Okhotsk sea far east siberia (173 images)

Russia is a huge country, covering nine time zones. In Chukotka - the north-eastern most region of Russia, they have a saying "God is a long way up there, but Moscow is even further away" that is true in so many respects. The Russian Far East is unique, the culture, the climate, the history, the wildlife; it is a world away from the Russia you might have explored.


In the language of its indigenous people, the Sea of Okhotsk translates as something like the 'Sea...
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Russia is a huge country, covering nine time zones. In Chukotka - the north-eastern most region of Russia, they have a saying "God is a long way up there, but Moscow is even further away" that is true in so many respects. The Russian Far East is unique, the culture, the climate, the history, the wildlife; it is a world away from the Russia you might have explored.


In the language of its indigenous people, the Sea of Okhotsk translates as something like the 'Sea of Hunters' or 'Hunters Sea'. It's the first indication of the abundance of wildlife in the region and despite the hunting that has gone on over the years, this sea remains one of the richest in the world - but there is so little known about it. The freshwaters of the Amur River flow into the vast, naturally-sheltered sea and freeze into ice-floes that make it impassable for much of the year. Dominating the Northwest Pacific, the sea is bounded to the north and west by the Russian continent and the Kamchatka Peninsula to the east, while the Kuril Islands and Sakhalin Island guard the southern border. Its coasts were home to a number of indigenous peoples: the Nivikh, Oroki and the Even - mostly now displaced by the advance of the modern world, though descendants can still be found practising a way of life handed down by their ancestors. Hunted almost to extinction, whales are now returning to the Sea of Okhotsk and it is possible to see a number of species including a rare western population of the Grey Whale, plus Bowhead Whales. The beautiful and rare Ribbon Seal may also be found, shambling on craggy rocks, as can Steller Sea Lions and Northern Fur Seals. During this expedition cruise we venture on this virtually unexplored region. On Talan Island we visited a huge colony of Tufted Puffins and on the cliffs tumbling round the back of forgotten islands, we found thousands of seabirds. Millions more breed on the islands scattered across the sea. Soaring above the archipelagos is the huge and beautiful Steller's Sea Eagle. But birds compose only part of the rich wildlife tapestry of the region: we saw rivers churning with salmon as they roar through taiga forests, wild hills roamed by Wolves, Big Horned Sheep, Arctic Fox and, we caught sight of the mighty Kamchatka Brown Bear.
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