Wildlife of Japan - Wildlife of Japan｜Saiyu Travel

2022.10.20 update

The Snow Fairy: Hokkaido’s Long-tailed Tit

Hokkaido’s Long-tailed tit (A. c. japonicus)

The Long-tailed tit in Hokkaido is Aegithalos caudatus japonicus, a sub-species of the Long-tailed tits found on Honshu. Unlike the tits of the mainland, the Hokkaido tits do not have thick black eyebrows, so their faces are all white.

Youtube : Long-tailed tit

With a white face like a snowball, a small beak, round eyes, and yellow eyelids, the Hokkaido long-tailed tits are called “snow fairies” because they are so cute in their appearance. It became quite popular when it was featured in Japanese animation (anime) and comics (manga), and a variety of souvenir goods. They can be observed all year around in Hokkaido, but in the cold winter months, they will puff out their feathers to stay warm. Many wild bird photographers are aiming to capture them in that cute, round shape.

From mid-February to early March, once the bitter cold starts to loosen its grip, the parts of the trees that are damaged will start to drip out sap, which freezes into sweet icicles. Small birds, such as the Long-tailed tits, can be seen hovering around the trees, licking the sap as a precious source of sugars in their bodies.

Photograhy & text : Kaito IMAHORI (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 our guesthouse Shiretoko Serai in Rausu on the Shiretoko Peninsula.

Please see other article from Kaito IMAHORI about Wildlife of Hokkaido

Rausu : Where the Killer Whales Gather

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

Experiencing Autumn From the Notsuke Peninsula to Tokachi Plain: Seeing Flocks of Snow Geese, Brandt, and Pika (Part 1)

Experiencing Autumn From the Notsuke Peninsula to Tokachi Plain: Seeing Flocks of Snow Geese, Brandt, and Pika (Part 2)

Tags: Lake sunset, Bird Watching Japan, Wildlife in Japan, Wildlife of Hokkaido, Long-tailed tit, Kaito IMAHORI, Wildlife of Japan, Shimaenaga, Wildlife in Hokkaido, Birds of Hokkaido, Enaga, 根室, Birds of Japan, Bird watching in Japan, Kaito Imahori Photography, Wildlife Photography tour in Japan, Nemuro, Aegithalos caudatus japonicus, Wildlife tour in Japan, Lake Furen, Birds Photography of Japan, Lake sunset in Furen Lake, Birding tour Japan, Furen Lake, Bird tour Japan

2022.10.05 update

Winter in Hokkaido：The Season of Love for the Ural Owl

Hokkaido’s Ural Owl(*Strix uralensis japonica)*

In Hokkaido you can find 10 out of the 11 species of owls that live in Japan, making it an owl sanctuary of sorts. There are two species that are especially sought after by birders, the Ural Owls and the Blakiston’s Fish Owls.

The Blakiston’s Fish Owl lives in only a limited number of places in the northeastern part of the Eurasian continent, and due to that, many birders come from around the world for a chance to see them in the wild.
The Ural Owls are more widely distributed in northern Eurasia – from Scandinavia to East Asia. Although it is a common pet species, the subspecies that lives in Hokkaido, Strix uralensis japonica, is particularly lovely in appearance, with whiter feathers compared to their cousins elsewhere. For this reason, they are often pursued by bird watchers in Japan and beyond.

Ｈokkaido’s Ural owl (Strix uralensis japonica)

From January to March, the courtship activities of the Ural Owl can be observed. Especially in February, when the mating is at its peak, you will often see the pairs cuddling. They will often preen each other’s wings and feathers, sticking close together. This is often referred to as a symbol of happiness.

A pair of Hokkaido’s Ural Owl(Strix uralensis japonica)

Photography & text : Kaito IMAHORI (Shiretoko Serai)

Please see other article from Kaito IMAHORI about Wildlife of Hokkaido

Rausu : Where the Killer Whales Gather

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

Experiencing Autumn From the Notsuke Peninsula to Tokachi Plain: Seeing Flocks of Snow Geese, Brandt, and Pika (Part 1)

Experiencing Autumn From the Notsuke Peninsula to Tokachi Plain: Seeing Flocks of Snow Geese, Brandt, and Pika (Part 2)

