The drift ice of Abashiri start appearing around
January, but the best time to see the spectacle is in
February when it is the coldest.
The drift ice (流氷, Ryūhyō) is formed
from the fresh
water of the Amur River in Russia, which then
traverses
through the Sea of Okhotsk by the borders of China
until
it reaches Abashiri. The drift ice can be seen at
Shiretoko Peninsula all the way to Wakkanai, but it is
the thickest in Abashiri. The natural phenomenon
usually reaches the northern part of Hokkaido in mid
to
late January. Abashiri is the southernmost area to
see
the drifting sea ice and has become a popular tourist
spot to view the frozen clumps. However, due to
global
warming the drift ice is not as thick as it was back in
the
1980s. To promote awareness of the changes in
climate, Abashiri has the Drift Ice Festival to remind
people to take care of our environment. If the
conditions
are good during the season, then you will be able to
see
the drift ice from the shore. Ryuhyo Norokko is a train
service that only operates in the winter goes from
Abashiri to Shiretoko-Shari. On the one hour train
ride
you can see the drift ice along the shores of the Sea
of
Okhotsk. The train makes a stop at JR Kitahama
station, which is made of wood, because it has a
great
panoramic view of the drift ice.
There is a sightseeing cruise that goes out into the
Sea
of Okhotsk that uses the ice breaker cruiser Aurora. It
plows through the ice at 3 knots per hour and from
the
observation deck you might have a chance to see the
wildlife that migrates with the drift ice. The Steller’s
sea
eagles are one of the migratory birds that can been
seen on top of the frozen water mass. The spotted
seals
give birth and raise their young in the Sea of Okhotsk
so
it is possible to catch a glimpse of them too. Under
the
drift ice you might encounter Clione, which are small
floating sea slugs, also known as sea angels. These
creatures have a transparent body about the size of
10
mm and while they swim it looks as though they are
flapping their wings. The Clione are attached to the
drift
ice so once it melts these aquatic specimens go away
with it.
Please see below for tours
that include Ice Breaker Cruise:
