Sakhalin Gulf Explained

Sakhalin Gulf (Russian: Сахалинский залив) is a gulf in the Sea of Okhotsk between continental Russia (north of the Amur's mouth) and the Schmidt Peninsula, at the northern tip of Sakhalin Island. The width of the gulf reaches up to 160 km (99 mi). It is covered with ice from mid-November until late April, but north winds can leave the bay blocked with ice until July.^[1]

The port of Moskalvo (Москальво) is located on the eastern shore of the Sakhalin Gulf, close to Ush Island.

History

Sakhalin Gulf was frequented by American and Russian whaleships targeting bowhead whales between 1848 and 1874.^{[2] [3]} They also traded with the natives for fish.^[4] On 6–7 September 1854, the ship City (351 tons), of New Bedford, grounded and wrecked on the western side of the gulf. Most of her crew made it to Sakhalin Island, but seven men, including the first officer, perished on a raft from the wreck of the bark Peruvian. They were able to reach the Russian village of Petrovsk and boarded a brig for home.^[5]

Wildlife

In the summer beluga whales aggregate at the head of Sakhalin Gulf to feed on spawning salmon.^[6]

References

• Location

Notes and References

1. United States. (1918). Asiatic Pilot, Volume 1: East coast of Siberia, Sakhalin Island and Chosen. Washington: Hydrographic Office.
2. Mary and Susan, of Stonington, Aug. 10–24, 1848, Nicholson Whaling Collection (NWC); William Wirt, of New Bedford, July 4–17, Aug. 2-Sep. 18, 1854, NWC; Mary Frazier, of New Bedford, July 2–4, 1858, NWC; Louisa, of New Bedford, June 28–29, 1858, June 29, 1859, NWC; Cincinnati, of Stonington, June 21–24, 1859, NWC; Navy, of New Bedford, June 27-July 2, July 25, Sep. 15–17, 1861, Kendall Whaling Museum (KWM); Josephine, of New Bedford, June 17, Aug. 25–28, 1864, KWM; Sea Breeze, of New Bedford, July 9–10, 1874, G. W. Blunt White Library.
3. Storfursten Constantin, of Helsinki, June 1860. In Lindholm, O. V., Haes, T. A., & Tyrtoff, D. N. (2008). Beyond the frontiers of imperial Russia: From the memoirs of Otto W. Lindholm. Javea, Spain: A. de Haes OWL Publishing.
4. Josephine, of New Bedford, July 5, 1860, July 10, 1861, KWM.
5. City, of New Bedford, Sep. 6-Oct. 1, 1854, NWC.
6. Solovyev, B. A., Shpak, O. V., Glazov, D. M., Rozhnov, V. V., & D. M. Kuznetsova. (2015). "Summer distribution of beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) in the Sea of Okhotsk". Russian J. Theriol. 14 (2): 201-215.