Member-only story
The Challenged | Fun
When Japanese Wildlife Attacks My Head and My Palm
Rogue seagulls and the judgmental deer
(Non-Medium members can read it for free here.)
If you look at my phone’s photo album, you will find tons of photos of me with animals. It’s the photo album of an animal lover.
It’s hard to choose one because each one holds valuable memories. So I chose two.
Photo A was taken on a sightseeing boat in Ine Bay, north of Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. It is a scenic seaside fishing village with over 200 traditional wooden boathouses built on water. People call it the “Venice of Japan.”
It was December 2025. I went to Ine Bay with my husband for a holiday. I remembered that the day was cloudy and chilly, as it was winter. Heavy showers happened right before we went on the boat.
My mood was melancholic as we forgot to bring an umbrella. We were drenched and cold. Our down jackets were soaked. Thankfully, the rain stopped when we boarded the sightseeing boat.
The moment the boat began to move off the coast and drifted through the water, dozens of seagulls fluttered onto the boat and started messing around with the tourists. I have never seen that many seagulls at once.
