#japanese orca
Sightings off the Shiretoko Peninsula on 5.12.2016 of a new calf!
Photos via Shiretoko Nature Cruise
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February 20, 2016:
A deceased male orca calf was discovered by residents of Shiritocho, Kushiro-shi (42.968604N 144.369490E) and reported to Stranding Network Hokkaido.
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Orca seen near Rausu on February 19, 2016.
Its less common to see orca near the Shiretoko peninsula; they are more regularly seen in the summer.
Source: Shiretoko Nature Cruise
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Killer whales swim in the sea off the shores of the town of Rausu, eastern Hokkaido, on May 25 2013.
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A killer whale swims off the coast of Kanaya Port in Futtsu, Chiba Prefecture in May 2015.
Source - Japanese Coast Guard / Kyodo
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Underwater images of Japanese resident Orca, captured by nature photographer Masayuki Miyamoto.
The eye in the first pic :O
I don’t think I’ve ever seen underwater photos of wild Japanese orca.
And damn, what a beautiful eye! Staring right into ya.
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シャチ・スーパーーポッド 2013.07.01
Footage of a Japanese Orca “super pod” encounter off the Rausu coast of Hokkaido, by Masayuki Miyamoto.
This appears to show 20-30 individuals (some residents?), the description says others were approaching in 3 or 4 nearby patches of water totaling a gathering of about 100 individuals.
Documentation of gatherings like this for the Japanese population is extremely rare.
Japanese transient Orca feeding on a juvenile Baird’s beaked whale. Not very often do you see Orca eating a beaked whale. o__o
captured by Shigeo Saino
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Recent video of resident orca off East Hokkaido, Japan.
Orca calf playing with seaweed off the Shiretoko Peninsula 07.04.2015
Judging by the surfacing individual in the bottom left image, it looks like these may be SNS Orca.
Images via Shiretoko Nature Cruise
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Calf checking out the humans on a sightseeing boat off the coast of Rausu Hokkaido, Japan. 06.30.2015.
Image via 観光船はまなす (Sightseeing Tour Hamanasu)
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Various photos of Japanese Orca in the Nemuro Straight and Sea of Okhotsk by Masayuki Miyamoto.
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Historical chart showing the number of Orca hunted off the coasts of Hokkaido 1948-1972.
A majority of the hunt was done by Honshu (mainland Japan) whalers and was done primarily for the purpose of oil. Hunts took place in waters surrounding Hokkaido including the Sea of Okhotsk near the coast of Abashiri and in the Nemuro Straight.
1964-1967 the hunt numbers spiked, but since have plummeted. 1973 and on, the Orca hunts have been nearly non existent.
(source)
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Another image from the beaked whale feeding observed off the coast of Rausu earlier this month.
Image via 観光船はまなす (Sightseeing Tour Hamanasu)
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Group of Orca with a couple calves briefly seen off the Rausu coast the morning o 06.05.2015- possibly the same group previously seen with some calves.
Images by Hiroya Minakuchi
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Looks like the Japanese Transients have a taste for beaked whales!
06.06.2015 a group of Transients was seen off the coast of Rausu feeding on a beaked whale carcass. Most of the action seemed to take place underwater, but these two images were able to be captured at the surface.
Images by Hiroya Minakuchi
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Orca exhibiting seemingly playful behavior on a recent nature cruise off the Rausu coast. One Orca was getting repeatedly “slapped” by another Orca.
Images via Gojira Rock Tourism
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Some more images of the recent sighting (05.27.2015) of Orca preying upon a beaked whale calf near Rausu, Hokkaido.
Images via Gojira (Godzilla) Rock Tourism
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A “cheerful and playful” calf was spotted by nature cruise charters off the Shiretoko Peninsula this morning (05.28.2015).
Shiretoko Nature Cruise caught a great shot of him/her surfacing!
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Killer Whales Sighted in Tokyo Bay 05.25.2015
TV Asahi reported that small group of 3-4 Orca was seen in the Tokyo Bay around 10AM of May 25, 2015. Sightings of Killer Whales inside the bay are extremely rare. The group was sighted in the bay again on the morning of the 26th; the reason behind their presence is not clear. A warning for ships to use caution and avoid interfering with the whales in Tokyo Bay was issued.
In Japan, Orca are more commonly seen off the north eastern coasts of Hokkaido. For comparison, this map (via Google Maps) shows the Shiretoko Peninsula of Hokkaido marked by a star, the Tokyo Bay marked with a red pin:
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Small group of transients hunting Dall’s porpoise (possibly Truei-type) off the Kushiro coast of Hokkaido in November of 2014.
Images by Hiroya Minakuchi
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More recent sightings off the Shiretoko Peninsula 05.20.2015~05.21.2015
Images by Shiretoko Nature Cruise
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