Ochiishi and Cape Kiritappu in Winter

Since drift ice does not come to the Pacific coast starting from Cape Nosappu, seabirds from the ice-shrouded Sea of Okhotsk and the Aleutian Islands migrate to this area in winter.

Also, since the land has little snowfall and the grassland is exposed, birds of prey that target rodents can be seen here.

Ochiishi Cruise and the Surrounding Waters

From late January to early March, Ochiishi offers cruises to observe seabirds, especially the families of Alcidae which migrate for the winter. To take part in observation, visitors must join the Ochiishi Cruise operated by the fishing association. The cruise takes about 2.5 hours on a local fishing boat and involves observing birds in the surrounding waters. Since this is a fishing boat, the cruise can be quite bumpy and subject to waves depending on the weather, so please make preparations to deal with seasickness, assure your belongings are adequately waterproofed, and bring warm clothes.
Ducks and seagulls can also be seen in fishing ports, so check the fishing ports of Habomai and Hanasaki on the Nemuro Peninsula, as well as Odaitou and Shibetsu in the east of Hokkaido—this will allow you to increase the number of species you can observe. Seabirds and marine mammals that can be seen are introduced below.

Common Murre
Pigeon Guillemot(Aleutian type)
Left:Pigeon Guillemot(Kuril type)、Right:Spectacled Guillemot
Spectacled Guillemot
Crested Auklet
White-winged Scoter
Black Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Harlequin Duck
Red-breasted Merganser
Steller’s Sea Eagle
White-tailed Sea Eagle
Harbor Seal
Sea Otter

Cape Kiritappu and the North Pacific Seaside Line

Sea otters can be seen year-round at Cape Kiritappu, as can many seabirds. If you are lucky, you may even see Harbor seals. This area is accessible by car and can be used as an alternative to the Ochiishi cruise in case the cruise is cancelled due to bad weather or lack of passengers. There are also several grasslands along the North Pacific Seaside Line from Cape Kiritappu to Ochiishi that are good for raptor viewing in winter.

The following is a list of birds that can be seen in grasslands. The seabirds at Cape Kiritappu are similar to those seen on the Ochiishi cruise mentioned above, so please refer to that section for details.

Common Kestrel
Hen Harrier
Rough-legged Buzzard
Short-eared Owl
Asian Rosy Finch

 

Photo & Text : Hiromichi HAYASHI

Observation : Ochiishi & Kiritappu, Nemuro, Hokkaido

*Contact  us, Saiyu Travel for more information about wildlife and bird watching in Hokkaido. We can make various arrangements for your trip. We operate a guesthouse, Shiretoko Serai, in Rausu, Shiretoko and Teuri Island. both are perfect location for wildlife lover.

*Youtube : Wildlife of Japan

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