Wildlife of Japan - Wildlife of Japan｜Saiyu Travel

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

*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: 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, 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

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.

Tags: Rausu, GAKU TOZUKA, Wildlife in Japan, Birding tour Japan, Tsurui mura, Bird tour Japan, Otowa-bashi, Wildlife of Hokkaido, Bird Watching Japan, Otowa bridge, Wildlife of Japan, Red-crowned Crane, Ito sanctuary, Birds of Hokkaido, Tancho, Birds of Japan, Tanchou, Wildlife Photography tour in Japan, Photography tour of Red-crowned carane, Wildlife tour in Japan, Photography of Red-crowned crane, Tsurui village

2022.02.22 update

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

This winter tour report was written by the Bird Photographer Gaku Tozuka, during the “Crane Photography Tour of Tsurui Village” that took place January 10 -13, 2022.

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

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Hokkaido this winter saw heavy snowfall. I was so nervous as I watched the weather forecast, but when we arrived in the Kushiro area, the weather was fine. We immediately visited the Ito Crane Sanctuary upon my arrival. I had prepared boxed lunches (bento) for the participants of the tour, so they could fully enjoy the good weather and their photography without having to worry about stopping for lunch. As soon as we arrived, I gave a quick orientation with pointers about recommended photo spots, and then everyone was given free time to take their own photos. However, I was nearby to offer support on what camera settings to use, while also keeping an eye on the wind so you could predict possible flight patterns of the Red-crowned Cranes we had come to photograph. The participants asked if we would see the “Courtship dance” but unfortunately, it is still a bit before the breeding season, so I replied we would have to leave it to our luck.

The courtship dance of Red-crowned cranes

We moved to a different spot so I could explain ahead of time, the challenges of getting good shots of cranes flying in the evening sky as the sun was setting. I had gotten some local information ahead of time that there were many cranes that fly to roost early, and we wanted to get the photos of the cranes flying with the clear skies until sunset. It is quite difficult to predict the number of cranes and where they might fly in from because it is always different every day, but it seemed to me that all the participants could get good photos.

Red-crowned crane returning to its roost

The next morning, we had good weather and left the lodging at 6am. I took the group to get photos of the cranes as they were roosting. Every moment was magical with the soft dusting of rime ice that had formed on the branches of the trees by the riverside, and the changing colors of the sky.

The distance to the flock was quite far but they were visible as well.
Suddenly a bird plunged into the surface of the water, and as it emerged again, it turned out to be a White-tailed Eagle! I wonder, perhaps it was aiming for some leftover salmon carcass? After a little time passed, we heard the shrill bird calling “Kyara Kyara,” it was a medium-sized bird, which was the Crested Kingfisher! Then, there was a very large bird who appeared, and it was a Steller’s Sea Eagle!

Of course, I had my cameras set to slower shutter speeds for capturing the shots of the slow-moving cranes, so when I turned to get photos of the other birds, I could not get the shots. I guess you cannot kill two birds with one stone, or camera in this case!

A red-crowned crane in the river mist, Otowa bridge

Whooper swans flying towards us, Otowa bridge

After that, I changed my camera settings to capture the Red-crowned Cranes as they approached our position. But after I did that, I realized the large bird flying towards me was a Whooper Swan, not a Crane.
By the time 8am rolled around, the car had returned to pick us up and everyone was thoroughly chilled by the -20 below Celsius (-4°F) and ready to get warmed up.

Whooper swan at Setsuri river, from Otowa bridge

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

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Profile：Gaku Tozuka （戸塚学）

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

Tags: Japanese crane, Otowa bridge, Wildlife Photography tour in Japan, Tancho, Ito sanctuary, Wildlife tour in Japan, Tanchou, Tsurui village, Photography tour of Red-crowned carane, GAKU TOZUKA, Photography of Red-crowned crane, Birding tour Japan, Bird tour Japan, Bird watching tour Japan, Crane Photography Tour of Tsurui Village, Wildlife of Hokkaido, Bird Watching, Wildlife in Japan, Wildlife of Japan, Widlife in Japan, Tsurui mura, Birds of Hokkaido, Red-crowned Crane, Otowa-bashi, Birds of Japan

2022.02.10 update

(Video) It’s Bigeye Trevally Season! Aguni Island

In May, I visited the Aguni Islands for the bigeye trevally season. We not only got to see schools of bigeye<GINGAME-AJI> making a tornado of fish, we also got to see the giant trevally <ROUNIN-AJI>as well as school of dogtooth tuna<ISO-MAGURO>. There were breeding colored bigeye trevally and the sea was bursting full of life!

