In February, 2016 I attended the Martin Bailey Japan  Winter Wildlife Tour. We photographed the Japanese Snow Monkey ( Japanese Macaque ). The monkeys bathe in the hot springs and their antics make for great photography.

We then traveled to the island of Hokkaido. We photographed the Japanese Red-Crowned Crane. This is an endangered crane with less than 3000 cranes remaining in the wild. This is a large bird up to 5ft tall and 23 pounds. While on Hokkaido we also photographed the landscapes and several other wildlife including Whooper Swans, Ezo Deer, Red Fox and a Ural Owl.

We went out on a boat at the Rausu fishing port to photograph the White-tailed Eagles and the Steller Sea Eagles. The White-tailed Eagle is roughly the size of the Bald Eagle. The Steller Sea Eagle is the largest eagle weighing up to 20lbs with an 80" wingspan.

On this trip I was able to learn about and get a taste of Japanese culture and food. This was a great experience. I even visited a Shinto Shrine for a traditional blessing.

This gallery provides a nice overview of what I saw, photographed and experienced on this trip.