In the northern Pacific Ocean, there is the sea known as the Bering Sea, which stretches between Alaska and Siberia. The Bering Sea merges with the Arctic Ocean via the Bering Strait and separates two continents, but it is believed that there has previously been a land bridge between Russia and the USA. The sea has an area of about 2.2 million square kilometers and here it can be really tough to get there by boat as the lake is often hard with high waves. In the northeastern part, the water is shallower and there are plenty of larger islands while the southwestern part is deeper with a depth of about 4,000 meters.
The Bering Sea is named after the Danish explorer Vitus Bering, who explored the sea on behalf of Russia in 1728 and 1741. It was then that people discovered in earnest how rich the area was in seals, and seals have traditionally been very important for the production of Fur. In fact, the sea was explored earlier than Bering by Russian Semyon Dezhnev. Today, the Bering Sea is one of the world’s most important sources for fish. Here there is a rich wildlife both in the water, in the air and along the coasts on land.
The seal controversy
In 1886, a bitter world conflict arose that affected the seals in the Bering Sea. A flock of seals that spent the summer on the Pribilof islands moved further south during the winter and when they moved, anyone could hunt the seals in open water. This hunt threatened the seal population so much that people began to worry that the species would become extinct. It was mainly Canada who was singled out as the culprit in the drama and several Canadian ships were boarded and later sunk in a court in Alaska. The United States considered itself entitled to control the sea after taking over Russia after the purchase of Alaska in 1867. England did not accept that the United States exercised the right to control the high seas. In the end, they met in court in Paris and then the ships that were boarded received damages at the same time as they introduced certain restrictions for seal hunting in the sea. However, these restrictions proved to be quite ineffective and after this, various agreements have been entered into in several rounds to reduce the hunt or to stop it completely. Countries such as Japan have also been involved in discussions and agreements here.
Sea fauna
In addition to seals, there are plenty of choices in the Bering Sea. Here are species such as blue whales, saithe whales, humpback whales, sperm whales and blue whales. You can also encounter walruses, sea lions and killer whales, and if you go further north in the sea, there may be polar bears. The sea is also home to about 30 different species of seabirds that incubate and live their lives here. Examples of these birds are the albatross and the gull. There are birds that are unique in this sea and some have already become extinct, such as Steller’s manatee and Pallas’ cormorant. As I said, the waters are very rich in fish and here you fish for salmon, among other things.