Tags: Strix uralensis japonica, Ezo Akanezumi, Birding tour Japan, Ezo Ural owl, Bird tour Japan, Wildlife of Hokkaido, Bird Watching Japan, Wildlife of Japan, Birds of Hokkaido, Wildlife in Japan, Birds of Japan, Kaito IMAHORI, Wildlife Photography tour in Japan, Wildlife in Hokkaido, Wildlife tour in Japan, エゾフクロウ, Tsurui village, Ural Owl, Hokkaido’s Ural Owl, Kaito Imahori Photography, large Japanese field mouse, Wildlife tour of Japan

2022.09.20 update

Steller’s Sea Eagles and the White-tailed Eagles Living in the Drift Ice in the Sea

White-tailed eagle, at fishing port in Rausu

This year (2022), many Steller’s sea eagles and white-tailed eagles have come to Shiretoko and Rausu to pass the winter. This year, about 300 Steller’s sea eagles and about 120 white-tailed eagles, made a total of 420 birds that were observed at one time.

Rausu has long been used by many eagles during the winter months. A big reason for that is the fishing industry. In winter, cod fishing reaches its peak in the Nemuro Strait between Rausu and Kunashir Island. Until 30-40 years ago, Rausu accounted for nearly half of all Hokkaido catches, with 110,000 tons of fish being caught in 1989, the catch was the highest. At that time, the ships were overflowing with fish, and the eagles were busy eating them. Today the harvest has decreased to about 10,000 tons a year, so the fish no longer overflow from the boats. Now, the tourist boats serve the role that the fishing vessels once did, giving them the fish to eat to help the Eagles survive the winter.

Steller’s Sea Eagles and White-tailed Eagles gathered around the tourist boats.

Photography & text : Kaito IMAHORI (Shiretoko Serai)

Please see other article from Kaito IMAHORI about Wildlife of Hokkaido

Rausu : Where the Killer Whales Gather

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

Experiencing Autumn From the Notsuke Peninsula to Tokachi Plain: Seeing Flocks of Snow Geese, Brandt, and Pika (Part 1)

Experiencing Autumn From the Notsuke Peninsula to Tokachi Plain: Seeing Flocks of Snow Geese, Brandt, and Pika (Part 2)

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

2022.08.14 update

East Hokkaido Wildlife Photography Tour in Early Summer (Part 1)

This is a June field report on the tour conducted by Gaku Tozuka, a photographer, when we toured Eastern Hokkaido during the early summer.

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

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

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June 12 (Sunday)　Cloudy with Heavy Rain
We started with taking photos around Lake Furen, early in the morning. Typically, on good weather days, we would start the morning around 4:30 to 5am, but on this day, it was dark and cloudy so we gathered in front of the lodging to begin shooting.

A pair of Red-crowned Cranes were in the marsh.

The yellow flowers of the Thermopsis montana in the foreground help to frame the pair off in the distance.

I was loading the bags in the car after breakfast when I saw a bright red male Long-tailed Rosefinch just on the opposite side of the road. Everyone started clicking away.

We head to the Ochiishi port, and on the way there were a pair of White-tailed Eagles perched on a large tree. We approached quietly and slowly and showing no signs of wanting to fly away, we could get photos of them from the bridge.

I was honestly a little worried about the rough seas and being able to get out for the cruise in Ochiishi, but we were able to leave safely.

The Rhinoceros auklet was the first thing we saw, appearing now and then. But the real challenge is taking photos with the waves rocking the boat…it was really swaying. Such difficult conditions to get a good photo!

So I happened to look up just as a bird was flying over us…(It was stubby and plump, but flew higher than a puffin…!) So I blurted out “Tufted Puffin!” and luckily or unluckily by the time everyone looked up, the bird had flown so close, but all they could see was the tail as it flew away. These recent years have seen a decrease in the number of sightings, so we were just lucky to see it at all!

*Side note: In Japan, these species are so rare to be seen but they do breed on Yururi Island and Moyururi Islands.

After that, our guide spotted a young Horned Puffin which we photographed. The other tour participants seemed to have trouble getting a good photo of it that was in focus. But this bird is rarely seen in Japan and on top of that, it was in its summer plumage, which is even more rare!

There was some information going around that many Red-faced Cormorants were around this year, so we went to the rocky outcrops. It is very challenging to photograph from the rocking ship, but the tour members did a pretty good job.

We then made our way to the rocky area where we could observe the Sea Otters, and the first ones we saw were a baby with its parent. Soon after that we encountered a raft of sea otters, maybe 10 or so who were wrapped in kelp. It was like we transported to California! For me, this was the first time to see such a scene and I was super excited! In Hokkaido the sea otters only breed in the Nemuro area (Cape Kiritappu and the Moyururi Islands) so again, we were so lucky to see this many at once.

