Cape Povorotnyy Explained

Cape Povorotnyy
Native Name Lang:	Russian language
Coordinates:	60.7167°N 206°W
Pushpin Map:	Russia Magadan Oblast
Pushpin Label Position:	right
Subdivision Type:	Country
Subdivision Name:	Russian Federation
Subdivision Type1:	Federal subject
Subdivision Name1:	Magadan Oblast

Cape Povorotnyy (Russian: Мыс Поворотный, Mys Povorotnyy) is a headland on the southwest side of Penzhina Bay, the east arm of Shelikhov Gulf, in the northeastern Sea of Okhotsk. It has reddish cliffs and two large pillar rocks, on a detached drying reef, which lie about three miles southeast of the cape. It lies twenty miles east-northeast of Cape Taygonos.^[1]

History

American whaleships hunting bowhead whales frequented the waters off the cape from 1862 to 1889.^{[2] [3]} They called it Rocky Point,^[4] and Vitaetglia Bay to its west Rocky Point Harbor,^[5] where they anchored for shelter from southwesterly gales,^[6] to go ashore to get wood and water,^[7] stones for ballast,^[8] and to shoot mountain sheep.^[9]

Notes and References

1. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. (2014). Sailing Directions (Enroute): East Coast of Russia. U.S. Government, Springfield, Virginia.
2. South Boston, of Fairhaven, July 27–28, 1862, Kendall Whaling Museum (KWM) #771.
3. Emma F. Herriman, of San Francisco, June 20, 1889, George Blunt White Library (GBWL) #761.
4. Northern Light, of New Bedford, August 30, 1883, GBWL #761.
5. Josephine, of New Bedford, June 28, 1865, KWM #122C.
6. Elizabeth Swift, of New Bedford, August 11, 1864, New Bedford Free Public Library (NBFL).
7. Charles W. Morgan, of New Bedford, July 20–22, 1866, GBWL #147.
8. Active, of New Bedford, July 23, 1866, Smithsonian Institution (SI).
9. Mary and Helen, of San Francisco, June 10, 1885, Old Dartmouth Historical Society (ODHS) #937.