Rausu UNESCO World Heritage Site Areas

The Rausu coast on the Shiretoko Peninsula is UNESCO-listed for the role its winter ice floes play in the local ecosystem. Ice drifting into Rausu's waters carries nutrients that feed phytoplankton, which in turn support the entire marine food chain, including orca and sperm whales that pass through almost year-round. On land, brown bears roam the forests, the world's largest owl, the Blakiston's fish owl, nests in old-growth trees, and Steller's sea eagles winter here. Boat tours run for wildlife watching and, in winter, ice viewing. The Shiretoko World Heritage Rusa Field House near central Rausu has English-language exhibits explaining it all.