The otters wrapping themselves in the kelp beds. Sea otters found in Hokkaido are subspecies, Enhydra lutris lutris. It had at one time disappeared from the wild in Japan, but it was confirmed to be breeding since 1980.

There were some Spectacled Guillemots in the area so now and then we could grab some photos of them as well. Just before entering the harbor to alight, the Arctic Skua also made an appearance. I could not get a good photo of them, but typically they live offshore, so again, we had a fortunate chance to get to see some so close to the port.

June 13 (Monday) Rainy and Remained Cloudy after the rain
We headed to the Nosuke Peninsula in the early morning. There, the deer had already finished off the grass in the most easily accessible areas for photography. This is usually the place that the birds go for collecting nesting materials, but due to the overgrazing, the bird’s numbers are decreasing, and we could not see them. We moved on to some spots where we could see some flowers blooming, but it was quite cold there, so the birds were not feeding near the flower blooms. This is because when the temperatures are cold, the bugs stay close to the ground.

The Ezo deer in their summer coats.

However, the Common Cuckoo was flying around in the area. We could see some other small bird species that were nesting in the area as well.

This day’s lodging in Rausu was the Shiretoko Serai, an inn run by our Saiyu Travel Agency. The dinner was so elaborate and presented to nicely, that I could not believe I was in Rausu. Then at night, we were off to see the Blakiston’s fish owls…if only we could have stayed to relax and enjoy the meal a little longer! lol

This year, the pair of fish owls had 2 chicks, so the parents were at the feeding spot often to catch food for them. They came at 7:50pm, then again at 8:50, but we did not see them again after that. We finished our evening birding activities as planned around 11PM. (If the Owls had not made any appearance, we would have stayed until midnight, just in case.)

Photography & Text : Gaku TOZUKA (Bird photographer)
Visit: 2022, 11-16 JUN, Eastern Hokkaido

Please see other article related “Birds Photography in East Hokkaido”

Bird Photography : Steller’s Sea Eagle and White-tailed Eagle (Rausu, Hokkaido)

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

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

Icy Lake Furen: Steller’s Sea Eagle and White-Tailed Eagle (Lake Furen, Hokkaido)

Long-tailed Tit : Winter Photography Tour (Nemuro, Hokkaido）

Tags: GAKU TOZUKA, Wildlife of Hokkaido, 知床, Wildlife of Japan, Birding tour Japan, Birds of Hokkaido, Bird Watching Japan, Birds of Japan, Wildlife Photography tour in Japan, Wildlife in Japan, Wildlife tour in Japan, Blakiston’s Fish Owl, Rausu, Blakiston’s Fish Owl observatory, Washi no yado, Shiretoko

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)

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

2022.07.16 update

The Sea of Izu Oshima: The Underwater Geopark （２）

Diving in Izu Oshima. The special here is that you can see Hammerhead sharks by the beach dives.

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This is the entry point of the lava coast, a trail made from the lava flow that is a maze-like diving path. This is where you can see where the namesake “Underwater Geopark” comes from.

I was diving in the path formed by the lava flow. This was right at daybreak, the sea is still quite dark.

As soon as we were in the water, we could see the hammerhead sharks. They appeared, one after the other, in a group of 5 and then up to 30 individuals. At about 15m (50ft) depth, we could feel the current of the tide coming on but I was clinging to a rock to keep observing the sharks. Even beginners, could have a good chance to see the sharks here so it is a really great spot!

Hammerheads were coming straight towards us. And boy were they close!

Every morning, immediately after the sunrise is the best chance to encounter these hammerhead sharks. They are seen in the area from mid-June to mid-October, and we went diving 3 times, and saw them each time.

Perhaps they are aiming for the first meal of the day at some first class feeding spot, rising from the depths along with the rising sun?

This was a little cake decoration to commemorate the 100th dive of one of our tour members. It was an image of the “Keikai’s Hammerheads” handmade for them by the Saiyu staff.

Image & text : Mariko SAWADA

Observation : Sep 2021, Keikai Beach, Izu-oshima, Tokyo, JAPAN

Tags: Scuba diving tour in Japan, Wildlife in Japan, Scuba diving in, ハンマーヘッドシャーク, Scuba diving in Izu Oshima, Piano Fangblenny, Dragon Moray Eel, Wildlife of Japan, 伊豆大島ダイビング, diving in izu oshima, Dive in Japan, Izuoshima, Wildlife tour of Japan, Izu Oshima, Diving tour of Japan, Keikai Beach, Hammerhead shark, ケイカイ

2022.07.05 update

Sea of Izu Oshima・The Undersea Geopark（１）

This is my report of diving in Izu Oshima. You can get there by jet foil boat in only 2 hours and is so surprising that it is this close to Metropolitan Tokyo.

