One of the highlights of visiting Ogasawara (also known as Bonin Islands) in the winter months is seeing the humpback whales. During the summer, the whales have spent their days feeding on the fish near the Kamchatka Peninsula to as far as the Aleutian Islands. Then they return to Ogasawara Islands for breeding.
You can see the mother and calf whales, leisurely floating along in the water, while the males are swimming frantically in their “Heat Run,” and maybe even a baby whale breaching!
There are shallow, sandy areas on the north side of the South Island, where it is easy to see the whales because there are also some diving sites. You might even have a chance to encounter the whales while diving if you are lucky.
Humpback whale of Bonin Islands
Video & Text: Mariko SAWADA
Observation: Jan-Feb 2021, Chichijima, Ogasawara Archipelago, Bonin Islands
