Shiretoko Nature Cruising : Wildlife Waching on the Sea
If you are a wildlife lover, taking a nature cruise is one of the best ways to immerse yourself in a World Naural Heritage site, Shiretoko. You can observe wild animals both on the land and in the sea. For example; brown bears, dolphins, sea eagles, and many more.
This article gives you an overview of Nature Cruisising Tours in Shiretoko. Let’s dive in!
Many cruising tours start and end in Utoro, a small port town. They cruise along the West side of the Shiretoko Peninsula, observing both the sea and the land. One trip takes 1-3 hours depending on the route you choose.
You can find different animals at different times of the year. These are the seasons when you have a high chance of finding wildlife. Your chance of seeing at least one animal on a cruising tour is 90%. It’s quite high!
Brown bears: June to October
Dolphins: May to October
Whales: April to July
Sea eagles: January to March
Dears: pretty much anytime
Cruser staff in Shiretoko are super experienced in spotting these animals even from quite far away. Cruising companies share information with each other on when and where they have found animals to provide a great experience on all the tours. The captains will let passengers know where to look once they catch something in sight (It will be in Japanese - take your Japanese friends along or ask other passengers for support).
Not only wild animals will impress you during a cruise. You will be amazed by the untouched nature of the Shiretoko Peninsula - beautiful waterfalls, huge cliffs, and hidden natural bays. Even though you end up not seeing any animals (which is rare), just cruising on the vast ocean and feeling the sea breeze will make it worthwhile.
As these cruising tours are popular and get crowded in high seasons, make sure to reserve your spots online in advance. Pricing is around 8,000 yen for a 3-hour route, 6,000 yen for 2 hours, and 3,000 yen for 1 hour. Here are some companies operating cruising tours in Utoro.
Enjoy your cruise!