It is a paradise for various sea creatures, which is great for photographers. The first thing we wanted to see was the Hammerhead Shark in the early morning hours, but I could also observe other things at the diving spots “Ou no hama 王の浜 (Kings Beach)” and “Aki no hama 秋の浜(Autumn Beach)”.

This is a type of seaweed called ”KEYARI” in local language, Sporochnus radiciformis that we saw from “King’s Beach 王の浜”. It is a popular subject for photo enthusiasts because of its beautiful peacock-like feathers, if you can manage to creatively get the right angle with some technique. It is widely distributed in the Japan sea, but it is said that the areas where the Kuroshio current passes through are more colorful.

Then this Piano Fangblenny who shares the area with the S. radiciformis. These little fish are found on the Pacific side of Japan and are only about 10 cm (4 inches) long. I saw in the same place, two times, but it never showed its entire body. This pose, poking it’s face out and with the S. radiciformis in the background was irresistibly cute.

At “Ou no hama 王の浜” (King’s Beach), we also saw the Banded Boar head, a fish that stands out and grows to about 50 cm (20 inches). These were quite accustomed to divers.

Like Long barbeled grunter, it has fine whiskers on its lower jaw, which are said to be skin protrusions.

Just as I was leaving the King’s Beach 王の浜, I stopped at this structure “Rock of Moss Fringehead.” This super cute and tiny collection of Moss Fringehead captured many divers attention and we were all trying to get a good photo while being swayed by the waves and current.

It was “Aki no hama 秋の浜 (Autumn Beach)” where I could observe the most variety creatures (it is also popular with other divers because of the easy access point).
This is a Whip coral goby attached to the whip coral.

And diving to a deeper level, this Harlequin ghost pipefish could be seen. It’s hard to see because it’s camouflaged to look like the coral!

The male Harlequin ghost pipefish mimics the coral almost exactly. They are a member of the Solenostomidae family, and was previously thought to be an intraspecific mutation, but in 1994, they were named as a separate species.

This is a pair of Harlequin ghost pipefish. The female is pregnant, carrying the eggs in her belly.

The babies of the Palette surgeonfish.

Ortmann’s spider-crab.

Then, according to our guide Mr. Furuyama, the first thing that foreign divers request to see is this Dragon Moray Eel.

The Japanese name of this fish is “TORA-UTSUBO”, translated as Tiger moray eel. To me, it doesn’t look like a “tiger”, (the pattern seems more like a leopard), and the name “Dragon” seems accurate. But perhaps the most accurate description could be the “Qilin” which appears in Chinese mythology?

Photo & text: Mariko SAWADA
Observation: Sep 2021, Izu-oshima, Tokyo, JAPAN

Tags: 伊豆大島ダイビング, Wildlife tour of Japan, 王の浜, Scuba diving in japan, Diving tour of Japan, 秋の浜, Scuba diving tour in Japan, Hammerhead shark, keyari, Scuba diving in Izu Oshima, Piano Fangblenny, Harlequin ghost pipefish, Banded Boar head, Wildlife in Japan, Moss Fringehead, Whip coral goby, Dive in Izu Oshima, Palette surgeonfish, Diving Izu Oshima, Dragon Moray Eel, Wildlife of Japan, Ounohama, 伊豆大島, Dive in Japan, Akinohama

2022.06.22 update

Scuba Diving Amami Oshima

This is a report of a diving trip in Amami Oshima in May. The main focus of this trip was for observing the white-spotted pufferfish, Torquigener albomaculosus. Ten of the 15 dives were to witness the process of circle-making pufferfish, and the remaining 5 dives were planned for seeing the other spectacular creatures of Amami.

This is the season for broadclub cuttlefish spawning. Originally, I was planning to observe the broadclub cuttlefish but this year their numbers was so small that we could not see group spawning that typically happens. Behind the Porites cylindrica are some broadclub cuttlefish eggs. You can see the baby inside, it’s still so very small.

コブシメの体色変化 color change of Broadclub cuttlefish

The amazing ability of the broadclub cuttlefish to change colors is interesting. When I get too close to it, it expresses its bad mood and turned black, but after I moved off a little, it started to mimic the surrounding, lol!