DIVE IN AGUNI ISLAND 粟国島の海

Image & text : Mariko SAWADA
Observation: May 2021, Aguni Island, Okinawa

Tags: Scuba diving in Aguni Islanad, Wildlife tour of Japan, Diving tour of Japan, Dive in Aguni, Diving tour to Aguni Island, Gingame-Aji, Bigeye Trevally, Wildlife in Japan, Wildlife of Japan, Scuba diving in japan, Scuba diving tour in Japan, Dive in Japan

2022.01.20 update

Sand Tiger Shark (Ogasawara Island: Chichijima)

When talking about “Scuba diving in Ogasawara Island,” it is almost synonymous as saying “Sand Tiger Sharks.” (shirowani in Japanese). They are bottom dwellers, normally found in small caves but encountering them in a shipwreck dive is quite dramatic.

In Chichijima -Futami Bay, there are many ships that were attacked during World War II. Just diving around these wrecksites can be impressive enough by itself, but add in a sand tiger shark or two and it becomes exceptional.

Sand Tiger Shark at Shipwreck, Bonin island Japan｜西遊旅行

There are many different ways that the ships may have ended up on the bottom; some have fallen apart as they sank after having been hit directly, some that sank in their original upright position, and yet others that are completely on their side when they sank to the seafloor.

Sand Tiger Sharks have their favorite places where they like to hang out, and sometimes we got to see more than one at a time!

The sharks swam over me slowly and it really gave me the chills! I want to keep watching this scene, but I must get ready to surface. We are in the deep water, so we cannot linger here too long and must start making our slow ascent back up to the surface.

Our last moments with the Sand tiger shark!

This was the last one we saw, who was swimming among the Striped jack. Right after we saw this Shark, we returned to the surface.

Image & text: Mariko SAWADA
Observation: Oct 2020, Chichijima, Futami Bay, Ogasawara Islands

Tags: Diving tour of Japan, Sand Tiger Shark, Diving in Ogasawara Islands, Sand Tiger Shark of Ogasawara Islands, Wildlife in Japan, Wildlife of Japan, Scuba diving in japan, Scuba diving tour in Japan, Bonin Islands, Scuba diving in Ogasawara, Ogasawara Islands, Dive in Japan, Wildlife tour of Japan

2022.01.10 update

Banded Pipefish Incubating Their Eggs （Yakushima）

We observed this pair of Banded pipefish in Yakushima’s Isso bay. The pipefish have a white body with many reddish-brown horizontal stripes that cover it from the mouth to the tail fin. The gorgeous tail fin reminds me of the beautiful “Oiran” that Japanese high-ranking courtesans use.

オイランヨウジのペア（屋久島）A Pair of Ringed pipefish

The male banded pipefish has a pouch that incubates the eggs. There can be up to 100 eggs which hatch after about 10 days. The fries are about 6mm when they emerge.

Banded pipefish eat zooplankton. The entrance to this pair’s rock crevice was surrounded by little tiny fries and they were busy feeding on them.

Image & text: Mariko SAWADA
Observation: Jun 2021, Yakushima, Kagoshima

Tags: Scuba diving tour in Japan, Dive in Japan, Scuba diving in Yakushima, Wildlife tour of Japan, Diving tour of Japan, Short-tailed albatross Breeding ground, Yakushima, Banded pipefish, Dive in Yakushima, Wildlife in Japan, Wildlife of Japan, Scuba diving in japan

2021.12.31 update

Harlequin Ghost Pipefish（Yakushima）

We could see a pair of Harlequin ghost pipefish (Solenostomus paradoxus) in the seas around Yakushima. The pair were in perfect unison with their mimicry, which made it both astounding and beautiful to watch.

ニシキフウライウオのペア（屋久島）A pair of Harlequin ghost pipefish
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Harlequin ghost pipefish is a member of the family Solenostomidae. The Solenostomus were previously thought to be an intraspecific mutation within Solenostomidae but, they became an independent species in 1994.

On every part of the body and along its fins, there are spikes that stick out, with spotted patterns as well. The body is a white color with some transparent areas, but the designs and patterns that appear are so diverse!

