Swan Lake

22 May

Lake Kussharo - In Ainu “Kuccharo,” means “The place where a lake becomes a river.”

Like much of Japan, Hokkaido is seismically active. Consequently, hot springs and volcanic vents can be found all across the island. Lake Kussharo, an inland lake in the western region of Hokkaido, is a caldera lake, a remnant of a long-ago erupted volcano. It is the largest of three caldera lakes that make up Akan National Park. And as with most geographic names in Hokkaido, the lake derives its name from the Ainu and the Ainu word “Kuccharo,” means “The place where a lake becomes a river.”

Its violent, seismic past is evident even today, with natural hot springs bubbling up along its shoreline, heating both the water and gravelly shores. It is here where the Whooper Swans gather to find refuge from Hokkaido’s brutally cold winters. The scientific name is from cygnus, the Latin for "swan".

The myth of Kussharo

The lake is known as Japan’s Loch Ness, after some reported sightings of a lake monster in early 20th century. The monster is referred to as Kusshii, is most likely borrowed from the Loch Ness’ Nessie. The lake is breathtaking in its beauty and the banks are lined with Sakhalin spruce, found only in Japan & Russia. Across the white lake, in the far distance when the mist clears, one can make out Mt. Mokoto.

Le lac des cygnes ~ Swan Lake

Geographically close to Eastern Russia, in winter, the lake welcomes hundreds of swans that fly south from Siberia. They return every year, unfailingly, as if to fulfil a promise migrating hundreds of miles to wintering sites like Lake Kussharo. The surface of the lake is usually frozen, but along the gravelly beach, the hot springs prevent any ice from forming.

The Whooper (pronounced hooper) Swan, is predominantly found in the frozen Siberian Arctic where they spend most of their time, before migrating as far south as Japan in the winter. They have a deep honking call and, despite their size, are powerful fliers. In small flocks, they gather along narrow stretches of the lake’s warm water, which is heated by the gurgling hot springs that lay between the shore and the ice sheet that covers the remainder of the lake. Whooper Swans are enormous birds, with wingspans up to 9 feet and weighing upwards of 25 pounds - the heaviest was recorded at 34 pounds. They are so big, in fact, that their legs cannot support them for long periods of time, so they need open water not only to feed but to rest. Whooper swans pair for life, and their cygnets stay with them all winter; they are sometimes joined by offspring from previous years.

Along with the swans there were numerous Mallard, a dabbling duck, that breeds throughout Eurosiberia. The drakes have a glossy green head and are grey on their wings and belly, while the females (hens or ducks) have mainly brown-speckled plumage. Both sexes have an area of white-bordered black or iridescent blue feathers called a speculum on their wings; males especially tend to have blue speculum feathers.

There was also the resident Ezo Fox who came too close for comfort. Read more about the Ezo Red Fox here and watch the video of a second Ezo Fox spotted on the frozen waters off the Notsuke Peninsula.

Swan Lake - Photo Gallery

When whooper swans prepare to go on a flight as a flock, they use a variety of signaling movements to communicate with each other. These movements include head bobs, head shakes, and wing flaps and influence whether the flock will take flight and if so, which individual will take the lead.

We drove to Lake Kussharo to photograph these magnificent birds knowing that the cold temperatures would make for interesting photography. Because it was so cold, and because a hot spring ran into the lake, we were expecting some fog and steam but there was very little as on that day the temperatures were not “cold” enough. But despite the “warm“ temperature of -6 degrees Celsius, for hours, we were able to take beautiful, moody and artistic images.

This was 28th February - a day not easily forgotten - because it was on this day that the island of Hokkaido was declared an emergency zone as the Covid Pandemic hit the Snow Festival near the city of Sapporo. We were some 500 odd kilometers away across extremely rough terrain with little or no contact with the outside world. And we were flying out the day after from Memanbetsu, a tiny airport near the Shiretoko National Park.

I have shared some of the photos in the article and some others are in the Swan Lake Gallery hyperlinked.