Last stop in Japan. We visited Kushiro Shitsugen National Park, a habitat for the endangered red crowned crane (maybe 1800 of them left) a revered symbol of immortality (the same one of origami fame). They are the symbol of Japan Airlines. The marsh was very large – we saw one gray heron flying by, but alas, no cranes. But, the visit also included a stop at a crane reserve – a combination breeding program facility and place for injured cranes. And, we were able to see these beautiful birds up close.
From here, we have 5 days at sea. After crossing the Pacific, our next stop is Dutch Harbor in the Aleutians.
The red and white arrow indicates the edge of the curb. We’re in snow country.A few shots of the marshThe happy sign at the crane reserve.The dad, who’s about 22 years old
The dad was collecting some sort of food and then taking it to the chick who’s very close to the mom’s head in the right hand pictures. Mom’s about 37 years old.
A clever way to allow photographs. The round cover pivots so you could get your camera in place to take pictures.An example of the crowned crane in Japanese art. Wood block print by Ohara Koson, 1900-1930. Picture courtesy of japan-avenue.comTheir courtship dance (they mate for life) is pretty impressive. They’re big birds – 5 ft tall with a 7-8 ft wingspan. Photo courtesy of discovery.comBack at the ship – the Asian specialty restaurant, called Pacific Rim.The French restaurant, called Chartreuse.We’re a couple of days into the crossing – the messages in our daily program about crossing the international date line do deserve a second look.
