After arriving in Shiretoko-Shari, we took a bus to Utoro, a town located at the entrance to Shiretoko National Park.  On the bus trip up, we finally encountered sea drift ice.  This is the first time I’ve seen a totally white ocean – the ice isn’t solid, it still moves with the waves.

In Utoro we stayed at the Shiretoko Grand Hotel Kita-Kobushi (知床グランドホテル北こぶし). From our room in Utoro, we could see the drift ice fill the harbor.

Our room had an open-air hot spring tub on the balcony.

Dinner at the hotel (included) was a buffet that included, what else, crab.