"Global Warming Witness — A Mitsuaki Iwago Special" is a website started by Olympus in 2006 to provide people with the opportunity to think about environmental issues such as global warming. In the previous edition of PURSUIT, Iwago shared his experiences and thoughts while on location for Global Warming Witness in Canada and Africa. Now, in Part 2, he gives us the rest of the story. Part1 Even in Japan, there's still a lot of wildlife For the final shoot, we went to Shiretoko, a designated World Natural Heritage Site. Although I’d visited the area several times before, I once again amazed by the number of wild animals living there. We took a boat a little way out to sea where we encountered more than 70 Orcas. Our guide said, "I’ve never seen that many before. You’re lucky!" In the winter, we took photos of sea eagles. Shiretoko is the only place where you can get close to them. Birdwatchers worldwide are all eager to see eagles and hawks, and there was an impressive number who had made the trip. The sea eagles come in from Kamchatka, together with drift ice. This drift ice increases the plankton population, which in turn leads to an increase in the number of fish. The more fish, the more the eagles have to eat — that’s the natural cycle of life. But the drift ice is shrinking and becoming thinner year by year, due, it's said, to the influence of global warming. If the drift ice fails to arrive, Shiretoko will be severely affected. This is what I fear most for the region. Research has just begun According to the local fishermen, unusual changes seem to be occurring, like a decrease in the number salmon returning to spawn. At one time, fishermen considered drift ice to be an annoyance that prevented them from taking their boats out to sea. But when people talk about drift ice now, they're making the connection between the unusual changes they've seen and the effects of global warming. To be truthful, nobody yet knows for sure whether the decline in drift ice is caused by global warming. Research has only just begun, with a full-scale project initiated last year by Japan's Ministry of the Environment. Nature keeps its own time Looking back on the locations I visited this time, and on my past experiences in those places, I began to wonder. Is it right for humanity to control nature as it has done? In many places in Africa, for example, they burn fields ostensibly to prevent fires or to encourage plants to sprout. But on my visits this time, I noticed that the vegetation surround watering holes is becoming less diverse. Could this be the result of repeated open burning that kills all but a few hardy species of plant? I believe that nature controls itself naturally. If the population of one species becomes too large, it will eventually fall naturally. Although nature’s own time frame may appear to influence human lives when viewed in the short term, I think it should be respected. The problem is, wild animals that affect humans are soon labeled as pests, making the situation quite difficult. Treat nature with humility To me, the message is clear — today nature and wildlife are dying, tomorrow it will be our turn. In other words, we are being forewarned. Nature has already shown us a yellow light to slow down. So what are we to do? The answer, I think, is to treat nature with humility. Because in my mind, it is that certain animal sense we feel in the presence of nature that can help us survive into the future. For example, you don’t take an umbrella with you simply because you heard the weather forecast. No, you open the window and feel the humid wind from the west and think it may rain. It’s the information you gain for yourself that’s the most reliable. Of course, I make sure my head is full of information before I go on a photo shoot. But the more that information lets me down, the more fun I have. In fact, I actually look forward to it. For me, a dense, dark jungle from which anything can suddenly leap is much more attractive than any groomed and manicured example of nature. Profile Mitsuaki Iwago Born 1950 in Tokyo. Mitsuaki Iwago started his career as a wildlife photographer at the age of 19 after visiting the Galapagos Island and being overwhelmed by the nature there. Since then, he has continued taking photographs around the world. This spring he will turn his talents to moviemaking, working as director and cinematographer on his first feature film. Visit the GWW website to see video footage of locations mentioned in this interview and much, much more.