Seabirds seen from a ferry on 7/June

To see seabirds in the Pacific, we were recommended to go on a ferry from Oarai, Ibaraki, to Tomakomai, Hokkaido, with a guide organised by a travel agency called 'Y-bird' so we booked a return trip on the 7th and 8th of June.


Unfortunately, the monsoon season reached Japan a lot earlier this year than usual so we were basically moving with a low depression... BUT! We were able to see most of the birds we'd hoped to see, thanks to our excellent guide.


Our very first Albatross - a Black-footed Albatross (Kuroashi-ahoudoriクロアシアホウドリ)

A Short-tailed Shearwater (Hashiboso-mizunagidoriハシボソミズナギドリ）

A flock of them

 

A Great Skua (Ootouzokukamomeオオトウゾクカモメ) 

A Black-tailed Gull (Uminekoウミネコ)

A Sea Lion

It was very misty and dull all the way to Tomakomai.

On the way back from Tomakomai to Oarai on Sunday, the sea was so rough I was not able to do anything but lie on my bunk... I really don't want to think about any trip on a boat for the moment!!

The birds we saw from the ferry between Ooarai, Ibaraki and Tomakomai, Hokkaido:

Pacific Diver, Laysan Albatross, Black-footed Albatross, Northern Fulmar, Streaked Shearwater, Sooty Shearwater, Short-tailed Shearwater, Fork-tailed Storm-petrel, Black-tailed Gull, Great Skua, Rhinoceros Auklet

Mammals: Sea Lions and Dall's Porpoises

The Schedule of the tour
1.45 Oarai Ferry Terminal
  ↓
19.45 Tomakomai FT

1.30 Tomakomai FT
　↓

19.45 Oarai FT

People on the guided tour can be on board at around 22.30 to get some rest before starting bird-watching early in the morning.

the info about the ferry in English
http://www.sunflower.co.jp/english/index.shtml

the birdwatching tour agency (in Japanese)
http://www.ybird.jp/