Article of the Month - December 2025

Little Critter's 5000 miles Adventure 2

"Hello, do you know what I am or where I am? I am a survey marker "KUI" and you find me and my friends in many places around you."

This is how the story starts for this article of the month.

Please join us once again for a very different and unusual Article of the Month. A manga-style graphic comic that we hope you will enjoy as much as we do.

About ten years ago, our Article of the Month featured something unique. A manga graphic comic book written by Ripro Corporation, Japan. Now, a new version of this remarkable story has been published, titled Little Critter’s 5000 Miles Adventure 2.

We warmly invite you to read this amazing story.

John Hohol, explains about the first book:

"This is the amazing and true story of a Japanese survey marker uprooted by Typhoon Talas in September 2011 and travelling for 6 months 8000 km / 5000 miles across the Pacific Ocean being discovered by a boat charter captain along his dock at Orcas Island, Washington, USA. The manufacturer of the survey marker, Ripro Corporation, has turned this incredible story into a traditional Japanese Manga graphic comic book. Enjoy!"

John Hohol got involved because the story made national news in the US and caught his attention and he recognised the stake as belonging to the RIPRO Corporation in Japan, a company that he has worked with. He contacted Kengo Okada, the president of the Ripro Corporation. Kengo Okada and John Hohol each booked a flight to Orcas to meet Tom Averna, who found the survey stake, and retrieve the item.

Read and enjoy:

LITTLE CRITTER'S 5000 MILES ADVENTURE 2, pdf (4.25 MB)

If you feel inspired and would like to read the first version, you can do so using the link below.

LITTLE ORCA’S 5000 MILE ODYSSEY, pdf (3.6 MB)

After you have read the Manga, you can read an article about this amazing adventure: http://www.islandssounder.com/news/290685301.html?mobile=true

 

Ripro Corporation, Japan became member of FIG in November 2014. Its CEO, Kengo Okada has faithfully supported FIG and the FIG conferences since then. In 2020 Ripro gave a larger donation to the help of Ukraine. This donation has been used to support participants from Ukraine at FIG events.

Thank you Kengo Okado and Ripro