An Island Loved by Seabirds: How to Explore Teuri Island

posted on July 15, 2024

Teuri Island is the only breeding ground for the murre, known as the “Ororon bird,” in Japan. Teuri Island is a small island about 30 km west of Haboro Town in Hokkaido, with a circumference of approximately 12 km. East of Teuri Island lies Yagishiri Island, which is about the same size. Both islands, Teuri and Yagishiri, belong to Haboro Town.

To reach this island, you can only travel from Haboro Port by high-speed boat or ferry. The journey from Haboro to Teuri Island involves a stopover at Yagishiri Island, taking about one hour by high-speed boat and one and a half hours by ferry. The Sea of Japan often experiences rough seas, during which only the ferry operates, and high-speed boat services are suspended.

The bustling period for seabirds is from May to July, during which chicks grow and leave their nests by mid-July. The birds breed on the steep cliffs on the southwest side of the island. At sunset, about 800,000 murres and rhinoceros auklets fly around the cliffs, a sight unique to this place in the world.

Tourists from all over Japan visit to witness this grand panorama of seabirds. The peak breeding season is until June, making June the best time to see the spectacle of 800,000 seabirds returning to their nests at sunset.

Unfortunately, when I visited on July 14th, most of the birds had already left their nests, but many seagulls and their chicks had gathered on the eastern Kurosaki Coast. Swallows were actively flying around the breeding grounds on the cliffs, possibly still in the middle of raising their young.

In addition to birds, harbor seals and sea lions are often seen, but on this day, I only viewed the area from the mountain and did not spot any.

How to explore

Let’s explore by bicycle!

Once you disembark the boat, head straight to the bicycle rental shop. There’s only one rental shop on the island, so the number of bikes is limited. Electric-assisted bicycles are recommended. Since the roads on the island are one-way clockwise, the initial part of the journey involves uphill climbs. Even those with significant stamina will find it challenging, as the bikes are not sports types meant for steep slopes. It will take more than 30 minutes to push the bike up to the west side of the island.

Once you reach the west side, you’ll be at one of the highest points on the island, and from there, it’s mostly downhill. Descend slowly, as the slopes are steep.

The first viewpoint is Kurosaki Coast, where you can see Yagishiri Island to the left and further beyond, the coasts of Rumoi and Haboro. At Kurosaki Coast, there are many black-tailed gulls and seagulls, and in July, the chicks were still walking on the roads. The birds are quite tame and do not flee even when approached, so be careful as they are often hit by cars.

Next, at the westernmost Akaiwa Observatory, look down at the sea below to see the clear blue water. The long, protruding rock known as Akaiwa is the symbol of this observatory and is about 48 meters high.

Turn around and continue uphill a bit more to see the cliffs on your left. Here, you will find a bird observatory equipped with telescopes. Take a look at the cliffs; they are nesting grounds for seabirds. If you’re lucky, you might see murres and rhinoceros auklets raising their young. Unfortunately, by July, the nests were empty, but imagining the many seabirds raising their young on such cliffs is exciting. Inside the observatory, there are informative displays about the seabirds, worth a visit.

As you descend, the slope gets steeper, so be cautious of your speed. The low tree forest is filled with alpine flowers. Then, head to Kannon Misaki Observatory, from where you can see the cliffs leading to the bird observatory.

Although you can’t see the birds up close, there are seabird observation tours by boat during their gathering season. Local photographer Takaki Terasawa offers special tours for those interested in photographing seabirds.

Walking Tour

There is also a walking footpath course that takes about an hour. This course goes through the island’s forest, so while you won’t see the cliffs, you’ll encounter various wild birds.

Lunch on the Island

There are two dining establishments on the island, but both close at 1 PM, so be mindful of the time. If you arrive around noon and haven’t had lunch yet, make sure to eat first. However, if you plan to rent a bicycle, don’t forget to make a reservation. There’s a dining place next to the bicycle rental shop.

Enjoy Fishing Too!

The bicycle rental shop also rents fishing equipment, so you can enjoy fishing. Many people do.

A Day Trip is Possible

If you take the high-speed boat at 8 AM, you’ll arrive at Teuri Island by 9 AM, and you can return on a boat departing between 3 PM and 4 PM, making a day trip possible. However, it’s recommended to stay overnight near Haboro Town. By car, it takes about 3 hours from Sapporo via the expressway and about 2 hours and 10 minutes from Asahikawa. Avoid rushing and drive with plenty of time.