Shantar Islands Шантарские острова | |
|---|---|
Island group | |
 Map of the Shantar Islands. | |
 Location of the Shantar Islands in the Sea of Okhotsk. | |
| Country | Russian Federation |
| Federal subject | Far Eastern Federal District |
| Krai | Khabarovsk Krai |
| Elevation | 720 m (2,360 ft) |
TheShantar Islands (Russian:Шантарские острова,romanized: Shantarskiye ostrova) are a group of fifteen islands located off thenorthwestern shore of theSea of Okhotsk east ofUda Bay and north ofAcademy Bay.[1] Most of the islands have rugged cliffs, but they are of moderate height; the highest point in the island group is 720 metres. The name of the island group has its origins in theNivkh language from the word ч’андьč’and’ meaning "to be white".[2]
The islands are currently uninhabited.[3]
The island group is administered byRussia as part ofKhabarovsk Krai.[4]
TheNivkh people populated the Shantar islands until the 1730s.[6]
The first recorded exploration of the Shantar Islands was in April 1640, when Russian explorerIvan Moskvitin allegedly sailed to the mouth of theAmur River with a group ofCossacks and spotted the Shantar Islands on the way back. Moskvitin reported his discoveries to Prince Shcherbatov, the Muscovitevoivode inTomsk. Based on Ivan Moskvitin's account, the first Russian map of the Far East was drawn in March 1642. The Shantar Islands were also explored by Russian surveyors between 1711 and 1725.[7]
Americanwhaleships cruised forbowhead whales around the Shantar Islands between 1852 and 1907.[8][9][10] They anchored among the islands to sendwhaleboats into the bays to the south and west, includingUda,[11]Tugur,[12] andUlban Bays.[13] They sought shelter under Bolshoy Shantar,[14] Medvezhy,[15] Malyy Shantar,[16] and Feklistova Islands[17] from strong winds and gales as well as to obtain wood and water.[18] At least four ships were wrecked on the islands: one on thePinnacle Rocks,[19][20] one on Medvezhy[21][22] and two on Bolshoy Shantar[23] duringgales in October 1858 and August 1907.[24]
At the end of 2013, theShantar Islands National Park was created by Russian scientists and conservationists with support from WWF and several international organizations to protect the wildlife of the islands.[25]
There is no permanent population on the Shantar Islands, but they are often visited by commercial fishermen who use them as a base. Other economic activities undertaken on these islands are fur hunting and trapping as well as logging, which in the past were often done illegally.[27] There arespruce forests on the largest islands.[28] Other trees in the island taiga are theSiberian spruce, theDahurian larch and themountain pine.
There are many endangered birds on these islands, including theBlakiston's fish owl,osprey,black stork,red-necked grebe,gyrfalcon,solitary snipe,Steller's sea eagle and theSiberian grouse.[29] In the spring and summer, a number ofseabird species nest on the islands, includingblack-headed andslaty-backed gull,common andthick-billed murre,horned andtufted puffin,spectacled guillemot,Aleutian tern,long-billed murrelet, andpelagic cormorant.[30]
The Kamchatka brownbear (Ursus arctos beringianus),sable andmarten,caribou,red fox, andriver otter are common on the Shantar Islands.[31]Reindeer can be seen as well. Rivers on these islands are populated bysturgeon,salmon,trout, and various other fish.
The waters around these coastal islands are frozen for about eight months of the year on average.Pinnipeds (such asharbour seals,bearded seals,common seals,ribbon seals (on sea ice) andSteller sea lions),sea otters, andcetaceans such asminke whales,killer whales, and the critically endangeredbowhead whales,western gray whales andbelugas can be seen off the islands.
Although there is little visible evidence of human impact, the Shantar island ecosystem is under threat. One of the most severe threats to the environment of the Shantar Islands is a proposedtidal hydroelectric power station, which is currently on hold for lack of funds.[32] Lack of restrictions on tourism and resorting is also a problem as the number of people visiting the islands is increasing in recent years.
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