Shiretoko Peninsula and Cliones

Continuation of images from my recent trip to Japan...Shiretoko Peninsula is located in the north-east of Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan. The site includes the land from the central part of the peninsula to its tip (Shiretoko Cape) and the surrounding marine area. It is a world heritage site.




These amazing creatures called cliones are found in very cold waters of the Ohkhotsk Sea. When i was in the Shiretoko region, they featured these creatures in hotel lobbies in temperature controlled waters. Visible to the eye, they look like little angels. Some technical info can be found here.
I would love to return to this area in the winter when the ice floes cover the Okhotsk Sea and the ice breaker ships take you for a little ride. The Shiretoko peninsula juts into the sea and collects drifting sea ice brought in by sea currents and the north wind. How could sea water freeze? Water here is diluted by the freshwater from the Amura River in Russia. The Amura is the largest river in north-east Eurasia. The river basin stretches across a large forested area. The river water is rich in nutrients from the forest.