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See the World Heritage Site from the sea! Enjoy the great nature on a cruising tour of Shiretoko
Shiretoko was registered as a World Heritage site in 2005. Many people may imagine Shiretoko as the Shiretoko Peninsula jutting out to the east of Hokkaido, but in fact there are many restrictions that prevent ordinary tourists from reaching the end of the peninsula. Then let's see it from the sea!" The company Gojira Iwa Kanko offers cruising tours. What kind of tour is it?
First of all, you should know that the Shiretoko Peninsula has Shari-cho Utoro on the west side and Rausu-cho on the east side, and both sides have different atmospheres and attractions. For Godzilla Rock sightseeing, there are cruises departing from Utoro and cruises departing from Rausu, which also differ in content. This time we joined the "Shiretoko Peninsula Utoro Cruise" departing from Utoro, which was in operation until October 15!
First, together with other participants, we walked from the meeting point to the port. On the way, we were surprised to see "Godzilla Iwa," which is the origin of the name of the Godzilla Iwa sightseeing tour! Finally, we arrived at the port. The sight of the cruise ship we are about to board and the ocean in front of us will raise your spirits, whether you like it or not.
The ship moves along the cliffs of the Shiretoko Peninsula at a comfortable speed. After a while, to our surprise, we encountered a brown bear looking for fish on the seashore. The staff member guiding us said, "You are all so lucky! and we were excited again!
The cruise continued as we saw various natural features along the way, such as columnar rock faces, numerous waterfalls, and seabirds resting their wings on the rocks that jut out from the shore.
The tension that had been building throughout the cruise reached its peak when we encountered a large school of dolphins! We were so excited to see a large school of dolphins, which kept us on the edge of our seats throughout the cruise.
The tour takes about 3 to 3.5 hours. There are many other cruises and activities available depending on the season.
For example, the "Drift Ice Walk" is held on the same Utoro side during a short period of time from February to March, as well as the "Whale and Dolphin Bird Watching Cruise" (April 28 to October 15) and the "Nemuro Straits Cruise" (February 1 to the end of March) from and to Rausu.
You can choose according to the time of year and purpose of your visit. Cruising to enjoy the very best of a World Heritage site from the sea will surely be an unforgettable experience.
We recommend that you consider it now as a candidate for next year's trip.
<Thumbnail image courtesy of
Gojira Iwa Sightseeing
Utoro Office
Location: 51 Utoro Higashi, Shari-cho, Shari-gun, Hokkaido
Phone: 0152-24-3060
Rausu Office
Location: 30-2 Honmachi, Rausu-cho, Menashi-gun, Hokkaido
Phone: 0153-85-7575
Official website: https://kamuiwakka.jp
First of all, you should know that the Shiretoko Peninsula has Shari-cho Utoro on the west side and Rausu-cho on the east side, and both sides have different atmospheres and attractions. For Godzilla Rock sightseeing, there are cruises departing from Utoro and cruises departing from Rausu, which also differ in content. This time we joined the "Shiretoko Peninsula Utoro Cruise" departing from Utoro, which was in operation until October 15!
First, together with other participants, we walked from the meeting point to the port. On the way, we were surprised to see "Godzilla Iwa," which is the origin of the name of the Godzilla Iwa sightseeing tour! Finally, we arrived at the port. The sight of the cruise ship we are about to board and the ocean in front of us will raise your spirits, whether you like it or not.
The ship moves along the cliffs of the Shiretoko Peninsula at a comfortable speed. After a while, to our surprise, we encountered a brown bear looking for fish on the seashore. The staff member guiding us said, "You are all so lucky! and we were excited again!
The cruise continued as we saw various natural features along the way, such as columnar rock faces, numerous waterfalls, and seabirds resting their wings on the rocks that jut out from the shore.
The tension that had been building throughout the cruise reached its peak when we encountered a large school of dolphins! We were so excited to see a large school of dolphins, which kept us on the edge of our seats throughout the cruise.
The tour takes about 3 to 3.5 hours. There are many other cruises and activities available depending on the season.
For example, the "Drift Ice Walk" is held on the same Utoro side during a short period of time from February to March, as well as the "Whale and Dolphin Bird Watching Cruise" (April 28 to October 15) and the "Nemuro Straits Cruise" (February 1 to the end of March) from and to Rausu.
(Photo by Gojira Iwa Kanko)
You can choose according to the time of year and purpose of your visit. Cruising to enjoy the very best of a World Heritage site from the sea will surely be an unforgettable experience.
We recommend that you consider it now as a candidate for next year's trip.
<Thumbnail image courtesy of
Gojira Iwa Sightseeing
Utoro Office
Location: 51 Utoro Higashi, Shari-cho, Shari-gun, Hokkaido
Phone: 0152-24-3060
Rausu Office
Location: 30-2 Honmachi, Rausu-cho, Menashi-gun, Hokkaido
Phone: 0153-85-7575
Official website: https://kamuiwakka.jp
Writer Profile
Hokkaido Sightseeing Turtle Writer Bubu-Neko
I'm Bubaneko, a writer with many connections to sightseeing spots and tourist facilities in Hokkaido. There are many wonderful resources, even the ones we take for granted when we live in Hokkaido. I will be sharing these wonderful attractions of Hokkaido with you.
