The Aurora icebreaker cruise departs Abashiri port daily during drift ice season, powering through the pack ice of the Sea of Okhotsk on a one-hour round trip aboard a purpose-built icebreaking vessel. Passengers watch from open outer decks or warm indoor observation areas as the hull cleaves through metres-thick ice sheets, accompanied by thunderous cracking sounds and clouds of seabirds following in the ship's wake. On fortunate voyages, Steller sea eagles and white-tailed eagles perch on the ice floes, and seals bask nearby. Sunrise and afternoon departures offer dramatically different light conditions, making multiple sailings popular with photographers.
- Type
- Experience
- Category
- Snow/Winter
- Season
- Winter
- Month
- Late January to Late March
- Region
- Hokkaido
- Prefecture
- Hokkaido
- City
- Abashiri
Highlights
- ◆60-minute voyage through pack ice on a real icebreaking vessel
- ◆Dramatic cracking and crushing sounds as hull breaks through floes
- ◆Steller sea eagles and seals often visible on surrounding ice
- ◆Multiple daily departures including photogenic sunrise sailings
- ◆Heated indoor observation deck and open outer viewing areas