Dolphin Watching Season Arrives at Mutsu Bay, Aomori Pref. , Where Young Cetaceans Are Born and Raised

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:25 JST, June 6, 2025

MUTSU BAY, Aomori — With dolphins now migrating to Aomori Prefecture’s Mutsu Bay, tourists have been enjoying watching the cetaceans.

On the morning of May 17, about 100 Pacific white-sided dolphins were spotted nearby a fishing boat offering tours. The boat also carried Aomori University Prof. Shigeto Kiyokawa, 64, who researches the ecology of dolphins.

Tour participants took photos of the dolphins swimming alongside the boat with their smartphones and observed their breeding behavior from a distance.

Pacific white-sided dolphins usually reside in the bay from April to June to calve and raise their young.

“The dolphins were so close. Next time I want to come with a camera,” said a 29-year-old man who joined the tour from Aomori City. The tour is held mainly on Saturdays and Sundays until mid-June and costs ¥6,600.