Abashiri Drift Ice Sightseeing Icebreaker Ship Aurora

From late January to early April, the Aurora offers a 60-minute cruise through the drift ice of the Sea of Okhotsk. Passengers can enjoy panoramic views from the heated interior or the open observation deck. The ship also features a café and souvenir shop. Access is convenient via direct buses from Memanbetsu Airport and Abashiri Station. Nearby attractions include the Okhotsk Ryu-hyo Museum and the Abashiri Prison Museum.

Planning your visit

Each winter, drift ice forms in the Sea of Okhotsk and floats south to Hokkaido, reaching Abashiri from late January to early April. It is the lowest latitude at which sea ice occurs anywhere in the northern hemisphere, and the Aurora icebreaker exists to take visitors into it.

The sixty-minute cruise pushes through the floes, the ship riding up and cracking the ice beneath it — the sound and vibration through the hull are the memorable part. Passengers watch from a heated interior or the open deck, where the cold is genuine. Sea eagles, Steller's and white-tailed, are frequently seen on the ice, and seals occasionally.

The critical caveat is that the ice is not guaranteed. Its arrival and extent vary by year and by week, and warm winters push it away from the coast entirely — sailings continue but may cross open water.

Nearby are the Okhotsk Ryu-hyo drift ice museum and the Abashiri Prison Museum.

Bookable options include day trips from Sapporo combining the icebreaker with the museums. Current availability is listed below.