Swimming male Red Fairy Anthias Pseudanthias cooperi, which were at the bottom of a sandy area. The school of Luminous cardinalfish, Rhabdamia gracilis so beautifully swimming and framing the background.

Right at the edge of the reef, a big school of Golden sweepers, Parapriacanthus ransonneti.

ゾウゲイロウミウシ　Hypselodoris bullockii　奄美大島ダイビング Amami Oshima Scuba Diving (10) — Photography by Chizuko MURATA

I photographed the nudibranch Hypselodoris bullockii on a red sponge. It looks like a pattern on a Japanese traditional cloth.

Japanese pygmy seahorse 奄美大島ダイビング Amami Oshima Scuba Diving (10) — Photography by Chizuko MURATA

One of the highlights of this diving spot is that we can see pygmy seahorse, Hippocampus bargibanti at a shallow depth of 15m. This pygmy seahorse, which attaches to the red or yellow soft coral. It will mimic with amazing accuracy and becomes the same color as the coral, even mimicking the polyps. When it was first pointed out to me in Ogasawara, I could not even see it, but now, after several opportunities to see it, over and over again, I have gotten just a little better at spotting it.

And this is the “Great Buddha” Coral. It is a large common coral group called Pavona clavus.

The Amethyst anthias, Pseudanthias pascalus schooling above the coral.

The breeding colors of an Amethyst anthias male with a yellow tail

ハナゴイ乱舞　Purple queen wild dance（Videography by Chizuko MURATA)

It was so spectacular to see the little Amethyst anthias, which looked like falling rain at times.

The Bubble coral shrimp Vir philippinensis. It was holding an egg.

And the highlight of this tour, is the observation of the white-spotted pufferfish circles. The ocean bottom is a fine sand, and you have to be very careful about not messing it up. After staying a while, it will become cloudy.

A rainy day with poor water clarity, looks like this. Because of the depth and the risk of having bad visibility, those who want to observe the pufferfish closely, should make sure they have multiple diving chances.

Putting the finishing touches on the pufferfish’s circle.

This is the completed circle. For these small fish to do all the work using their bodies, who work on the circle and don’t seem to look at it from above, it is quite an impressive feat.

Now, it is just about attracting the female. This is the diligent male white-spotted pufferfish.

The next day, in the center of the circle where the eggs were laid (the gray mass in the middle). After this, the male will take care of the eggs and the circle will no longer be maintained.

I stayed at Amami Oshima for 6 consecutive nights, and I was really looking forward to the daily meals. Every day is a glorious feast! Octopus, cuttlefish, yellowfin tuna, other seabream species, green turban, … the list goes on!

It was rainy season in Amami Oshima, but during this diving tour we made sure to plan a way to enjoy the ocean and the bounty of food it provides. Thank you to everyone who joined the tour, to our underwater guide-Dive Species Amami, Mr and Mrs. Suwa!

Images & Text: Mariko SAWADA
Some photographs and video: Chizuko MURATA
Observation: May 2022, Amami-Oshima
Special Thanks: Dive Species Amami, Mr. Homare SUWA

Tags: Scuba diving tour in Japan, Scuba diving in Ogasawara, Bonin Islands, amami hoshizora fugu, Wildlife tour of Japan, White-Spotted Pufferfish, Diving tour of Japan, Scuba diving Amami Oshima, Japanese pygmy seahorse, Hippocampus japapigu, Amami Oshima, pygmy seahorse, Diving in Ogasawara Islands, hippocampus bargibanti, Wildlife in Japan, 奄美大島, Scuba diving in japan, Wildlife of Japan

2022.06.12 update

Little Tern Chick Rearing (At the Kemigawa Beach Little Tern Breeding Area)

In late June, I visited the Little tern breeding area at Kemigawa Beach. It was a Sunday and everyone seemed to be staying indoors during the COVID-19, but there were some “beach goers” out enjoying themselves. There are also some “bird watchers” with their big, long camera lenses and looking through binoculars in one particular area of the beach.
The little tern breeding ground is a section of the beach roped off to keep people out of the area.

Both the eggs and chicks are very camouflaged, and I had a hard time finding them at first. I finally found them when the parent bird brought some food to the chick. After some time, once my eyes got the right search image, then I could confirm that there were eggs and chicks everywhere.

Two eggs and one chick.

One egg and two chicks.

These two chicks were a little bigger.

