, Hokkaido deer, Sika deer, Widlife in Japan, 知床サライ, Shohei Morita, Shiretoko Serai, Wildlife of Hokkaido, Wildlife in Hokkaido, Wildlife of Japan

2022.11.20 update

Ezo Red Fox in Winter

The Ezo red foxes live all over Hokkaido island. Officially a subspecies of the red fox, Vulpes vulpes schrencki, they inhabit the islands of Hokkaido, Sakhalin and the Southern Kuril Islands.

For those of us who live in Hokkaido, they are a familiar face that we often see in the city. However, people should be careful not to get close to them because they are hosts to a parasite called Echinococcus. Echinococcus (a type of tapeworm) is said to have spread to Hokkaido through fur fox farming in the Aleutian Islands and Kuril Islands. Sadly, the Ezo red fox has become the definitive host of the parasite Echinococcus. There are programs for delivering anthelmintic drugs to the fox population to reduce the infection rate.

A pair of Ezo red foxes during the breeding season (Notsuke Peninsula).

During the summer, Ezo red foxes don’t look very beautiful because their fur sheds unevenly. Unlike the Japanese red foxes of mainland Japan (a subspecies of the red fox, Vulpes vulpes japonica), the Ezo red fox, Vulpes vulpes schrencki, which inhabits Hokkaido, north of the Blakiston’s line, has fluffy winter fur and gives it that beautiful look.

Also, the whiteness of the snow makes their brown fur stand out. Especially from February to March, during their breeding season, they are often seen in pairs. If you are lucky, you may see them chasing each other playfully, or mating in the forest.

Photo & text: Shohei MORITA (Shiretoko Serai)

Tags: Shohei Morita Photography, Red fox, Vulpes vulpes schrencki, Ezo-red fox, Hokkaido red fox, Mating of ezo red fox, Wildlife of Hokkaido, Kita-kitsune, Wildlife of Japan, Kitsune, Wildlife Photography tour in Japan, Teshikaga, Wildlife tour in Japan, Widlife in Japan, Shohei Morita, Eagle photography of Japan, Wildlife in Hokkaido, Hokkaido Fox

2022.11.05 update

Sea Otters of Eastern Hokkaido

The wild sea otters in Japan, can only be found breeding in the eastern part of Hokkaido. The species that live in this northern coast of Japan are the subspecies Enhydra lutris lutris which uses the Commander and Kuril Islands of Russia. They were overharvested in Japan for their fur in Japan and was once thought to be extinct by the early 20th century, but since the 1980’s they were found to be breeding on the coast and near the islands around Nemuro.

Currently, they can sometimes be observed along the coastline of eastern Hokkaido and around the fishing ports year around, regardless of the season. Around June of every year, you might see the adorable sight of the parents carrying their pups on their bellies.

Sea otters have a very thick layer of fur that has a special adaptation to trap air in between their hairs, which allows them to float all day long with no effort. During the day, they repeatedly dive down and then surface to eat seafood on their stomachs while floating. At night, they will wrap kelp around their bodies to keep from being carried away on the currents while they sleep.

These adorable sea otters actually have many problems due to human activities, so coexistence is a constant challenge for them. Since sea otters in eastern Hokkaido eat sea urchins and northern mussels, fishermen have raised various concerns about the damage they cause to the fishing industry.

Current estimates of sea otter populations say a little more than 12 otters live in the area. Fisheries representatives are looking for ways to balance sea otter conservation and fisheries.

Photography & text: Shohei MORITA (Shiretoko Serai)

Tags: Shohei Morita, Wildlife in Hokkaido, Shohei Morita Photography, Enhydra lutris lutris, Wildlife of Hokkaido, Sea otter, Wildlife of Japan, ラッコ, Wildlife Photography tour in Japan, Rakko, Wildlife tour in Japan, Nemuro, Widlife in Japan

2022.08.01 update

Traditional Summer in Shiretoko Rausu: Kelp Harvesting

Our guesthouse in Rausu, Shiretoko Serai’s Nature guide, Shouhei Morita sent us a report from the 2021 Summer Season. It is actually not a wildlife report, but an article about ‘Local Foods’ of Rausu where we can introduce more about the bounties of the sea.

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Unfortunately, this year the Shiretoko summer season experienced a smaller catch of fish then usual.

Since kelp is harvested every 2 years, based on the growth rates from one year, the fishermen predicted that “Sadly, next year’s harvest will not yield very much.”

The harvest is conducted from late July to the end of August. During the kelp harvest, you can see the kelp lined up on the stone beach on the way to the Aidomari fishing port, only 25 minutes away from central Rausu by car. At its peak, the whole town is wrapped in the nice scent of kelp.

Rausu kelp, which is treated as the finest product in Japan, is carefully produced by hand for a majority of the 23 processes, with the whole family pitching in. The white powder on the surface of the kelp is not mold, but is another product. It is a sugar called Mannitol, which is sweet and umami ingredients.

One of the things that makes Rausu kelp special is this white powder on the surface. This year was a not a very good year, and only a small quantity of high quality kelp could be shipped out.

