Some tourists prefer to head for tropical weather, lie out on a beach in just a bathing suit and soak up the sun. Others prefer chillier climates, with beautiful alpine vistas and undisturbed snow.
At San’in Kaigan Geopark in Japan, tourists can do both, at all the same time. Swimming shorts are out of the question on this occasion, however – take a parka instead.
During a rare phenomenon that only occurs between late January and early February, visitors can see snow and sand at the same time on the shoreline.
The sight has been described by people on social media as “heaven on earth”, and “one of the most incredible and beautiful images I have ever seen”.
San’in Kaigan Geopark was declared a Japanese Geopark in 2008 and a UNESCO Global Geopark (an area containing a site of geological importance) in 2010.
Located in the west of Japan and stretching from the eastern Kyogamisaki Cape, Kyoto, to the western Hakuto Kaigan Coast, Tottori, this geopark is home to a diversity of geological sites related to the formation of the Sea of Japan.
It is home to geographical features including ria-type coasts, sand dunes, sand bars, volcanoes and valleys.
Illustrating its diversity, the geopark is also home to rare plants like Pseudolysimachion ornatum and Ciconia boyciana (Oriental White Storks). It is also home to some of the largest mammals in the country, including Yezo sika deer, Ussuri brown bears and Yezo red foxes.
“It covers three cities, towns and prefectures with a population of about 400,000. As the region has experienced three large earthquakes, there are disaster-related sites as well, such as reconstruction heritage sites and fault displacement, which serve as disaster education material,” UNESCO said. “In addition, local hot springs have long been appreciated as people’s health resorts”.
The rare sight actually begins in Russia. The ice comes from the Amur River, the longest undammed river in the eastern hemisphere, according to the WWF. In late October, the northern half of the river begins to freeze.
The cold westerly winds flowing out of Eastern Siberia help to form the ice in the freshwater. According to NASA, the freshwater mixes with seawater, the water mass becomes fresher so it has less salt content and can freeze at water temperatures than seawater.
The sea ice is then carried south through the Sea of Okhotsk by the Sakhalin Current, eventually reaching the region between late January and early February.
Tourists who flock to see this rare sight can take a boat cruise to stay warmer, in an area where average daily temperatures stay between -3 and -8C. At night, it can fall to -15C.
For those with a drysuit and a thick parka, the geopark actually offers a guided walk on the ice itself from the Shiretoko Peninsula, with a chance to see sea eagles, white-tailed eagles and sea lions along the way.
There is even a festival to celebrate the arrival of the drift ice – the Abashiri Okhotsk Drift Ice Festival is held in early to mid-February where local artists of the small port town carve out enormous sculptures in the snow and ice.
The ice begins to disappear by March and April, so be sure to pack your warmest clothes to comfortably experience this incredible phenomenon.