The chick receiving its food.

Probably the parent birds are stressed about getting enough food to their babies, but we on-lookers are filled with joy at seeing this precious sight. We can hear loving comments and coos coming from the bird watchers as they get their food.

A newly hatched chick and its older sibling.

It is so surprising to think that this is a sight so close to Tokyo City, just on the Tokyo Bay. It really impressed me that these little guys can breed and survive these tough situations in a small area surrounded by such a metropolis. I was so moved by what I saw this day.

Photo & text: Mariko SAWADA
Observation: End of Jun 2020, Kemigawa beach, Chiba, Japan
Special Thanks: Hobby’s World, Rocky MATSUMURA

Tags: Bird in Hokkaido, Birds of Japan, Seabirds in Japan, Wildlife Photography tour in Japan, Wildlife tour in Japan, Tern, Birds Photography of Japan, Little Tern, Kemigawa Beach, Birding tour Japan, Little Tern Breeding Area, Bird tour Japan, コアジサシ, Bird Watching Japan, Wildlife in Japan, Wildlife in Hokkaido, Wildlife of Japan

2022.06.01 update

The White-Spotted Pufferfish Circle Formation（Amami Oshima）

These “Mysterious Underwater Circles” of Amami Oshima became a hot topic when a TV program introducing them was broadcasted. Originally found by an underwater photographer in 1995, he didn’t know who made them and for what purpose they were there. It was in 2011, that we finally discovered that it was made by small pufferfish.

The Amami Oshima’s “Mysterious Underwater Circle” is often made nearly 30m deep, so it is hard to observe for long at that depth; and the seasons and tides limit the divers’ abilities to observe these circles, so it took 16 years before we were able to meet its creator, the pufferfish.

This is the male pufferfish, Torquigener albomaculosus, the creator of the circle. In 2014, this pufferfish was registered as a new species. The Japanese name “Amami Hoshizorafugu” is named so because of the dotted pattern on its back, like the many stars in the beautiful night sky of Amami Oshima. (In Japanese “Hoshizora”= starlit night sky, “fugu” = pufferfish)

We observed this white-spotted pufferfish over five days, as it was constructing the circle. In this photo, the pufferfish is decorating the outer edge of the circle with shells. It seems that the fish shapes the shell by chewing on a larger shell in its mouth.

The first step in creating the circle, is for the pufferfish to choose a spot that it likes and begin by removing and seaweed from the area. Then it will make a groove which will be the basis of the circle. For the making of the outer circle, the groove is formed by the small fish using its pectoral fins to roll up the sand moving from side to side. Slowly, the sand is piled up on both sides to form a deeper groove.

The center of the circle, where the eggs will be laid, is made into a gentle shallow area using its stomach.

White-spotted pufferfish which has finally finished making its circle. But even then, it’s very busy with maintenance to keep the shape.

Now it is just a waiting game, until a female pufferfish comes by and likes his circle!

At this time in May 2022, during high tide there were seven circles in the diving area. This morning, one male had success as there were some eggs in the middle of the circle! The gray color mass in the middle of the photo are the eggs.

As soon as the female lays the eggs, she disappears and the male will take care of the eggs in his circle. He will consistently move the eggs and sand with its fins and continue to send them fresh seawater.

A male white-spotted pufferfish who is busy taking care of his eggs. The maintenance of the circle stops and therefore the shape is starting to collapse a little.

So, in this 30m deep area where we were diving, we could see 6 of the 7 circles had eggs. But the one that had no eggs yet, which we nicknamed “Fuguta,” this was the circle that I thought was “the most beautiful and splendid circle” but sadly, it wasn’t chosen by a female pufferfish. I am sure there is a difference between the pufferfish and our senses, but even so, I was disappointed that it was not selected…it was like a Japanese saying that “it was the crowd favorite, but it failed to qualify for the finals.”

Our little “Fuguta,” who was dedicated to the maintenance of his circle. He was laboring over it, however, he wasn’t as energetic as yesterday.

“Fuguta” would not give up! The breeding season will continue for another two months. I left the seabed praying for him, that he’ll be able to attract another female during the next high tide.

Of the 15 dives over a 5 day period, 10 dives were spent observing the white-spotted pufferfish. We observed all the various stages from circle construction, the maintenance, and then of taking care of the eggs. It looks a very smart fish.

Photos & text: Mariko SAWADA
Observation: May 2022, Amami Oshima
Special Thanks: Dive Species Amami, Mr. Homare SUWA

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