The larger one is the female, and the smaller one on the right is the male. Unlike the pipefish, where the males incubate the eggs, in family Solenostomidae, they leave the job of protecting the fertilized eggs to the females with the larger pectoral fins.

In English, the name of the fish is “Harlequin ghost pipefish” or “Ornate ghost pipefish,” but in Japanese they are called “Nishiki fuurai-uo.” “Nishiki” refers to a traditional Japanese weaving textile, highlighting the intricate designs seen on this unique fish.

Image & text : Mariko SAWADA

Observation : Jun 2021, Isso-bay, Yakushima, Kagoshima

Tags: Dive in Japan, Wildlife tour of Japan, Diving tour of Japan, Harlequin ghost pipefish, Diving in Yakushima, Yakushima, Solenostomus paradoxus, Wildlife in Japan, Wildlife of Japan

2021.12.21 update

（Video） A Baby Sperm Whale Came to Play With Us! (Ogasawara)

In October, we encountered a baby sperm whale off the coast of Chichijima in Ogasawara. It seemed like the calf was a bit upset, but also a bit curious about the ship. Everyone on the ship was very excited to see it!

Ogasawara A Baby Sperm Whale Came to Play With Us!

Image & Text: Mariko SAWADA
Observation: Oct 2020, Chichijima, Ogasawara Islands
Special Thanks: FISH EYE

Tags: Sperm Whale, Baby Sperm Whale, Wildlife in Japan, Wildlife of Japan, Bonin Islands, Ogasawara Islands, Whale Watching, Whale Watching in Ogasawara, Wildlife tour of Japan

2021.12.11 update

(Video) An Asian Sheepshead Wrasse Named “Yoriko” in Hasama’s Underwater Park (Tateyama, Chiba)

The Hasama Underwater Park is located just on the border between Tokyo Bay and the Pacific Ocean, and it is within 2 hours travel time from the city center. The Underwater Park is rich with fish because of the input of nutrition from the freshwater rivers and the Kuroshio Current running along the coast of Japan. This place is quite famous for the underwater shrine Torii and ‘Yoriko’ the Asian sheepshead wrasse.

YORIKO Asian sheepshead wrasse　コブダイの頼子・波左間海中公園

The Asian sheepshead wrasse is called “Kobudai” in Japanese (as if it was a member of the Sea Bream family), it is a member of the wrasse family, and is a “hermaphroditic” species which can change sex between male and female. It first matures as a female and breeds, then changes sex to a male and participates in breeding again.

This “Yoriko” used to be a female paired with a male named “Yoritomo,” but one day “Yoritomo” disappeared perhaps because he lost the battle for territory. Following that development, “Yoriko” then became a male and has stayed that way to the present day. The lifespan of the Kobudai is thought to be about 20 years long, but “Yoriko” has already exceeded 30 years of age. He has come to be a very cherished and well-loved fish at the Hasama Underwater Park and taken on a mystic-natured creature who time has forgotten.

This is the famous underwater shrine, the only kind in the world, in the Hasama Underwater Park. It is an authentic shrine that was built in 1997 as a branch of the Susaki Shrine in Tateyama.

Another famous place in the Hasama Underwater Park is the “Sea Pen Colony” (in Japanese it is called ‘Yanagi-umiera’). It was the first time I could see these! Depending on the tide, it may or may not appear on the surface of the sand, so I felt so lucky to see the colony. The English name “Sea pen” is because of the resemblance to a Quill pen!

A colony of the Sea Pens Virgularia halisceptrum .

There are many other areas for great fish sightings as well. There is a fish-reef called “Dream” where the scenery created by the soft corals and Sea goldie, as well as Redbar anthias and Cooper’s Fairy Basslets. 。

This is the Spottedtail morwong cleaning station. The name for the fish in Japanese is “Takanoha dai” derived from the Japanese word for “Hawk feather” which is “Taka no ha.” This is based on the similarity of the stripes that are seen on hawk feathers, The polka dots on the tail also really catch my attention.

Here is a friendly pair of redlip morwongs.

Image: Mariko SAWADA
Observation: Jun 2021, Hasama Marine Park, Tateyama, CHIBA

Tags: Yoriko, Wildlife in Japan, Wildlife of Japan, 頼子, コブダイ, Dive in Japan, Scuba diving in japan, Wildlife tour of Japan, Scuba diving tour in Japan, Diving tour of Japan, Scuba diving near Tokto, Hasama Underwater Park, Asian Sheepshead Wrasse, Kobudai

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

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