In recent years, kelp has finally been recognized world-wide. Rausu kelp contains plenty of marine minerals from Shiretoko. It is a unique sight of “Rausu’s fishing village,” where we can see the kelp being processed and harvested up close.

Photo & text: Shohei MORITA (Shiretoko Serai)

Tags: Wildlife of Japan, Shohei Morita, Shiretoko Serai, Rausu, Shiretoko peninsula, Ojirowashi, 知床, Wildlife in Japan, 知床サライ, Rausu Kelp, Umami, Wildlife of Hokkaido, Rausu Kombu

2022.04.03 update

Shiretoko Peninsula: Brown Bears and Whales Drifting Ashore

Our guestouse in Rausu, Shiretoko Serai’s nature guide, Shohei Morita wrote a report from the 2021 Summer Season!

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This year I could see many brown bears!

Along the Shiretoko Pass which connects Rausu to Utoro, I could see brown bears many times along the way. Due to the pandemic and its effects, this year the tourists coming to Shiretoko Peninsula was much less than usual, so we had less traffic, compared to before.

Also, I could see many brown bears on the boat cruises that leave from Rausu’s Aidomari fishing port. We used the small boat that is usually used for Kelp farming, and I was able to get this shot of the bear from the boat. From summer to autumn, brown bears are attracted to the small rivers along the coast to catch the salmon run.

Year after year, the number of salmon are decreasing while the number of fishermen continues to increase. This makes the situation difficult and a lot of stress on the bears. But despite that, I saw a momma bear teaching her cub how to catch salmon.

There was an unusual encounter with the carcass of a whale washed ashore, and the brown bears gathered around it. It is said that it has been more than 10 years since a large whale had been washed ashore.

It is a large whale, perhaps either a fin whale or a humpback whale.

This is a mother bear with her two cubs who had been born this year. This year’s bad fishing year made the national news, but locally, for the fisherman and especially for the brown bears, it was a big blow. I just hope that this abnormal situation in the sea will end as soon as possible, and that there can be a return of the “Rich seas of Shiretoko.”
And I hope that these two cubs can survive the winter.

Photo & text: Shohei MORITA (Shiretoko Serai)
Observation: Summer – Autumn 2021, Rausu, Shiretoko, Hokkaido

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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)

Tags: Wildlife tour in Japan, Ezo Higuma, Wildlife in Japan, Brown Bear Photography, 知床サライ, Rausu, Higuma Photography boat, Shohei Morita, Shireoko, Brown Bear Photography Boat, Shiretoko Serai, Shiretoko peninsula, Shireoko Misaki, Wildlife in Hokkaido, Ezo-red fox, Cape Shiretoko, 羅臼, Shiretoko, Shari, ヒグマ, Aidomari, Wildlife of Hokkaido, Brown Bear, Rusha, Wildlife of Japan, Ezo-brown bear, Rusha River, Wildlife Photography tour in Japan, Higuma, 知床

2021.09.11 update

Shiretoko Peninsula – Brown Bears Catching Pink Salmon

In late August, the Shiretoko Peninsula sees the return of the Pink salmon. However, due to a lack of rainfall, the rivers are too shallow for the salmon to swim upstream. As a result, the fish gather along the shore, in the sea, near the mouth of the river.

This is where the Rausu fishermen set up their nets, as do the brown bears, in the same area. This is the time of year when the brown bears are the most hungry and thinnest. The bears will venture into the ocean to catch the pink salmon that cannot enter the river.

This is the scene near “Pekin-no-hana”, on Shiretoko Pennisula with the fishing brown bear. It is like the White-tailed eagle is sitting just behind the bear, as if saying “Hurry up and catch something!” As the bear heads into the ocean…

A bear in the sea water.

The bear dunks its head into the water over and over, while swimming, to look for the Pink salmon underfoot.

It caught a female Pink salmon!

The roe, fish eggs, started overflowing with every bite.

It is probably too tiring to keep swimming while eating, so the bear heads back to the beach. It was there for a while, munching on the salmon with its backside facing us. After finishing off the main parts, the bear heads back into the sea for another round.

The White-tailed eagle quickly moves in to secure the leftover food. Then the crows move in for some leftovers too.

Then, just when we thought this bear would return to fishing, it got distracted and started playing with the net buoys! This must have been a young bear that was still holding on to its playful nature. Our customers who were with us, really enjoyed watching the fun-loving cute bear.

Eventually, it tired of playing and returned to the beach. It was a lovely chance to catch the last moments of summer with the brown bear.

Photography & text : Mariko SAWADA

Special Thanks : Mr.Kokichi TENJIN & Shohei MORITA(SHIRETOKO SERAI（知床サライ)

Tags: Wildlife tour in Japan, Ezo-brown bear, Higuma, White-tailed sea eagle, Brown Bear Photography Hokkaido, Rausu, 知床, Birds Photography of Japan, Shohei Morita, Shireoko, Wildlife of Hokkaido, Shiretoko peninsula, Wildlife of Japan, Ojirowashi, Birds of Hokkaido, Shiretoko, Birds of Japan, Wildlife Photography tour in Japan, Brown Bear