Eco-tour by kayak around Lake Tofutsu near Shiretoko!

Tour Highlights

• This tour allows you to enjoy Lake Tofutsu from the water, which can only be experienced on a tour led by a registered guide for three months out of the year!
• Experience the beauty and biodiversity of an internationally important wetland
• Have a chance to see the white-tailed sea eagle and the Japanese crane!

Lake Tofutsu, where thousands of waterfowl fly in in spring and autumn, was registered under the Ramsar Convention in 2005 as an internationally important wetland serving as a stopover, wintering and breeding site for migratory birds.

Join this kayak tour with local guides to get a close look at the beauty of Lake Tofutsu! A registered guide who is knowledgeable about lake conservation will guide you on Lake Tofutsu from the water. Before starting participants will learn about Lake Tofutsu and then head out onto the water.

In order to monitor the ecosystem on the water, guides will record the appearance of wild birds and aquatic plants during the tour, and participants may be asked to cooperate too.

The lakeshore is a paradise for birds, with more than 200 species of birds seen throughout the year, including the white-tailed sea eagle and the Japanese crane. Lake Tofutsu was originally an ocean, but was separated from the sea by sand deposits, forming a lake. It is still a brackish lake, part of which is connected to the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. The lake, where freshwater and seawater mix, is rich in nutrients and has a wide variety of aquatic plants and seafood that serve as food for birds.