Snorkeling with bowhead whales
and orcas in Shantar islands

Not many people have heard about Shantar islands. There are even less people who have had a privilege to visit this place. Shantar archipelago, located in the Sea of Okhotsk, is one of the most inaccessible places in Russia where nature is preserved in its primordial condition. Travelers will remember the fantastic landscapes of the Shantar Islands for a lifetime.

The main attraction of Shantar is the local bowhead whale population. These sea giants are the most northern whales in the world (together with narwhals). On account of living beyond the Arctic Circle they are also called Polar or Arctic whales. Only here, in the Sea of Okhotsk, one can find the unique, southernmost population of these animals. We will be able to observe them in a temperate climate, almost on the same latitude as Copenhagen. The local whales are calm and not afraid of vessels, and they often let people get quite close to them.

If visibility allows, we will try to enter the water with bowhead whales and take unique underwater pictures. Bowhead whales hold the record for lifespan among mammals, they live for up to 200 years and, possibly, even more. Sometimes the whales get so close to the shore, they can be observed several meters from land.

In addition to bowhead whales, in the Sea of Okhotsk we may encounter killer whales, who can scare away even the bowheads. Sometimes we also see beluga whales and gray whales. There are several species of seals: bearded seal, largha seal and ringed seal. Brown bears roam on some of the islands. As always in our expeditions, our main aim will be swimming with marine mammals, first of all with bowhead whales. We will learn a lot about marine mammals from the lectures of our guide.

Killer whale capturing takes place in Shantar sea. One of our goals is bringing people's attention to this unethical activity. By making ecoutours to this region we hope to struggle whale capturing.

We will swim with whales and seals, fish for trout and salmon, explore new lands. We will become pioneers and plunge into a completely different world.